Thrifty Thinking: The Best and Worst Things to Buy on Black Friday/Cyber Monday

According to a recent survey from RetailMeNot, shoppers plan to spend $60 more on gifts this year during Black Friday weekend vs 2017 ($803 vs. $743). With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching around the corner RetailMeNot's Shopping and Trends Expert, Sara Skirboll, is here to help you slay your holiday shopping with a guide on what to stock up on now and what to buy later. 

The Best Things to Buy 

• Electronics will sell out the fastest on Black Friday. If you see a good deal on TVs—OLED and 4Ks are hot!—computers or phones, pick them up immediately. Electronics are going to be heavily discounted—some up to 40 percent, which means people will start shopping super early.
• Appliances. The gift that keeps on giving? Appliances. Retailers make more mass orders than they usually stock, and prices drop 40 to 50 percent lower than normal retail. Savvy shoppers will find items like coffeemakers, electric skillets, slow cookers, toasters, deep fryers, blenders and rice makers!
• Sneakers. Blame it on slow sales in September and October, but sneaks tend to take a price dive in November, making them one of the best things to buy on Black Friday, with price drops anywhere between 20-30% off.

What Not to Buy

• The latest-gen gaming consoles. Stay away from the latest-gen gaming consoles as these are usually used as bait. Don't expect any discounts on new models, wait until the week before Christmas when retailers need to push out inventory-- you'll score a deal then.
• Toys. Same rule applies here! It’s likely you won’t find any sales on these items come Black Friday. What you will walk away with? A giant headache after waiting in an endless line to scoop them up. The best deals on toys are found about two weeks before Christmas, at around 20 to 25 percent off. If you are, however, on the hunt for this season’s hottest toys, buy them ASAP. Waiting in that long line to buy the toy you’ve been eyeing means it might sell out
• Gift cards. You can never go wrong topping a giftee’s stocking with a good ol’ gift card. The best thing about going this route is you can get more value for your money—just not on Black Friday. Gift cards are usually cheaper in December, leading up to Christmas
• Pro tip: RetailMeNot always offers discount eGift cards that you can use just like cash. Buy them for yourself in preparation for Black Friday, and stack them with storewide offers and sales for even more savings.