Despite no Thanksgiving here in the UK, Black Friday has taken off with great steam over the last few years and Cyber Monday is proving to be hugely popular too. Whilst a great discount on the right items can be fantastic, these huge sales events aren’t everything they seem. I’m sharing my tips below.

Thrifty Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the UK

Catch yourself on, petal
Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now A Thing it doesn’t mean you have to join in. It is not a prerequisite for existence. Just because something has a name it doesn’t mean you have to join in with the excitement. As my mother would say “catch yourself on, petal.”

Don’t need it, don’t buy it
An easy mantra to live by is ‘don’t need it, don’t buy it’, I wish I’d had the good sense to have this ticking through my head whilst I racked up debt after debt on shit I didn’t need. Frenzied events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday drag you into thinking everyone is taking part and you’re missing out if you don’t plunge yourself head first into a week of spending. Before you spend big, fast forward to January 25th and your bank statement on the door mat, will you pleased with what you bought or annoyed with yourself?

Don’t get into debt
Don’t go taking out loans to join in the hysteria of sales events. Just don’t. The agony it will cause can’t be explained in one blog post but the huge likelihood is, you will live to regret it.

Know what you want and commit to it
If you’ve been saving for months for a 32 inch TV then Black Friday or Cyber Monday might be of interest to you and because you have been dedicated to saving for so long, it’s clear you know what you want and need. With that in mind don’t leap in and buy any old TV just because advertising is telling you it is a good deal. If you wanted a 32 inch TV and had saved £250, why are you now considering a 40 inch TV at £400? Is it just because it has £200 off? You knew what you wanted, commit to it.

Sit it out
If you don’t have the money sit it out. Sure people are all over your Facebook feed bragging about this bargain and that deal and you might be the type of person who wants to join in but you’re an adult. Take a deep breath, don’t give in to your urges and just don’t bloody spend! This isn’t school anymore, you don’t have to have the latest crap to be popular. If you’re going without something important or getting yourself in debt in order to keep up with the Joneses during the sales then please just stop and think about the repercussions.

Not always the best deal
Sometimes mega sales days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t always the biggest and best sales they are made out to be. Did you know for instance, computers are often at their cheapest around the end of July when the school year has finished? Expensive jewellery comes down in price in the UK shortly after Valentine’s Day and this is the worst time of year to stock up on winter clothes.

Write a list
Write a list of what you’d like to buy and next to each item write the highest price you’d be happy with. Pop it in your handbag or next to your computer and do not deviate from the list.

Research, research, research
If you see what you think its a great deal, ensure you check with a few other retailers and also research the RRP. What percentage below the normal price makes it a good deal for you? Just because a retailer is telling you something is a great deal, it doesn’t necessarily mean it actually is. Use websites like Camel Camel, Price Inspector and Idealo to track previous prices, so you can tell if you’re getting a genuine bargain or not.

Cashback
It’s rare I buy something without using a cash back site such as Quidco or TopCashback. They easy to use and who doesn’t want money back on even their most basic of purchases? Not only can you receive cash back on items purchased online but now if you register your card to your respective cash back accounts you can receive cash back when you shop in store too!

Tomorrow and Monday I will round up a small amount of useful and requested deals and if I find anything I’m happy to buy for myself (I’m looking out for two birthday gifts, household appliances and items required for our renovation) I’ll be sharing that too.

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