Confession: I do not Black Friday Shop. I don’t want to get up early to stand in the cold, and when they changed it to many stores opening Thanksgiving Day, I was even less interested in ditching the family to run to Target. I am not able to get myself together enough to check deals, and watching all those people trample each other on TV looks just awful to me. I have many friends that Black Friday is a family tradition and they love it. If this is you, do it!

All of that being said, of course I have FOMO. By the time I finally drag myself to Christmas shop, I am worried that I pay way more than my eager neighbor or friend who stormed the stores right when they opened. This year, I looked into it. Some websites said, it is 100% worth it and you are crazy not to participate in Black Friday, and some like Business Insider concluded that you are wasting your time. I will lay out some of the pros and cons, and let you make your own decision.

1. Door Busters – If you are one of the first in line, you are guaranteed a deal at a store with a door buster. The problem is that you MUST be strategic, and be one of the first, because these go fast and then you just end up buying stuff you weren’t planning on. You are there, Why Not? (Obviously, this was the stores plan when they created the “door buster”)
2. What are you buying? The best deals are on gaming consoles (previous year version is the very best deal), small kitchen appliances, and vacuums. Now is the time to get that InstaPot everyone keeps talking about. Also, Amazon Brand Products and smart home products have great deals, but they also have great deals in the summer on Prime Day?
3. Some Items aren’t such a “steal”. Be super careful with TVs. The door buster prices and some of the biggest discounts are on off brand TVs or lower end models. High End TVs have better deals after Christmas through the Super Bowl. Toys have deeper discounts 9-10 days before Christmas. The best deals for fitness related items and winter clothing is usually January.
4. Black Friday can be dangerous. Between 2006 – 2014 there were 7 deaths and 98 injuries associated with Black Friday. Most of the in store deals are also online, and the deals can start up to a week before and last up to a week after. My point is there may be safer ways to shop.
5. It is NO longer the day with the biggest sales. Traditionally, the biggest sales are actually December 23rd!

The moral of the story is know what you want ahead of time, and price check. Just because the store says it is a deal, doesn’t make it true. If Black Friday is a tradition you love, enjoy the day! Happy Shopping!