How to Maximize Your Savings this Black Friday

Black Friday is the most competitive selling day of the year for both retailers and consumers. This shopping season is all about saving those hard-earned dollars and spending them wisely. You don’t want to miss-out on great deals, but at the same time, the options out there can be so overwhelming you don’t know where to start. Today, we’re sharing with you 9 tips and tricks to help you save even more while snagging those huge discounts.

1. Make a list of exactly what you need.

Knowing exactly what you need, and making a list of those items, is the first and easiest step of maximizing upcoming discounts. Planning to buy Christmas gifts for friends and family? Lacking some kitchen essentials to prep for your New Year party? Or maybe the kids need some new school supplies, this is the best time to cover your ground and score some great deals while you’re at it.

2. Have a budget and stick to it

Discipline is the key! Once your list is made, set a budget and then stick to both! This will prevent you from feeling badly that you “missed out” on a deal, and it will also save you the valuable commodity of time.

3. Make use of Cashback cards

Make use of your Cashback cards to push your savings just a little more. Small amounts can really add up! Empeople’s Visa® Signature Credit Card offers 1.5% cashback on every purchase you make. That’s nothing to scoff at because every $1,000 you spend, you’ll be getting $15 back and over time it can add up to a pretty sizable sum. In addition, there is no cash back limit and rewards do not expire, so spend away, but always remember to spend within your budget.

4. Make use of sign-up bonuses

Sign-up bonuses can be another way to save money, as long as you’re sure you’ll meet the requirements. Empeople’s Visa® Signature Credit Card also offers a $50 Bonus Cash for first $750 spent in first 90 days. This is just getting way too easy to save!

5. Night owl discounts the day before

The early bird gets the worm, and sometimes gets amazing deals too. Many retailers actually offer discounts not on the actual day of Black Friday, but the night before on Thanksgiving. Make sure to keep an eye out for those items and deals that are on your list. Quite often the enhanced discounts are for a very short amount of time and may even have limited quantities available, so time is of the essence. The best part: you likely won’t even have to leave your own home. Score!

6. Use coupons finder

Take advantage of brilliant web apps and extensions that search the best deals. Honey is a browser extension that rummages the web for the best coupons while you shop online. Think of it as your personal shopping assistant whose ultimate goal is to save you money. Other reputable sites and extensions include SlickDeals, SwagBucks and Flipp, so you can never have the excuse of missing out on a great deal again!

7. Get social

Be sure to follow your favourite retailers and stores on their social media channels. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the most popular channels for retailers to share hard-to-find information about when and where the best deals are happening. They sometimes have coupon codes as well, so keep an eye out!

8. Know each store’s return policy

Avoid being stuck with an item you’re dissatisfied with. Do some quick research to see what return policies your retailer has, keep a note of it and make sure that the items you get are in good condition. Black Friday doorbuster and “final sale” deals tend to have the strictest return policies, so always be sure to double-check the policies and your goods.

9. Stay at home

What’s a better discount than 100% off all items?! Some of the best deals can be found when you’re removed from the chaos. By staying at home, you’ll actually be saving yourself a whopping 100%! We don’t think any doorbuster deal can even beat that great of a discount. Rather, spend that time you’d use bargain hunting to plan other fun activities with your friends and family. Spending $800 to replace your relatively new TV just because someone is offering a 50% discount may not be a good deal after all if you really don’t need it. You save 100% of what you don’t spend.

If you ever feel like you’re missing out on an opportunity, keep in mind that Black Friday is just the start of the holiday shopping season. Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year’s are all around the corner and great deals are always to be found. Don’t forget the part about “giving” this Thanksgiving either! Small Business Saturday and #GivingTuesday are the Saturday and Tuesday following Thanksgiving that promotes spending your dollars on small businesses and charitable organizations in your community. An excellent way to spend while doing some good!