How to shop smarter this Black Friday

Before you dive into Black Friday shopping, make a shopping list of the items you genuinely need or have been eyeing for a while. This way, when the Black Friday shopping events hit, you’ll know exactly what to look for and avoid overspending on tempting but non-essential deals.

If you’ve been planning to upgrade your fridge, replace an old washing machine, or get a new TV, add your top two or three shortlisted items in each category to your wishlist. You could even make a note of the prices at this stage, so when the sale goes live you’ll be able to easily check the recent price history and see if they actually have big discounts on their pre-sale price, rather than minor markdowns.

When Black Friday sales start, some deals go super fast–particularly for hugely discounted or limited-stock items. You don’t want to miss out on fast-selling deals because you’re scrambling to enter your details at checkout. Setting up an account beforehand can save you time during the checkout process. Having your online shopping profile set up will usually also mean you’ll be among the first to receive notifications about exclusive offers and early access to limited-time deals.

A good tip to ensure you’re getting the best price is to check if the retailer offers a price-matching policy. Some Australian retailers will match prices from other major stores, which can be very handy if one site is out of stock on your chosen item, but another still has it at full price.

For instance, if you’re looking at a new washing machine that’s slightly cheaper on one site, but out of stock, see if the other retailer will match that price (and take any delivery fees into account too). It’s a small effort that could save you a significant amount, especially on appliances that tend to be heavily marked down at this time of year.

If you’re replacing an old appliance, you probably need to get rid of it when your new one arrives. Some retailers offer to take away your old appliance for free when they deliver the new one, which is a huge bonus, especially for bulky items like fridges and washing machines. However, not all retailers provide this service, and some may charge for it. If you’re in the market for a major upgrade, confirm if free removal and recycling is included to save you time, effort and money on disposal.

Some retailers, including Appliances Online, display stock levels so you can see if an item is close to selling out. If you see a limited stock warning on that espresso machine you’ve had your eye on, consider adding it to your cart sooner rather than later because there’s no guarantee it will be back in stock while the Black Friday price still applies.

Some products will have cashback or other bonus offers running concurrently with the Black Friday discounts, so factor this into the price.

Some retailers will also send out promotional cash off and discount coupon codes ahead of Black Friday which can be used during the sale period to knock a few extra dollars off the already special Black Friday prices (another reason it can be a good idea to set up profiles or join rewards schemes ahead of the sale).

You don’t want to miss out on a great deal, but at the same time, it’s not worth rushing into a decision if you have reservations about a product. That half price air fryer or laptop is only good value if it’s the right size or specs for you. Sitting on your shelf gathering dust, it’s not a bargain.

If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a step back and imagine yourself using the product: if you find it hard to imagine an occasion when you’ll wear that faux fur hemmed jacket, it could be a sign that it’s not for you after all.

With a bit of planning, Black Friday, as well as the follow-up Cyber Monday sales that some stores still hold, can be a great opportunity to score genuine deals on things you actually need – without the stress or last-minute pressure.

Check out the latest on Appliances Online’s Black Friday Deals here