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The annual Black Friday is almost here, and I’m sure everyone will be doing a lot of shopping this season. Below are some of my tips for finding deals. I’ll start with the roundup so you can quickly find what you need; this post will be updated continuously.

Cyber Week Deal Roundup

Amazon

Deals roll out every day, so it’s best to check early. The Deal of the Day is usually one of the better discounts.

Target

Best Buy

Electronics

Department Stores

Beauty

About Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday originally referred to the Sunday after Black Friday. In the past, people mainly shopped in physical stores over Thanksgiving, so online retailers came up with Cyber Monday to give those who missed out on Black Friday or went on vacation a chance to place online orders when they returned to work on Monday.

Originally, most of the merchants were selling electronics, but now merchants of all kinds have joined in and launched all sorts of promotions. These days, Cyber Monday has also gradually evolved into Cyber Week, with good deals popping up throughout the whole week. Compared with the ultra-low prices that may appear in Black Friday brick-and-mortar stores (for example, a 50-inch TV for $99), Cyber Monday prices may not be shockingly low, but they are still a good fit for people who already know what they need and just want to click and order.

Black Friday Deal Roundup

Amazon

From November 1 to November 24, Amazon rolls out deals every day. On November 23–24, it will launch the biggest deals, such as ultra-low-priced TVs, game consoles, and more, and it may also match other merchants’ prices

Best Buy

Recommended: iPad mini 4, various video games at half price, Logitech gaming peripherals (G403, G502, G900), and smart-home items. Lots of deals are available to buy today (11/8)!

CVS

This is that time of year again when CVS has the most free deals. Many of this year's freebies are the same as last year's, such as canned beans, PF mascara, and batteries. You can have the cashier ring them up as separate transactions; the ECBs printed out can be used immediately on the next purchase, reducing out-of-pocket costs. If you won't use something, it's better not to take it—it just takes up space at home and wastes sales tax.

Target

The highlights are a 55-inch 4K TV for 249.99, Xbox One S 189.99 with a $25 gift card, new iPad 249.99, Apple Watch S1 179.99, PS VR 199.99, and spend $50 to get a 20% off coupon

eBay

Sam's Club

65-inch Vizio 4K TV for 598; you can use Chase Freedom to buy Walmart gift cards at Walmart and use them at Sam's Club

Microsoft

Xbox Game Pass for $1 lets you play 100 games

Walmart

new iPad $249, plus lots of cheap small appliances and furniture

Other merchants

  • Dell ad: not much to highlight; Alienware is not the lowest price, so you can wait for the next generation
  • Kohl's ad: recommended Xbox One S, PlayStation 4, and Apple Watch Series 3. With Kohl's Cash, these prices are unbeatable.
  • Macy's: kitchenware, clothing, Apple Watch S1 $179
  • Microsoft ad: Xbox Game Pass for $1 lets you play 100 games
  • JCPenney ad: lots of kitchen small appliances for just a few dollars, worth trying out
  • Sears: have gift cards ready ahead of time to buy appliances
  • Staples: Kindle Paperwhite 89.99, cheap printers ($25 off $100, using Visa Checkout)

Black Friday deal summary by category

TVs: 

50-inch 4,000: Best Buy $179.99 (in store only, very hard to get)

55-inch 4,000: Target $249.99 (in store only), Walmart $298, Kohl's $299

Computers:

iPad:

iPhone (installment plan required):

Game consoles:

  • PS4: Kohl's $199.99 with 60 Kohl's Cash
  • XBOX:  Target $189.99 with 25GC

About Black Friday

Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving (Friday). This year it is November 24. Starting that day, people begin shopping for Christmas gifts. Merchants release their strongest deals of the year on that day, and some deals last through Christmas. Many items are basically at their lowest prices of the year, and you usually won't find lower prices before the next Black Friday. If you need to buy something, especially big-ticket items like appliances, don't miss this period.

In recent years, merchants have moved Black Friday deals up by one day to Thanksgiving itself, also known as Black Thursday. Usually, the deals go live online Wednesday night and in stores early Thursday morning, with in-store shopping opening Thursday evening on Thanksgiving. Important things three times!

Online late on November 22; in stores on the evening of November 23

Online late on November 22; in stores on the evening of November 23

Online late night on Nov 22; in-store evening on Nov 23

Black Friday Prep

Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy, and You’ll Never Be Defeated

Knowing yourself means knowing what you need and what you want to buy. Knowing your enemy means knowing what merchants are putting on sale, and when those sales start. Of course, if you do not know what you need, you can also create demand by browsing merchants’ ads. Every year, major merchants release their Black Friday ads in early to mid-November (link above). These ads contain important information, including which items are discounted, the sale prices, and the exact sale times (in-store/online). Be sure to analyze this information carefully. Every year I read these ads several times in advance, compare prices across stores, and develop my shopping strategy. I recommend recording the following information:

Online deal start time: usually 12:00 a.m. on the 23rd, which is late night on the 22nd. Different stores use midnight in different time zones for their online deal start times (stores starting at 12:00 a.m. Eastern: Walmart, Microsoft, Sam's Club; stores starting at 12:00 a.m. Central: Kohl's, Best Buy; stores starting at 12:00 a.m. Pacific: Target, Amazon).

