How to Prepare for Black Friday: 8 Ways to Save

There’s a chill in the air, and leaves are falling. For dedicated bargain hunters, that means one thing: Black Friday will soon be upon us. If you want to make the most of the killer deals this Black Friday, you need to start getting ready now. That’s right: We said now. Here’s how to best to prepare for the upcoming shopping madness.

1. Create a Budget and List

Though you may be tempted to jump directly into list making, you should determine your holiday shopping budget first — that way, you’ll know what you can (and can’t) include on your list. Once you know how much you can spend, make a list of what you need to buy. Keep in mind you probably won’t know prices yet, so to make it easier, divide the list into two groups: items you definitely want to purchase, and items you’ll purchase if you have money left over from your original budget.

2. Follow Retailers and Deals Sites

With today’s technology, preparing for Black Friday is easier than ever. One of your first stops should be the websites of all your favorite retailers — both big and small. Sign up for their email newsletters and follow them on your preferred social media networks. Another money hack? Stop spending too much money on these 5 dumb things.

3. Participate in Online Forums

Want to educate yourself before the season starts? Log into some online-shopping forums, where deal-hunting veterans share tips and answer questions.

4. Update Your Profiles on Your Favorite Sites

Have you ever found a great Black Friday deal online — only to have it disappear by the time you click “purchase”? Don’t let that happen this year: Update your profile on your favorite retailers’ sites ahead of time.

5. Familiarize Yourself With Store Policies

Let’s face it: Buyer’s remorse happens to the best of us. And when it strikes, it’s essential you’re able to return the items. Also good to know ahead of time? Which stores offer price matching.

6. Let Deal Sites Work for You

Don’t waste hours digging through Black Friday ads online and in the newspaper; that’s what the experts are for. Check websites like BlackFriday.com to compare prices. Want more money-saving tricks like this? Here are eight more you should try.

7. Before Shopping, Analyze the Deals

Many Black Friday shoppers skip this step, and it’s a big mistake. Not only should you determine which stores have the best prices — you should also analyze whether the prices are actually a bargain. Price predictions, which are released by many of the sources cited in this article, are a good place to start.

8. Use a Money-Saving Browser Extension

This is an evergreen tip more than one exclusively for Black Friday, but money-saving browser extensions can help you find the best deals while you’re online shopping. Simply download one to your browser and let them do the price-comparing and coupon-code-finding for you.