The Best and Worst Black Friday Purchases

If you enjoy shopping, you've probably already marked November 25 on your calendar. This year's Black Friday marks the start of the holiday shopping season.

We have been tracking a consistent "Black Friday creep" over the past three years. The majority of November and even October have been consumed by what was once just one day. These days, retailers launch pre-Black Friday bargains early (as early as October) and begin their regular Black Friday online deals as early as a week before Thanksgiving. Additionally, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have in some ways combined to create a weekend-long shopping marathon, with offers beginning on Black Friday, lasting through Saturday and Sunday, and even MORE bargains beginning on Cyber Monday.

To sum it up, the days of Black Friday deals beginning and ending on Black Friday are long gone.

You are correct if you think this situation is chaotic. You therefore need a plan as a result. in particular this year. Making the appropriate Black Friday purchases will save you from overpaying on the holidays and allow you to stock up on essentials that will last you through the upcoming year.

So, we're here to assist you in creating a thorough shopping list. Here is our official list of what to buy on Black Friday and what not to buy.

What should I buy on Black Friday?

On Black Friday, you can be confident that the things on the list below will be offered for some of the lowest prices of the year. Therefore, feel good about adding them to your cart, making a short purchase, and then taking it easy the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Computers, Laptops and Tablets

During Black Friday, you can upgrade to a new laptop, desktop, gaming PC, or tablet. Retailers like Best Buy will sell Apple items, but skip over Apple.com entirely. Additionally, all weekend long, online doorbusters will be released by Dell, Lenovo, and HP. Check out their Black Friday advertising in advance to see what's releasing and when since these electronics sale events can be challenging to navigate.

Frequently, machines with subpar specs will have the lowest doorbuster prices. You can, however, enhance your storage and processing power with that "extra" cash because the price is already cheaper than usual. To find out what specifications you actually need, see this PCMag tutorial. Be aware that owing to workforce shortages and continued chip shortages, you may need to plan for a longer shipment time if you are customizing your laptop in any way. The good news is that it appears as though the chip shortage that severely hampered last year's holiday shopping season is abating.

Require a new tablet? One of the best Black Friday purchases is a tablet. Check out Best Buy and Target because both will almost certainly have iPad bargains on Black Friday. Check out Amazon's discounts on its own products as well (Fire tablets and Kindles). This year, Amazon reduced the prices of its Fire HD 8 tablet (originally $89.99) to $44.99 and its Fire HD 10 tablet (originally $150) to $74.99 on Prime Day.

Small Appliances

Set your eyes on Black Friday if you've been debating whether to get a new fancy stand mixer, a blender, an air fryer, or a pressure cooker.

Deals on air fryers and pressure cookers (think: Instant Pot) are so typical of Black Friday that they are nearly standard. Expect a 50% discount on everything.

Additionally, expect significant discounts on blenders, especially those made by Vitamix and NutriBullet. You can save money at those stores directly, but you should also look for Black Friday sales at Walmart, Target, Kohl's, and Macy's. Small appliances are frequently eligible for special Kohl's Cash offers at Kohl's, and that Kohl's Cash can come in useful for last-minute holiday purchases.

The KitchenAid mixer is one kitchen item you should keep an eye out for on Black Friday. There are various models, and during Black Friday specials, some of them consistently receive discounts of $100 or more. Check Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Macy's, Kohl's, and KitchenAid directly for these offers. Black Friday sales on KitchenAid mixers have recently been fast sold out. Make the KitchenAid mixer the first item you put to your cart this year, if it's on your list, because we know how important it is to obtain the color that complements your kitchen.

Airpods, Other Wireless Earbuds and Headphones

The past two Black Fridays, Airpods and earbuds that compete with Airpods have been the main attraction, with retailers like Walmart and Target prominently featuring alluring offers in their advertisements. At Walmart's Black Friday sale in 2021, we saw the AirPods Pro (retail price: $249) for a record-breaking low price of $159! That offer immediately sold out, but additional merchants entered at the $189 price point. Target also reduced the price of the Beats Studio Buds True Wireless headphones from $149.99 to $99.99 from its original $249.95 price and the Powerbeats Pro from $249.95 to $149.99.

Keep in mind that Amazon reduced the normally $119.99 Echo Buds to $69.99 for Prime Day 2022 and is sure to do the same on Black Friday.

Even if over-ear headphones for comfort and/or noise cancellation are more powerful and portable than earbuds, you can still find a ton of Black Friday savings on those as well. Bose's QuietComfort 45 headphones (original price: $329) were reduced by a staggering 43% at Target last year, making them available for $179.99.

Smart Home Gadgets

There will be several sales on Black Friday for those who do not already own an Amazon Echo speaker or a Google Nest smart speaker. There are always. Black Friday price reductions of at least 40% for Google and Amazon's smart speakers have become a multiyear ritual. A smart bulb, smart plug, or even another smart speaker may be included in BOGO promotions. By lowering the price of smart speakers, which serve as their gateway items, Google and Amazon hope to attract as many households as possible to their ecosystem of products. For instance, during Black Friday 2021 at Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon's Echo Show 5 smart video screen went to $39 (53% off).

The entry-level screenless smart speakers have pricing that are perfect for Christmas stuffers. During this year's Prime Day, the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen.) was recently reduced to $19.99. On Black Friday of last year, a number of stores, including Kohl's and Bed Bath & Beyond, had the Google Nest Mini for $24.99 each.

