Retailers are starting to tease the discounts and deals听they鈥檒l听have on offer for听鈥楤lack Friday鈥�.听
Designed to听tempt shoppers into early festive purchases, 鈥楤lack Friday鈥� falls on the last Friday in November.听
While there are genuine bargains to be found,听it鈥檚听easy to get caught up in the excitement and spend more than you intended.听
To prevent this from happening,听now鈥檚听a good time听to get your Christmas present list听written, and听set a budget for how much you can afford (and want) to spend.听
Being prepared ahead of Black Friday means听you鈥檒l听have plenty of time to do听your research听on what the items on your list normally retail at. This will help you spot听the best听offers, and听make genuine savings on听purchases听you had already planned to make.听
When it comes to the big day,听always remember to听compare prices across听different听retailers听before making a purchase.听You can try online听tools like Google Shopping,听PriceSpy,听PriceRunner听or CamelCamelCamel.com to compare prices and track discounts.听
Avoid impulse purchases.听If you see something tempting that听wasn鈥檛听on your list, pause before buying. Ask yourself whether you truly need it and whether you can afford it.听
Don鈥檛听rush because of time听pressure.听Many Black Friday deals now run for days or even weeks. Retailers often restock popular items, and Cyber Monday, which this year falls on December 1,听offers another chance to save. Take your time.听
Try negotiating.听Some retailers may be open to haggling, especially if听they鈥檝e听overstocked. Whether online or in-store,听it鈥檚听worth asking for an extra discount or bonus.听
Be cautious听of 鈥楤uy Now Pay Later鈥� services.听They听can be helpful, but only if听you鈥檙e听confident you can meet the repayment deadlines. Missed payments can lead to fees and damage your credit score.听
You should also be mindful of potential听scams, with Black Friday being a hotspot听for online fraud. Stick to trusted retailers, check reviews, and never enter payment details on a site听you鈥檙e听unsure about.听
Finally, stack your savings.听Use cashback sites,听search for discount codes, and check out if听you鈥檙e听eligible for any schemes听like student discount听or听the Blue Light Card for emergency workers 鈥� which also extends to teachers, school听and early years听staff, NHS workers, care听staff听and members of the armed forces.听
Customers of Housing Plus Group, which includes听The听Wrekin Housing Group and 糖心传媒, can also听benefit听from discounts through the Housing Perks app.听
Want to try something different this year?听Why not take the opportunity to check out your local charity shops, or online selling sites like eBay and Vinted, to see if you can get some Christmas听bargains.听You can even go one step further and sign up to Buy Nothing New Month, an annual campaign听each November by听Keep Britain Tidy, which encourages people to听make, mend, and only听shop second hand听as an alternative to consumerism.听