What are the best deals for Black Friday?

If you’re going to shop for deals on Black Friday – the sales are available earlier, stick around longer, and are increasingly Moving online – be sure to keep comparing prices.

Sometimes prices are marked way up then marked way down.

Several times during my journalism career, I’ve written an article on what are the items are likely to be on sale each month throughout the year.

When I was a reporter for Senior Voice newspaper in Alaska, I called store managers throughout the state to see if the calendar of monthly sales I’d seen in a newsletter fit Alaska.

I happened to interview a classmate of mine from middle school in Chelan, Washington, Gordon Miller. He was general merchandise manager for JCPenney in Fairbanks. Miller was the one who told me about market way up, marked way down. It’s among the best quotes I’ve received as a journalist.

Miller’s insight is especially true for Black Friday shopping.

“The key to avoiding ‘bait and switch’ types of promotions is to do your homework,” said Dorothy Harpool, marketing educator at Wichita State University. “Consumers should research the price and quality of items and make a rational decision about a purchase as opposed to just buying what seems to be a ‘steal’ but ultimately does not truly meet the needs of the buyer.”

In addition, Harpool said, if a store is out of the specific product you want, don’t be afraid to walk away and look for the product somewhere else.

To find out whether consumers are really getting the best deals, WalletHub compared the “pre-Black Friday price” to the actual Black Friday price on a number of items.

Top 10 deals – Additional discount for waiting until Black Friday

1. Osaki TITAN Pro 8500 Massage Chair – $1,156	6. Trinity 6-Pc. Garage Storage System – $500)
2. LG gram 17” Evo Laptop – $316	7. Therabody RecoveryAir Compression System – $399
3. Beautyrest 12” King Size Mattress – $399	8. Samsung 28.2 cu. Ft. 3-Door Refrigerator – $351
4. Yeyian Gaming Desktop Kunai X21 – $300	9. Pit Boss Navigator 850 Wood Pellet Grill – $409
5. Lenovo ThinkStation P340 – $478	10. SanDisk Portable 2TB External USB-C SSD – $310

Top three product categories	Worst three product categories
1. Consumer packaged goods – 34 percent	7. All other product categories – 26 percent
2. Appliances – 30 percent	8. Toys – 26 percent
3. Furniture – 29 percent	9. Computers and phones – 22 percent

For the latest Black Friday deals, which are updated daily, visit “Black Friday Ads: Find the Best Deals.”

For more information on WalletHub’s Black Friday report, see “2022’s Best Things to Buy on Black Friday.”

Originally Published on https://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com/the_survive_and_thrive_bo/

Rita Robison Consumer & Personal Finance Journalist

For more than two decades, Rita R. Robison has been a consumer and personal finance journalist making her living by finding the best bargains, calling out the crooks, and advocating for regular people just like you and me. In that time, Robison has talked to so many people who feel like their money just isn’t getting them what they want, where they want to be, or the life they thought it would.

The purpose of her blog is to help you get what you want from your money. Robison covers financial goals, budgets, debt reduction, saving, smart choices for buying goods and services, and retirement planning. You’ll also find articles on safety, such as avoiding scams, looking out for rip off companies, and getting informed on the latest recalls.