Every Black Friday season, businesses claim to offer the best deals you can find (according to them sha). From a Black Friday professional who’s been through the trenches of overspending, missing out on deals and buying fake shit, here’s a list of how to survive and make the most out of Black Friday.
Have a spending limit, so you don’t end up poor
Dear, rapture will not happen after Black Friday. Map out a budget for your purchases because last time I checked, rent is still waiting for most of us in January. Don’t buy a plasma TV you can’t afford, just because it’s ₦10k cheaper, and end up under the bridge watching Telemundo.
Don’t put all your eggs in one Black Friday basket
Every site claims to offer the biggest sales on Black Friday, but the truth is most of them are detty liars. You need to wear your thinking cap and be on different sites comparing prices to get the best deal possible. You can’t allow these people to scam you, please.
Make a list of things you want to buy beforehand
Black Friday is not that different from going to the market. Make sure you have a list before shopping this season because it’s easy to get carried away. Are you looking for clothes? Then set a limit on how many shirts you want before you end up with ten white button-down shirts like a choirmaster. Also, make sure you know what you want, so you don’t go online looking for a TV and end up with a small gen you don’t need.
Please and please, know what you’re buying
Buying a TV for ₦5k sounds like a good idea until it arrives, and you end up watching Big Brother Naija in black and white. Don’t just jump on deals, do a quick research about the product, including reviews from people who’ve used it. Google is your best friend, dear.
Don’t dull on deals
Do you think you’re the only one who likes osho free? Please, we’re all looking for freebies. It’s good to research, but also know someone else is eyeing that thing you want, and they might just pay for it while you’re busy overthinking the deal.
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Run to physical stores if you can
Yes, not all Black Friday deals are online. Some big stores offer their Black Friday deals both online and at their physical stores, and honestly, if the physical store is closer to you, please run there. In a store you can easily test out your products and also get access to a wide variety of options. Technology is great, but sometimes physical stores slap better than online deals.
Download mobile apps for extra deals
Most people don’t know this, but the stores’ apps often have cooler deals than their websites. They need people to download apps, so they usually add incentives for customers — even outside Black Friday. Don’t forget this major hack.
Register on the sites ahead of time
Imagine you’ve seen what you want, added it to your cart, but while you’re busy filling in your mother’s maiden name and the colour of the cap your village chief wears, someone else pays, and it becomes unavailable. This is why you need to register on all the sites ahead of time, so you can check out when you’re done shopping without filling out forms like someone looking for a loan.
Keep your eyes out for social media deals
Social media is where all the goodies are. Most brands put up codes for extra discounts on their pages, so look out for those deals because they can go a long way in saving you even more money.
Black Friday requires time
People think Black Friday is about impulse buying, but it’s more strategic than that. Creating a budget, coming up with a list of what you want and looking for these things until you find the best deals take time. You can’t rush Black Friday.
You don’t have to wait until Black Friday to get deals
2022’s Black Friday falls on the 25th of November, exactly one month before Christmas. But real ones know all the cool stuff will be sold out by that day. Black Friday sales start earlier, with some stores starting in the first week of November. Make sure you keep your eyes and ears open, so your Black Friday shopping doesn’t end in hot tears.
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