In case you hadn't heard this Friday (25th November) is Black Friday, a relatively new shopping experience in the UK that has only really been 'acknowledged' here over probably the last five years. Well it was three years ago that I noticed it being advertised and took advantage of some big discounts anyway, since then it has been getting bigger and bigger.

For those who don't know, Black Friday stems from America originally and is always on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It is called 'Black Friday' because it is said to be the day that retailers slash prices in order for profits to come out of the red and into the black. It is fast becoming one of the biggest selling events.

If you have never taken part in the Black Friday sales and fancy trying to grab yourself a bargain or two then I have some tips to help you (based on what I am / will be doing anyway). I am not talking elbowing people in the face to get a new TV or stampeding shop assistants, that's just stupid behaviour. There are plenty of ways to ensure that you can get some bargains without causing injury and spoiling it for everybody else.

Here are my top tips!

1) Think about what you want and where you want to buy it from.

Once you have an idea, visit those retailers websites because those that are partaking in Black Friday may already have offers on or may have an option for you to either 'show interest' or be emailed a reminder when the Black Friday sale starts. Curry's for example are doing this.

2) Only buy what you really want.

So many retailers appear to be partaking in this event now that it is easy to get swept up in everything and maybe spend a bit too much on things you may not actually need or want. Don't get me wrong, I will be browsing my favourite clothing retailers to see what I can get as have had my eye on a couple of clothing items for a while however if the discount isn't anything amazing I probably won't bother. My aim is to nab us a new TV for our new living room and I won't stop until I succeed!

3) Get online first thing.

Most of the retailers are advertising that their sales start at either 5am or 6am (some maybe earlier) so check the times advertised with the retailers you are interested in purchasing from. If you are organised and brave you could go to the shop itself but it might be a bit safer to go online! I have even found that leaving it until late evening (online) means still being able to nab some great deals without the aggro of queues or the website crashing (I can't guarantee that this year though, it does keep getting bigger! Leave at your own risk)

4) Shop the pre deals.

As I previously mentioned, a lot of retailers already have offers on and while it might be tempting to wait and see what will happen on Friday, the wait may not end up being worth it. Think realistically about how much you are willing to spend, what the product is, read some reviews online, compare prices online and if it already seems like a brilliant deal, I say grab it now! Yes OK there is a chance that it may have an even better offer on Friday but there is also a chance there won't or that it may be sold out because of other people happy to pay the new discounted pre sale price. Either way, you have still got a good deal if you buy a £700 TV for £400 so who cares?

5) Do your research.

This point stems from the last one a bit, make sure you have a really good idea on the prices of your products beforehand and how much they are being sold for elsewhere. Sometimes you can think you are getting an amazing deal but see an even better one somewhere else shortly after. Google that vacuum cleaner / fridge freezer / TV / laptop and have a really good idea in your head of what you would be paying full price before you start to shop the sales. See what else you get for your money too such as guarantees and how long for or some retailers do good bundle offers such as a TV and sound bar - again do your research though, don't be tempted into buying the bundle because it looks like a good deal, it might not be as good as it looks and of course, ask yourself, do you really need it?

My last 'bonus' tip is Google discount codes for that retailer and see if you can find anyway. This is great to do all the time all year around actually but if there are any that are valid that you are able to use in conjunction with the Black Friday discount that would be a touch wouldn't it?!

I hope my advice may have been of some use and I hope that  you find whatever you are looking for in the Black Friday sales, everyone shop nicely please!



*Image Source: publicdomain.net