How to get the best deals on Black Friday
This Friday is no normal Friday. It is Black Friday, and if you want to make the most of the biggest shopping day of the year, you need to be prepared.
Read more: Black Friday spending will almost hit £2bn this year
There are already plenty of deals available online, but here are our top tips for making the most of the day itself:
Do your research
The best deals are often flash sales online so make sure you know what you want. How big is the fridge you need to replace? Which brands are available in your local department store? You won't have time to check stocklists on the day itself.
Sign up to newsletters
Many of the large outlets send out alerts when the deals start, so make sure you sign up so you know what is happening and when. You can also "watch" items on many websites to make it easy to track them. There will also be web pages that list the best deals on offer.
Have a list ready
The simple way to make sure you buy what you need at a cut down price, rather than just buying things because they're on sale, is to make a list. This can be a good way of recording exactly what you want – dimensions etc – and writing down where you can get it.
Read more: Londoners are the most likely to take a day off work for Black Friday
Set yourself a budget
This is the second step for making sure you don't overspend. But the real challenge, of course, will be sticking to it.
Go into stores a day early
The real Black Friday obsessives will plan every detail. If you go into stores the day before, you can locate where those key items are and get to them quickly (without getting an elbow in your eye). You can also try on clothes to make sure you know what size fits best. Try out the elevators – are they faster than taking the stairs to the electricals department?