When you’re looking for the best Cyber Monday or Black Friday tech deals, it can all get a little overwhelming. There are so many choices, and so many different stores to check out! That’s why we recommend doing a whole bunch of pre-planning in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the whole holiday shopping season.
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Six Steps to make Black Friday shopping less stressful:
First, Set up some Ground Rules:
- Make a list of some of the things you’ve wanted, but have been waiting for a good deal. Add the minimum features you want and the maximum price you’re willing to pay for each item. For example: Ultrawide Curved Monitor $450 to $500
- Resolve not to make any impulse purchases. (Or to limit impulse buys to a set dollar amount.)
- Set a firm budget for each item.
- If you’re looking for the best things to buy on Black Friday, there isn’t a pre-set list. It’s whatever is already on your list. If you’re happy with your phone, you don’t even need to look at the ATT Black Friday deals!
Comparison shop ahead of time
- Take your list and check out prices on various website
- If you’re looking for Black Friday PC deals or other Tech deals, check out Dell, Best Buy, Staples, and Amazon. Remember to review our PC buying guide first.
- You can also set up a Google alert to monitor Black Friday deals for the tech items you are interested in.
Even if you don’t shop on Amazon you can still check out their reviews:
- On Amazon, search for a specific product. For example “soundbar deals” or “printer deals”. Or you can target Black Friday TV deals.
- Refine the results to only look at items rated 4 stars or higher.
- If you’re a Prime member, click the Prime button near the top left.
- If you have a favorite brand, click those buttons as well.
- Look at the number of ratings. A product with 1000 reviews and 4.8 stars gets more credence than a product with two reviews and 5 stars.
- Finally, look at the 1-star reviews. Are any of those are deal-breakers?
If you’re buying on Amazon – additional things to look for
- Is the item available as a Prime item with free shipping or other benefits?
- Can you buy a product from more than one seller?
- Look at the seller’s ratings. Do they have any one-star ratings? Has anyone complained about not receiving an item, or about their customer service?
- Make sure you compare the total price plus shipping for the item.
- Make sure you double-check the “Arrives By” date.
- Read the Bad reviews.
Bookmark sites that have your favorite Black Friday tech deals:
Most browsers use CTRL+D to set up a new bookmark. Then you can quickly check prices on different sites for Black Friday printer deals or the best Black Friday video game deals.
Set up a separate email ahead of time for shopping
You should use a separate email that is only used for shopping. Make sure your password is super secure. That means 12 or more characters with a good mix of lower and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. The password on this account should be changed at least once every month. When I want a new email account I head over to Gmail.
Support Local Businesses:
Black Friday is also “Buy Nothing Day” and the day before “Small Business Saturday”. If you can, think about supporting the small businesses in your town or neighborhood, even if they don’t have a special deal going on. Small, local businesses have had a tough time the last year and a half. This holiday season is a great time to help them out!
Information About Geek For Hire, Inc.
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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. He’s the geek for you! Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.
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