Highlights:

• How I get everything on my wishlist on sale
• How to tell if a sale is truly a bargain (and avoid paying inflated prices disguised as discounts)
• The tools that doubled my savings

Black Friday is coming up, and that means one thing - shopping.

(And American Thanksgiving, of course!)

Of course the saying goes, “The best way to save money is to not buy anything” - but hey, sometimes you need or want stuff.

May as well get it on sale!

As someone who works behind-the-scenes with businesses to create these promotions, I have the inside scoop on how to get the best deal.

Here are simple ways to save, while getting everything on your list!

First of all, know what you’re looking for

You know the mental list of things you’ve been meaning to get? Now’s the time to write ‘em down so you know what to aim for.

Black Friday is the perfect time to buy big-ticket items

Last year a friend was doing a kitchen renovation, and they bought ALL their appliances (plus a washer and dryer!) on sale.

They saved over $1000 on things they had to buy anyway.

If you have a list and stick to it, you can save big time during these sales.

Research the products before the sales start

It’s best to know the exact make, model, and specs of the products you want at least 2 weeks in advance (and more is better).

It might not be a deal

Listen, this is a good time for businesses to get rid of stock that is old or not selling. Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s a deal!

It could be an older model

In some cases it doesn’t matter if it’s an older style. In fact, it can be a great way to save!

My father-in-law bought an older iPhone model because it suited his purposes just fine, and saved him a few hundred bucks.

It might not be what you want

With so many similar products, it’s easy to overlook the key differences that really matter when you're caught up in the heat of the moment.

I’ve been stung by the “Only 7 left in stock!” notifications, and ended up getting the wrong thing - and couldn’t return it because of the sale.

Check the price history

My cringiest employer had us double the price of everything a few weeks before our big annual storewide “50% off sale” 😦

(I didn’t stay there long - the ethics didn’t jive with me!)

One of the best things you can do is watch the price in the weeks leading up to Black Friday to see if the sale is actually a sale.

Use these apps to see a product’s price history

camelcamelcamel - See the price history on Amazon, plus “watch” items and get price drop notifications

honey - Price history tracking and comparison tool for multiple retailers (plus other handy features, like auto-applying coupons for more savings)

Both have Google Chrome extensions so you get automatic notifications when viewing a product that has had recent price fluctuations.

Use a private browser for price comparisons

Businesses are always testing prices.

Many have algorithms that adjust prices based on how many people are looking at that product.

Use an incognito browser to look at prices so you don’t artificially inflate the price.

Then, log in to your account and see the difference. The price difference can be drastic!

Sometimes it favors ‘new’ users, other times you get a better deal for already having an account.

(This strategy is also key when booking travel! Never shop for flights or hotels without checking prices using a private browser first.)

Join the email list

Of course the only email newsletter you really want is ours,

But the truth is you can save a lot by being an email subscriber.

This can get you additional discounts and priority access to sales. This is especially helpful for big-ticket items, or products that are likely to run out.

If an item is hot, it’s not unusual for it to sell out before the public Black Friday sale starts. Getting on the list gives you exclusive access that you might not even get a chance at otherwise.

At the very least, follow on social

Though not as common, social followers can get exclusive deals too.

A smart strategy that many businesses use is a time-limited tool to promote a sale, like Instagram Stories.

Since an InstaStory only lasts 24 hours, you only get access to the sale if you catch that story - so keep an eye out!

Use cashback apps

I always check cashback apps before buying anything online.

I also check while shopping in-store and choose the ‘pay online and pick up in-store’ option to get cashback.

It’s surprisingly easy to get cashback on everyday items you’d be buying anyway. And while it seems like a nominal amount, it adds up over the year!

During Black Friday - Cyber Monday, sites often increase their cashback percentages.

You can double-dip your savings by getting items on special and getting cash back. Between the sale and cash, I’ve even doubled my savings.

Cashback apps to use in Canada:

• Rakuten - My personal go-to. They are associated with over 750 stores, so I almost always find something I want with cashback. The app is clean and easy to use
• TopCashback - Very similar to Rakuten, but honestly just not as pretty

Get the business' app & turn on notifications

Many businesses that have their own apps will offer exclusive deals to users.

Like every self-respecting millennial, I despise phone notifications as much as anyone.

But sometimes? Worth it.

Turn them on in the couple weeks leading up to Black Friday and you might get additional savings.

Log into your account and put the items you want in your cart

This works on 2 levels:

Companies use demand to determine Black Friday promotions

If there’s a lot of demand for a particular product, they might leverage that natural momentum and include it in their Black Friday promotion to create even more buzz.

(Or they may decide not to put it on sale simply because it has so much demand already - it’s a coin toss!)

You might get personalized offers

Log into your account and put items into your shopping cart - and let them sit there.

You can also go check out those products a few days in a row, indicating you are very interested in them.

This can trigger an automated discount or coupon code since you’ve demonstrated that you're thisclose to buying.

You get personalized Black Friday specials tailored specifically to what you want.

I’ve won BIG by doing this. Last year I got literally everything I had on my list on sale - things I was going to buy anyway. Score!

Now you’ve got more money to invest!

The money you saved by not paying full price can now be invested.

That’s my kinda “girl math!”

Who knows, with dividends it might even pay for next year’s Black Friday purchases.

Passiv makes investing easy since it does all the hard work for you!

It’s like having a personal assistant for your investments - it keeps everything balanced, shows how your investments are doing, and tells how to invest your money to match your investment goals.