11 Hacks to Leverage the Best Black Friday Deals

11 Hacks to Leverage the Best Black Friday Deals

With Black Friday 2023 approaching, buyers are gearing up to buy gadgets, home appliances, and other products that have probably been on their lists for long. Black Friday allows buyers to fulfill all their requirements at prices much lower than the market rates. Moreover, the shopping season offers a wide range of products from different categories, facilitating considerable variety. Here are some quick hacks and tips that can help one make the most of this sale season:

Shop in the morning
The best time to shop for deals during the shopping season is in the morning, as several retailers begin their days during the wee hours of the morning. Moreover, popular products typically run out of stock, especially if offered at highly reasonable prices. Thus, it is a good idea to begin one’s Black Friday shopping early on in the day to reap the benefits of the best deals.

Check out the previous shopping season’s sales
Another way to determine beforehand what products will likely go on sale is to check out the products offered on discount the previous shopping season. This analysis can help one earmark these products before the sale and buy them promptly as soon as Black Friday commences.

Follow popular retailers on social media
Today, all reputed brands are utilizing social media innovatively to advertise their products, increase brand recognition, and communicate with their target audiences and customers. Thus, most of the brands offering discounts on Black Friday are likely to inform their customers about the same in advance. Following one’s desired brands can help one effectively leverage the Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by these companies.

Subscribe to retail newsletters
Retail newsletters provide considerable insight into upcoming sales and offers, helping one check out the products that are likely to be offered on sale during Black Friday. Although subscribing to e-newsletters means too many promotional emails to wade through, one may subscribe to such emails a few months before the shopping season and choose to unsubscribe later.

Collect gift cards and coupons early on
Leveraging a gift card or coupon on products already on sale can ensure considerable cost reduction. Therefore, it is a good idea to stock up on physical as well as e-gift cards offered by different retailers before the shopping season begins and utilize them during Black Friday.

Set up a budget range and limit
While buying items in bulk during Black Friday and other shopping seasons may seem tempting, overbuying during this time can cause a financial crunch. Hence, it is advisable to set a budget range and limit beforehand to avoid purchasing unnecessary items and spending wisely to cut down on expenses.

Compare prices of similar products by different brands
Many individuals typically opt for products offered by their favorite brands without performing a competitor analysis. However, understanding what competitors offer is essential in the decision-making process, as they may sometimes launch better products at lower prices. Hence, buyers should check out products from different brands before a Black Friday sale.

Shop in incognito mode
Shopping in incognito mode is a way for buyers to reap the benefits of better deals than those whose purchase history is accessible. Hence, a helpful hack while shopping during Black Friday is to shop in incognito mode.

Use a credit card that offers reward points
Credit cards that offer cashback and reward points during Black Friday can help reduce expenses even further. It is a good idea to check out the benefits of all the credit cards one owns and use the one offering maximum shopping benefits.

Download online retail apps
It can be a hassle to check which e-commerce retail apps offer discounts and download them at the last minute. Therefore, it is helpful to research beforehand which retail apps and websites offer Black Friday discounts and download them well in advance to prepare for the sale season.

Segregate the shopping list based on necessities and luxuries
Sometimes, certain products one requires may go out of stock by the time one goes on to buy these products. A quick strategy to ensure that one at least purchases products that are absolute requirements is to bifurcate one’s shopping list into absolute essentials and luxuries. For example, a laptop or a home appliance may be a more essential purchase than a gaming console. Thus, it helps to purchase these items at the earliest during a Black Friday sale and then add the other items to the cart later.

Purchasing products during Black Friday sales can be a rewarding and profitable experience. The trick is to strategically time one’s purchase and understand the market well to take advantage of the best deals.

