It's almost that time of year again! We love Black Friday here at Quidco, it's the perfect opportunity to bag items you've had your eye on for a discount price.
We're not the only ones who are keen, either. We've chatted to the UK Money Bloggers community, and here are their top tips to help you make the most of Black Friday!
Black Friday shopping tips from UK Money Bloggers
Jane from Ladey Janey
You’re not saving money if you’re spending it unless it’s a purchase you have budgeted for, you’ve done your price research, you’ve been intending to make that purchase for some time and manage to get it for less on Black Friday.
Use price history tools such as CamelCamelCamel and PriceSpy to work out whether you are getting a good deal or not.
Dan from The Financial Wilderness
My tip is to make a list of the items you want before the day kicks off. This sets you up for doing a search for the items rather than specific sites, and compare for deals more easily. Just remember to check anywhere you buy from is legitimate!
Melissa from Skinny Spending
Stack the offers by using store cards in conjunction with Black Friday sales. For example, Boots Advantage Card often have bonus points offers that can be stacked with Black Friday offers.
I was able to buy Christmas gifts half price and get £20 back in points for spending over a certain amount last year.
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Neesha from The Fun Money Club
My top tip is to price check! Not everything is a bargain on Black Friday and often discounts are inflated. Keep an eye on the price of something for a few months before and see how different the price is compared to what it's been previous months.
Joseph from Thrifty Chap
Save even further on Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals by using a cashback card. An extra 1% off the price might not seem much but it can all quickly add up and is better in your pocket than the retailers.
Fiona from Savvy in Somerset
My top tip would be to always use a price comparison tool such as camel camel camel, price spy or idealo to make sure you really are getting the best deal possible before purchasing.
You can also check the product or items price history to make sure the price hasn’t been artificially inflated to look like a better deal than it actually is.
Katie from Katie Saves
Use an app like Price Runner to track the products you're hoping to snap up. You can set up price alerts and pick your price threshold and you'll get notified when the product drops below your target price.
Deepak from Latest Deals
It's not unheard of for websites to slow to a crawl on Black Friday and for popular deals to sell out quickly! Make sure you open online accounts with your favourite shops in advance, save your payment details and delivery address. That way you can snap your bargain quickly!
Qin from Hey Money Talk
My tip is: start tracking the items you want early, ideally from the end of summer. That way you know how much prices have actually changed - for example whether the discount is the same as in the summer sale.
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Hayley from The Savvy Sloth
Black Friday can be a good opportunity for stores to sell off older models, so make sure you’re actually getting a good deal. Do your research on which products are best for your needs.
If you already know the features and specs you need, you’re less likely to end up buying an ‘amazing bargain’ that doesn’t actually do what you need it to.
Olly from Savvy Dad
There are so many deals appearing over the Black Friday sales period that it can be tricky to identify a true bargain.
Try using price history sites to see the trend of price for the products you're looking to buy in the sales, this helps assess a real bargain. Camel Camel Camel is a great site for checking the history of prices on Amazon.
Even when you have found a bargain, be aware of a growing number of sites where merchants and third party sellers are balancing bargain prices with high postage costs.
Claire from Bossy Girl
My Black Friday tip is to take your time. If you’re looking for something specific and you spot a deal, then it’s tempting to pounce. But remember, other retailers will have competitive offers and deals on.
So suss out how the whole market looks before buying. Once you’ve found the best deal, work out if you can get any extras on top.
Think about cashback, extra discounts for taking out credit (only do this is you have the cash to clear it outright once the bill lands though!) free add ons and multi-buy offers.
I always find that keeping a cool head and researching the market throughly pays off.
