It’s hard to believe it, but many Black Friday deals have already launched into motion at the beginning of November. Similar to 2020, this year’s Black Friday promises to look a little different than those of the past. Here’s what you need to know about Black Friday 2021 to score the best deals and keep your spending in check.
Deals are Staggered Throughout the Month
Many big box and warehouse retailers actually began their Black Friday Deals this week. Walmart is releasing new deals online each Wednesday of the month followed by in store deals on that following Friday. From Legos to big screen TVs, you’ll see hot ticket items roll through this page each week. Or I actually find it a bit easier to look at the physical or PDF Weekly Ads (more on that in a minute). Costco, Sam’s Club, Kohl’s, and Amazon all have deals running right now
Know the Price Match Policy
Nervous about not scoring that big wishlist item this year because it sells out? Get to know your store’s price match policy now. Retailers like Target and Costco promise to match the price if it drops lower during the month, giving you the difference. Keep in mind policies like these only work when you have purchased the exact model of the item. Sometimes the difference will be credited to your account and others it will be issued in the form of in store credit. Log those receipts and keep them where you can easily find them.
Don’t Assume Deals Will Get Better
As I was navigating Black Friday last year, I made an assumption – surely prices will continue to drop and we’ll see some surprises on actual Black Friday. I was really wrong. In fact, some of the Black Friday deals on actual Black Friday were lackluster compared to what was offered earlier in November. If you see something you really want (I’m looking at you cute Target sweatshirts for only $10 last year), go ahead and get it. Again, the price match policy can be your friend if the price drops even lower.
Ads Are Already Online
We may see one or two stores drop deals as we go or at the last minute. But by and large those days of leafing through the paper on Thanksgiving are over. Many stores have their ads directly on their websites or apps (scroll to the bottom to look for “Weekly Ad”) which are much easier in my opinion to navigate than the “Deals” page especially on a large site like Walmart. Or you can see Ad scans on Black Friday aggregate sites like TheBlackFriday.com which is my favorite site to easily navigate between ads. This week’s Walmart deals will be released online on Wednesday and in stores on Friday. My favorite deals for next week there include:
- Apple AirPods for $89
- $6 Athletic Work’s Men’s Fleece Separates
- Blackstone 22″ Portable Griddle
Know Cash Back, Rewards Programs, and Promo Codes
I think we often assume we’ll get the best deal with little to no effort on Black Friday. However, with a tiny bit of research can net more savings. So now is the time to join cashback sites like Rakuten, join free rewards programs like Target Circle or Kohl’s Rewards, and search for potential coupon codes. You will be able to save more money now and on Black Friday if you make these types of programs a regular part of your shopping. You’ll also want to do things like scan receipts with Fetch Rewards (code XP4EV gets us both at least 2000 points right now) or ibotta and mark special dates on your calendar (like when Kohl’s cash expires or when rebates are due) as you shop so you don’t neglect those hard earned savings.
Be a smart consumer this holiday season and keep Black Friday from becoming a hairy mess. You can do this and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