Previous Read

A handy guide to buying the right laptop

Laptops are powerful portable tech that is versatile, compact, and fast, making them the preferred choice. However, the best laptop for you is the one that complies with your needs. Now, there is a plethora of laptops in the market. This makes choosing the right device a daunting task. To help you, here is a guide to help you buy a laptop as per your needs and the best ones available in the market. Plan your budget Thanks to tough competition between laptop brands, you can buy a laptop for as low as $200. But if you can increase your budget, you can buy a quality laptop with better performance and features. Laptops like HP Stream and Dell Inspiron 11 3000 are the least expensive, costing about $150-$200. Laptops costing $900 and above have faster processors, cutting-edge graphics, and powerful resolutions. Moreover, they are lighter, making them efficiently portable. Pick your operating system Do you want a Windows or a macOS? There is no wrong answer, as the choice of the operating system solely depends on your preference. If you are confused, here’s a brief summary of each. Windows 10, Microsoft’s latest operating system, is the most flexible. Moreover, laptops with Windows OS are generally inexpensive and offer features like touch screens and dual graphic chips. On the other hand, macOS Big Sur is Apple’s latest desktop operating system and is expensive. If you are a tech wizard and know your way around an OS, you can also choose operating systems like Chrome OS and Linux. Specifications As per your needs and budget, opt for the most powerful processor, as processors influence the performance and speed of the laptop. Most laptops have an Intel® processor, although some laptops even come with an AMD processor. Inexpensive laptops offer Intel® Atom®, Intel® Celeron®, and Intel® Pentium® CPUs that are good for light document editing and browsing. However, if multitasking and speed are important to you, then opt for an Intel® Core™ i3, or better yet, an i5 or i7. Next, you should check the RAM size. Most offer only 4GB RAM space. However, experts recommend that you opt for a minimum of 8GB RAM. Furthermore, get a laptop with a solid-state drive (SSD) since these are three times faster than a hard drive. Consider buying a laptop with a minimum of 9-plus hours battery life with a 12.5- to 14-inch screen size. Top 5 laptops of 2021 To further help you, here are the five best laptops of 2021: Equipped with an 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor and 16 GB RAM, the Google Pixelbook Go is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a fast and efficient laptop. Along with a great processor and impeccable response rate, this laptop boasts of a touchscreen display that can play 4K videos. If you’re looking to upgrade your laptop, checkout Google’s laptops on sale and save big this shopping season. The Dell XPS 13 offers excellent performance, 3.5K OLED touchscreen, i3-i7 processor, option to choose an 8GB or 16GB RAM, SSD storage, powerful display, and a sleek design. The Apple MacBook Air with the latest M1 chip provides an outstanding 14-plus hours of battery life and lightning-fast processing speed. Next is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 that is powered by the Intel® Core™ i5/i7. It comes with features like touchscreen, top-notch graphics, and up to 1TB SSD storage. Finally, don’t forget to check out the latest IdeaPad Slim 7 by electronic giant Lenovo. The recently-released laptop comes with a 15.6” display, 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, 512 GB SSD storage, Dolby Atmos® Speaker System, and a whole lot more. If you find this laptop a bit pricey, don’t worry. There are several fantastic deals on Lenovo laptops right now, and you can grab this one at a lower price from the company’s website.

