A guide to Black Friday: The best sales, deals and everything else you need to know

On November 21, 2024By Littum

Believe it or not, Black Friday is already well underway. I know Turkey hasn’t even thawed yet, but Black Friday deals have officially begun. Why do Black Friday sales start so early? Thanksgiving is late in the month this year. Retailers need to get these deals going in order to achieve their overall revenue goals. It makes for a weird schedule, but it actually probably works in your favor if you’re willing to start shopping now. Whether you need a new computer, solar generator or something else, we are here to help.

This is how we cover Black Friday

Our team spends hundreds of collective hours searching and evaluating every deal we can find online. That includes everything from large, high-profile door blasters to the sneaky bargain of an extension cord. We use tools such as Keepa and Camelcamelcamel to see price trends over time. We also monitor the most popular products sold across retailers if a new deal has appeared – such high profile deals can sell out quickly. Our focus is on well-made and reviewed products at prices that make sense. This means that not everything will be half (or more), but they are worth it.

Here are some great early deals we’ve seen right from the start.

Black Friday tips

While we’d just be confused if you bought all your Black Friday purchases through our listings, we know it’s not practical (and we forgive you). So here are some general Black Friday tips to help you get the best deals across the board.

Check out loyalty programs like Amazon Prime and Walmart+

Companies are eager to get you into their retail infrastructure, and subscription models do it better than anything else. And while it may feel a little strange to pledge your allegiance to an online retailer, it really pays off. Walmart’s Walmart+ program (which is just $50 for the first year right now, down from $100) gives members access to the best deals several hours before they go public. It could be the difference between getting your hands on a new TV and seeing the dreaded “out of stock” warning. Amazon Prime offers access to exclusive deals that non-Prime members will never get. Of course, it comes with a little upfront cost, but these programs can make financial sense if you do the math.

Look at price histories

I personally use Keep in my browser to see an item’s price history. The discount percentages you see on product pages can be misleading and show discounts compared to an inflated retail price. You can also use Camelcamelcamel to achieve a similar task. But remember, just because something hit a lower price in the past doesn’t mean it will hit that super low again in the future. This applies especially here in 2024.

Only buy things you actually need

You can’t get a deal on something you don’t need. I personally make a list of items I hope to buy on Black Friday with the prices I’m willing to pay for them. Doing this ahead of time gives me a real idea of what I actually need or want. You’re going to see lots of deals pop up that look too good to miss. But really think about the realities of buying that break machine before you add it to the cart.

Latest articles

Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K display on a plain white background.

The best Black Friday display deals you can buy right now
The best Black Friday display deals you can buy right now

Whether you need a massive monitor for gaming or a simple monitor for your home office, these monitor deals are worth checking out.

By Brandt Ranj