GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Black Friday ads have slowly leaked out across the internet, making some anxious with excitement and others simply annoyed.
Well, if you are one of the people who take part in this annual tradition, I want to equip you with some knowledge, websites and apps to help you snag the best deal.
There is actually a website called www.blackfriday.com which has helpful tips, ads and beyond. Here are two of the tips I found to be very crucial:
*Do Your Research: Basically, sometimes you get what you pay for. Just because something is cheap, you might want to look into the quality of the item you are getting.
*Compare Prices Before You Head Out: As the Black Friday website points out, sometimes stores offer a “stripped down” version of items. For example, you might get stick getting a great deal, you think anyways, on a gaming system, only to find that you have to pay extra for some of the accessories.
So how do you go about comparing? Here are some great sites and phone apps, which do require a phone with a camera.
* Pricegrabber (website and phone app): You can compare millions of products in 26 different categories.
*Shopsavvy (website and phone app): Like pricegrabber, it also allows you to scan the bar code on items to see if the product can be found in a nearby store, for less. Click on the link to see how it all works on the web, too.
*Redlaser ( phone app): This one, so far, is one of my favorites just because it is so easy to scan a bar code and make your decision.
*ShopKick (app): Shop featured items and receive “kicks” or reward points. Scan the featured items listed in the app when you walk into the store, earn kicks and then redeem them for gift cards. Click this link to see a video of how it all works.
Wall Street Journal Christmas Tracker: Type in particular items that you might be keeping an eye on, and this tracker changes constantly when a deal is being offered.
Other great ways to save, are by signing up for email alerts and loyalty programs, which allow you to learn about upcoming deals, according toConsumer Reports. Another great thing it suggests is to do your Black Friday shopping from home. Many retailers offer you the great deals right at your finger tips, so you can avoid the crowds.
Gift cards are not only a wonderful gift, but for the first time this year, Target is actually offering 10 percent off gift cards from 6 a.m. to Noon online and in stores, up to $300 worth. I think this is an awesome way to save on any upcoming shopping you have to do at Target, as well.
Happy shopping everyone!