Next Read

Top 5 Categories Expected to Have Early Cyber Monday Offers

As Cyber Monday 2023 approaches, the excitement for incredible deals and discounts is on the rise. Many brands and retailers are known to offer early bird specials in various categories to attract eager buyers. These deals are often time-sensitive and offer substantial savings, making them highly sought-after. Below are five shopping categories expected to have great early bird deals this Cyber Monday. At the end, we have also listed tips to bag early deals. Laptops Going by last year’s trends, Cyber Monday is expected to unleash impressive discounts of up to 50% on laptops. These discounts could apply to both budget-friendly and high-performing gaming laptops from brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Acer. For example, last year, Dell extended discounts of up to $700 on its XPS laptops, while HP facilitated savings of up to $300. Meanwhile, Newegg featured substantial price reductions of up to $750 on various models. Walmart stood out by offering Chromebooks starting at an exceptional $79! Smartphones Well-known smartphone companies may also offer excellent early bargains during the shopping season. Samsung has a swarm of deals on its best-selling models every Cyber Monday. While Apple usually doesn’t give direct discounts, it offers attractive trade-ins and gift cards or vouchers via different retailers. Televisions Anticipating the arrival of Cyber Monday in 2023, consumers can look forward to an array of enticing TV deals. Last year, the starting price for smart TVs, after discounts, plummeted to an astonishing $79.99 at Amazon. Best Buy joined the fray by featuring big-screen TVs for as little as $199.99, while Samsung slashed up to $3,000 off 8K and 4K TVs. Shoppers can expect a repeat of steep markdowns this year and get premium entertainment tech for affordable rates. Smartwatches Cutting-edge wearable technology is more accessible and affordable on Cyber Monday. The previous year saw a pattern where many prominent smartwatch brands, such as Apple, Google Pixel, and Fitbit, implemented price reductions ranging from $20 to $130 on their products. So, in 2023, one can anticipate equally exciting smartwatch deals, with renowned retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Currys, Ebuyer, John Lewis, Newegg, and Scan vying to present attractive offers. Kitchen appliances Cyber Monday is the perfect time to invest in appliances that make daily tasks more efficient. Past trends indicate steep discounts from brands like Instant Pot, KitchenAid, Ninja, and Dyson. Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Lowe’s are some retailers to keep an eye out for early bird discounts. Walmart is expected to discount small appliances like pressure cookers and air fryers. Besides these, Amazon may also have record low prices on its personal range of electronics, including Echo devices, Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, and Fire tablets. Ways to get early bird Cyber Monday deals Sign up for retailer newsletters Many online retailers send out newsletters to their subscribers in the run-up to Cyber Monday, which often contain exclusive information about upcoming sales and deals. So, subscribers who sign up with their favored retailers are usually the first to know about early bird offers. One may even get additional discounts for just signing up. Follow retailers on social media Social media helps brands engage with customers and promote deals. Retailers frequently use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to post information about upcoming early bird Cyber Monday sales. By following one's preferred retailers on these platforms, one can stay informed about early promotions. Use price tracking tools Price tracking and deal aggregator websites like Flipp, Camelcamelcamel, ShopSavvy, and BuyVia notify customers when the price of a specific item drops to a level one is comfortable with. By utilizing these platforms, one can track products and strike when the price is right, even before the official start of Cyber Monday. Visit retailer websites early Sometimes, retailers launch Cyber Monday deals a day or two before the official date. So, one should bookmark their favorite retailers' websites and visit them regularly leading up to Cyber Monday. Customers might stumble upon early bird promotions that give them a head start on shopping. Join online forums and communities Online forums and communities dedicated to deal hunting and online shopping are treasure troves of information. Members often share insights into upcoming sales, early access codes, and hidden deals. Reddit, Slickdeals, and DealNews are popular platforms to connect with fellow bargain hunters. Download retailer apps Many retailers have dedicated mobile apps that offer exclusive deals and notifications. Downloading them can grant one access to early bird offers only available to app users. This strategy can be particularly effective for time-sensitive flash sales. Engage with customer service One can contact a brand's customer service representatives through live chat, email, or social media to inquire about early bird promotions. They may provide valuable information about upcoming deals or special offers available exclusively to engaged and loyal customers. Plan ahead and create a wish list Before Cyber Monday arrives, shoppers should create a wish list of the items they want to purchase. This strategy can help navigate sales efficiently and prevent impulse purchases that might not offer the best value.

Our Blogs

4 tips that can help you pick the right investment advisor

4 tips that can help you pick the right investment advisor

An investment advisor can be a game-changer. A capable advisor can help solve most of your financial issues and give you the best investment advice so that you can turn market situations to your favor. But, finding the right investment advisor is not easy. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind while looking for the best investment advisor. Know what type of service you need First, you need to decide what kind of financial assistance you need. Do you need help picking investments? Or are you seeking advice on real estate, retirement, or insurance needs? Asking yourself these questions will help determine the type of investment advisor you are looking for. Nowadays, many people use a robo-advisor, which is as competent as a human investment advisor. A robo-advisor is great for investment management and other basic investments. But if you want substantial transformation in your money-situation, a human advisor is the viable option. Choose a fee-only advisor If you’ve decided to pick a human advisor, the next step is to choose the type of advisor: commission-based, fee-based, or fee-only. If you’re planning something big financially, you must pick a fee-only advisor. Such advisors work for and get paid by other clients like you, so they always act in their clients’ best interest.
Read More
Handy tips for retirement-focused investments

Handy tips for retirement-focused investments

With pension plans becoming more and more obsolete, retirement-focused investments have come to the fore in the past few years. Besides helping you fund your future, these valuable assets also provide incredible gains, and in some cases, constant income till the end of life. Since investing for retirement—and planning it—can prove to be challenging, we have put together a list of tips that may be helpful in the process. Assess your options Multiple investment vehicles are ideal for long-term gains and can return a sizable amount by the time you retire. Mutual funds, stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, cash investments, annuities, and dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are also good sources of high returns, although they depend on investor characteristics and risk aptitude. Saving money in certain tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k), individual retirement accounts (IRA), and brokerage accounts is also an option. Start early and young No one is ever too young to invest. It’s a healthy habit that can earn serious money in the long term, with even the smallest of investments capable of making a difference a few years down the line. Starting early gives your money time to grow and lets you accumulate more compound interest over a period of time.
Read More
4 popular credit cards for college students