Video Games and Game Consoles

Given that some of the more recent systems (the PS5 and Xbox Series X) are still rather popular and were sold out for a significant portion of 2022, finding a deal on any gaming system this year is going to be difficult. Finding the Series X and PS5 in stock is actually a good deal. You can probably discover bundles for the Xbox Series S or the Nintendo Switch (the console at full price, but with some games, accessories or even a gift card thrown in).

Video games are where you'll have more luck. Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop roll out a ton of promotions every year. For $15, there are several options available. While the most in-demand titles won't fall that low, Walmart last year discounted certain well-known Nintendo Switch titles by $25.

Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

Black Friday is the ideal moment to upgrade your fitness tracker or smartwatch, or to finally make the purchase.

One of the few times of the year when you can nearly always find the Apple Watch on sale is on Black Friday. That applies to both the newest and older models. The absolute newest Apple Watch model (this year's model is the Series 8) won't have the largest reductions, but you might discover some. Target reduced the cost of the Apple Watch SE by $60 in 2021. (GPS). Deeper discounts can also be found if you're willing to go back a few generations - Walmart discounted the Series 3 (GPS) by $90 for Black Friday 2021.

Check out Fitbit and other fitness trackers if you don't require a full-featured wristwatch. On Black Friday 2021, Target had the Fitbit Inspire 2 on sale for 25% off, and Kohl's had the Fitbit Charge 4 for $50 off and $30 in Kohl's Cash.

Home Goods (Towels and Sheets)

The unsung Black Friday hero is the linen cabinet merchandise. Towels and linens, however, are an incredibly underestimated Black Friday purchase if you need to stock up. Shops like Target, Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kohl's sell them for up to 60% off. They also sell out remarkably fast.

Massage Guns

The list of "items you won't know you need until you need them" now includes massage guns. The average price of a massage gun is around $100, but on Amazon, there have been Black Friday sales offering up to 30% off. And Black Friday is all about buying expensive stuff for WAY less.

What not to buy on Black Friday 2022

It may be difficult to imagine that there is a bad deal to be had on Black Friday. Indeed, practically everything is discounted. Some goods, meanwhile, are better avoided or purchased at a different time of year. Check out the discounts if any of the things listed below are on your shopping list. Don't, however, concentrate on these things to the exclusion of offers on the aforementioned items.

Clothing

On Black Friday, there are a ton of clothes deals to be had. However, these discounts are frequently offered on particular products rather than all of them (although, last year, we did see some pretty healthy sitewide promo codes). Additionally, there's no urgency to buy clothing on Black Friday because retailers will give you discount codes good for anywhere between 20% and 60% off your total purchase over the Cyber Weekend. If you're interested in apparel, shop the things above first (they WILL sell out), and then focus on updating your wardrobe.

Remember to wait until January if you're buying winter gear. Although there may still be snow on the ground, shops will be clearing off their shelves in preparation for spring and may even offer better clearance prices than they did on Black Friday.

The Lowest-Priced 4K Doorbuster TV

Retailers put a lot of effort into their Black Friday commercials to make you want to purchase that ridiculously inexpensive doorbuster TV. Your best purchase, though, was not the TV. It will sell out in a matter of minutes, to start. Another reason is that it is probably a cheap derivative model that will malfunction and need to be replaced in a few years. Instead, wait until shortly before the Big Game, when merchants run bargains on better TV sets, and pick a better set with a more modest discount.

Make sure you understand SKUs before you go TV shopping on Black Friday so you know what you're getting.

The Latest Gaming Systems

The most recent Xbox and PlayStation consoles are still difficult to get and won't be on sale this year. The same is true for the new Nintendo Switch OLED, and it's unlikely that prices will drop for the original Switch either (although you might find some bundled deals, with games and accessories thrown in). You might find moderate savings on Black Friday for the Switch Lite because this year, some colors were $10 off. Overall, game consoles won't experience any notable price reductions this year, so avoid focusing on them unless simply finding one in stock suffices for you.

Furniture

Furniture businesses will hold their own bargains, and you can discover some furniture deals in the Black Friday advertisements of major retailers. However, there is no reason you have to shop for furniture on Black Friday and neglect making wiser purchases unless you absolutely must replace that couch, bed, or dining room table. In fact, Presidents Day in February will offer you with yet another chance to take advantage of large furniture discounts.

What do people mostly buy on Black Friday?

On Black Friday 2021, sales of toys and video games surged. Bluey toys, Pop Fidget Toys, and Got2Glow Fairy Finder were among the best-selling items. During the shopping event, electronics like Samsung and TCL televisions and PlayStation 5 also became popular.

These were the most popular purchases on Black Friday 2021:

Barbie
Nintendo Switch
Oculus VR

Are items cheaper on Black Friday?

Electronics, small kitchen appliances, toys, computers, and accessories will all be cheaper on Black Friday. On Cyber Monday, it is best to buy apparel, bed and bath items, and beauty products.

Does Black Friday really save you money?

The answer is yes. In-store specials typically range from 20 to 30 percent off the week before Thanksgiving to about a 37 percent discount on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Online Black Friday sales follow suit, offering an average discount of 34%.

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