Techie on Black Friday

Black Friday is a day most retailers look forward to. For those that might not know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and the kickoff of the Christmas shopping season. This is when most people rush to the mall to find sales and bargains of all sorts: electronics, clothes, and anything else on gift lists. So how do you find out about these deals in advance? Strategy is everything on Black Friday and keeping to the stores that have the best deals for you will be important.

First and foremost is internet research. You can google the term “Black Friday” and get thousands of hits. The good thing about Google is that the first page of results is the best for finding a close match. Websites that gather the Black Friday deals into one place also exist such as blackfriday.gottadeal.com.

(this site is good for finding deals in general) and www.blackfriday.net.

Ads are next. Pay attention to the TV commercials, circulars and advertising section of your newspaper. Stores will announce their specials in the weeks and days preceding Black Friday. Certain stores that are good to keep an eye on if you are going to buy electronics or a new computer are Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, Microcenter, CompUSA, Costco, and Sam’s.

Key to surviving the Black Friday madness will be your research. Make lists of what you want to buy, find the stores that offer the best deals for what you want, and go visit them (whether it’s in person or online). Also remember everyone is going to be out. Be patient – it will reap its own rewards.

Happy hunting!