4 popular credit cards for college students

A good credit score is essential as it can be a criterion for lucrative job prospects or renting an apartment. Moreover, a good credit score is an uncompromisable necessity while applying for a loan that has terms and conditions that favor you. To ensure that you have a good credit score, it is better to start building it young and early. One of the easiest ways to do so is by applying for a student credit card from prominent credit cards companies. Now, there are several credit cards companies that offer lucrative credit cards, making choosing the right one confusing. To help you narrow down your choices, here are some of the best credit cards companies that offer student credit cards. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: One of the biggest credit card companies in the country Bank of America offers a slew of benefits with its student credit card. With each dollar spent using this card, students can earn 1.5 points. This applies to purchases without any caps. The points can be redeemed as discounts on hotels, flights, rental cars, and vacation packages. There are no restrictions or blackout dates applicable for availing these discounts. With no foreign transaction fee or annual fee, the card allows one to earn nearly 25,000 points on spending about $1000 in the first 90 days.
Read More
What you must know about guaranteed business loans

What you must know about guaranteed business loans

If you’re looking for funding your small business with a loan, you’ll most likely come across the term “guaranteed business loans.” People often misunderstand this term as business loans that are guaranteed to be approved. But, this is not what guaranteed business loans means. To clarify the confusion, let’s understand what the term actually means, and discuss the most popular types of guaranteed business loans. What are guaranteed business loans? In simple terms, guaranteed business loans in the world of small business loans refer to loans that are secured or backed by a guarantee. The guarantee can be in the form of collateral, deposit, or an agreement. This essentially means that the lender is guaranteed to receive their money back even if the borrower fails to pay. When we talk about guaranteed business loans, we refer to loans with a personal guarantee or, more commonly, loans guaranteed by the small business administration (SBA). Let’s take a look at both these types. Personally guaranteed business loans As you understand from the term “personal,” when you make a personal guarantee on a business loan, you essentially agree to sell your assets to pay off the loan, if your business is unable to do so.
Read More
5 mistakes to avoid when investing in a high dividend ETF

5 mistakes to avoid when investing in a high dividend ETF

Exchange-traded funds (ETF) have been gaining popularity in the investment sector for some time now. Along with mutual funds, they have been one of the most preferred investment options among investors. With investors having pumped in billions of dollars in ETFs by now, these funds sure seem like a lucrative investment avenue. However, financial experts suggest treading this path carefully so as to avoid unforeseeable losses. Here are a few mistakes that you can avoid while investing in high dividend ETFs: Overlooking long-term investment Looking at long-term goals is the golden rule when it comes to any type of investment. However, seasoned investors invest in ETFs on a short-term basis through a type of trading called intraday trade. This type of trading allows the investors to buy and sell stocks and other investments on the same day. However, if not thought out carefully, investing in high dividend ETFs through intraday trading can result in lower returns and higher trading costs. Buying an ETF simply based on its name This is one of the most common mistakes people make when investing in high dividend ETFs. Investors may think that an ETF’s name provides an insight into its investment reach, i.e., whether the ETF has local or/and global investors.
Read More
How to qualify for a reverse mortgage

How to qualify for a reverse mortgage

A reverse mortgage provides the elderly access to equity in their homes and supplements their income. With its flexible repayment option, it gives homeowners more control over their money. However, the government has laid out strict rules and guidelines concerning reverse mortgage eligibility criteria. So, if you’re considering a reverse mortgage, read on to know the reverse mortgage eligibility criteria and the types of reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgage eligibility criteria The first criterion for a reverse mortgage is that the primary homeowner must be at least 62 years of age. If your spouse is under the age of 62, you might still be eligible if you meet other reverse mortgage eligibility criteria. If you’re not 62 or older than 62, then you won’t qualify for a reverse mortgage even if you satisfy the criteria mentioned below. You must be the primary resident of the home you’re seeking a reverse mortgage for. Note that vacation homes or rental properties do not qualify. You must either entirely own the house or have at least 50% equity in it. If you have any mortgage balance remaining while applying for a reverse mortgage, you must be in a financial position to pay off that balance.
Read More