In-store opening time: usually in the afternoon of the 23rd, with stores opening gradually starting at 5-6 p.m. local time.

Item name, SKU, and price: this makes it easy to add items to your cart right on time and place the order as soon as the price changes.

Credit Cards

For things you need at home, it is recommended to buy with a credit card. Benefits include price protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, and it is also easier to make a claim if you have a dispute with the merchant.

Some credit cards (AMEX, etc.) also offer Purchase Protection, which lets you file a claim if an item is lost or damaged within 90 days.

Next, it is time to figure out which cards to use. Write down cards that earn higher cash back at specific merchants in your notebook, and use the card with the highest cash back when shopping there. For example:

Applying for a new card to earn the sign-up bonus is also a good choice. If there are recent all-time-high offers, now is a good time to apply and get approved in time for the holidays:

Credit Card Linked Offers

In addition to saving money with credit cards, there are also many offers that link to your credit card. These rebates can stack perfectly with credit card rewards and cashback portal rewards. So, remember to link the credit cards you want to use before shopping. That way, when you swipe, you can save a little extra without even noticing.

  • Drop APP (after linking a credit card, you can get an extra 1%-2% cash back at merchants such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart)
  • Dosh App (after linking a credit card, you can get 2% cash back at merchants such as Sam's Club)
  • Ebates In-Store cashback (after linking a credit card, you can get extra cash back at many popular merchants, such as Sephora, major department stores, baby products stores, and more)
  • Recent good AMEX OFFER (many merchants offer 10%-20% cash back, and many others offer 2x points)
  • Chase Offer (extra 10%-20% cash back at Staples, Lowe's, Nordstrom)

Cashback Portals

If you are placing orders online, do not forget cashback portals. During Black Friday, major cashback portals may also increase merchant cashback rates. Using a cashback portal can save you an extra 5%-20%, which is quite substantial, and it may even be cheaper than lining up at the store.

Comparison and Reviews of U.S. Cashback Sites

Cashback Site Sign-Up Bonus Quick Take
Rakuten $20-$40 sign-up bonus Great customer service, reliable tracking, and in-store cashback; payouts take longer
Rebatesme $20-$40 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, many payout options, and high cashback rates on beauty purchases
Topcashback Up to $20 bonus Fast tracking, quick payouts, highest-rate guarantee, and frequent promotions; customer service is average
ShopBack $20 sign-up bonus Offers cashback at Amazon, easy browser extension cashback, and very high rates at some merchants
GoCashBack $5 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, gift card payout option, and exclusive discounts
Extrabux $20 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, WeChat withdrawal option, and students get a VIP card
Mr. Rebates $5 sign-up bonus Accurate tracking and good customer service
SimplyBestCoupons $5 sign-up bonus Good for niche stores and has strong promo codes
Befrugal $10-$20 sign-up bonus Good customer service and fast payouts

Stock Up on Gift Cards

It is a good idea to buy discounted gift cards in advance for merchants you plan to shop at, because secondhand gift cards often come with fairly large discounts. However, around the holiday period, the prices of various gift cards will soar. Recommended sources for stocking up:

Battle Plan

Online Orders

Late night on Nov 22 is when most merchants start their online deals. Open each store’s website in advance, save your payment information and address. Open the major cashback portals, compare cashback rates, choose the corresponding site, and then use the timeline you prepared in your notebook for each store’s deal start time to grab the items right on time.

In-Store

Usually, online shopping can handle most of your needs. Going to the store to feel the excitement is also a very good experience.

Have a big meal in the afternoon of the 23rd, and leave on time at 4-5 p.m. to line up at the store you want to visit. While you wait in line, store employees will hand out store maps. Use the map to go straight to the items you need once you get inside. For hot items (such as certain game consoles and toys), employees will hand out tickets, which have a number on them and mean that you have reserved that item. If you can get a ticket while waiting in line, you can go line up at the next store and come back before the store closes to pay and complete the purchase (ask the employee for the exact checkout deadline; some stores may still require you to line up and check out immediately).

My ticket from last year is shown below

As for after-sales service, most merchants allow returns until January 31 of the following year for items purchased between Black Friday and Christmas. If you are not satisfied, or if you find a price drop that cannot be matched, you can choose to return the item.