A guide to Black Friday: The best sales, deals, and everything else you need to know

Believe it or not, Black Friday is already well underway. I know, the Turkey hasn’t even thawed yet, but Black Friday deals have officially begun. Why are Black Friday sales starting so early? Thanksgiving is late in the month this year. Retailers need to get these deals going to make their overall revenue goals. It makes for a weird schedule, but it actually probably works out in your favor if you’re willing to start shopping now. Whether you need a new computer, solar generator, or whatever else, we’re here to help.

How we’re covering Black Friday

Our team spends hundreds of collective hours searching and evaluating every deal we can find online. That includes everything from big high-profile door busters to that sneakily great deal on an extension cord. We use tools like Keepa and Camelcamelcamel in order to view price trajectory over time. We also monitor the most popular products that are selling across retailers in case a new deal has popped up—high-profile deals like that can sell out quickly. Our focus is on well-made and reviewed products for prices that make sense. That means not everything will be half-off (or more), but they’re worth it.

Here are some great early deals we’ve seen right off the bat.

Black Friday tips

While we’d be just giddy if you bought all of your Black Friday purchases through our posts, we know that’s not practical (and we forgive you). So, here are some general Black Friday tips to help you get the best deals across the board.

Check out loyalty programs like Amazon Prime and Walmart+

Companies are eager to get you into their retail infrastructure, and subscription models do that better than anything else. And while it may feel a little odd to pledge your allegiance to an online retailer, it can really pay off. Walmart’s Walmart+ program (which is just $50 for the first year right now, down from $100) allows members access to the best deals several hours before they go out to the public. That could be the difference between snagging a new TV and seeing the dreaded “out of stock” warning. Amazon Prime offers access to exclusive deals that non-Prime members will never get. Sure, it comes with a little cost up-front, but these programs can make financial sense if you do the math.

Look at price histories

I personally use Keepa on my browser in order to view an item’s price history. Those discount percentages you see on product pages can be misleading and show discounts compared to an elevated retail price. You can also use Camelcamelcamel to achieve a similar task. But remember, just because something has hit a lower price in the past, that doesn’t mean it will hit that super-low price again in the future. That’s especially true here in 2024.

Only buy stuff you actually need

You can’t get a deal on something you don’t need. I personally make a list of items I hope to buy on Black Friday with the prices I’d like to pay for them. Doing this ahead of time gives me a real idea of what I actually need or want. You’re going to see lots of deals pop-up that look too good to pass up. But really think about the realities of buying that break maker before you add to cart.