Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas shopping has begun. Black Friday is finally here and with so many stores offering great deals, it’s hard to know how to best stretch your dollar.
Adobe Digital Insights predicts that this year will be the biggest Black Friday yet, with sales exceeding $3 billion.
Here are some tips to ensure you get the best deals, without over spending.
Macy’s, JCPenney, Kohl’s and Sears are offering some of the biggest discounts this year, according to WalletHub. The website surveyed 8,000 deals from 35 major retailers in order to identify the best discounts.
The biggest deals on clothes can be found at Gormans, Stage and JCPenney, with each of these stores offering at least a 60% discount.
If you’re shopping for a computer or a phone, Kmart and JCPenney are your best bets. For consumer electronics, Fred Meyer and Staples are offering the highest discounts.
If you are shopping for little ones, the best toy deals can be found at Sam’s Club, CVS and Toys R Us, each place offering no less than 40% discounts.
The highest discounts available are on jewelry, with Stage Shopko, and Kohl’s offering a whopping 70% discount, or more!
But if you don’t get all of your shopping done on Black Friday, don’t worry! Cyber Monday is right around the corner and you can get similar deals without the lines!
Clothing is considered one of the smartest online purchases on cyber Monday, because of larger selections and, of course, free shipping. Stores like Amazon, Zappos, and 6pm.com are all sites offering huge savings on clothes on Cyber Monday.
In addition to clothes, small electronics and appliances tend to be great online purchases to make.
While shopping from the comfort of your couch is unbeatable in convenience, it’s important to be conscious of the security features of the site that you are giving your credit card information.
If you have to create an account to buy something, make sure you use a strong password. Forgo “12345” or the ever popular, “password,” and come up with something more complicated that you will easily remember. Maybe your favorite pet’s name, or the name of your favorite restaurant. Including uppercase and lowercase, numbers and symbols in one password is another good way to make sure your information is kept private.
Also, experts say that consumers that can afford it should use credit instead of debit. That way should your information be hacked, you’ll have time to catch the transaction while it’s still pending.. Frequently check your accounts so if there is a transaction you don’t recognize, you can immediately contact your bank.
Happy Shopping!
— The Horn editorial team