Tired of deciding between a tummy full of turkey and a cart full of deals?! Well, you are in luck. 2021 Black Friday promises to let you get your fill of yard bird and still acquire the deals we have all become accustomed to on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Most large retailers are opening in the early morning hours of Friday, November 26. Walmart is opening at the early hour of 5am, while Home Depot is 6am, and Target is 8am. Here are a few of my favorite BF deals this year:
- Walmart 70” ROKU TV $398, $197 Apple Watch, Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart $299
- INSIDER TIP: Signup for Walmart+ $12.95/month, shop 4 hours earlier than everyone, free grocery delivery to your home!
- Home Depot opens at 6am– snag those $2 Poinsettias!
- INSIDER TIP: up for Home Depot Text alerts beforehand, get a $5 coupon!
- Target Asus 14″ Full HD laptop for $129, Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart $299, Element65″ 4K UND HDR Frameless Roku TV $299
- INSIDER TIP: Target is offering price adjustments during the holiday shopping season from Nov. 1 – Dec. 24. If you buy something at Target and then it goes on sale during this timeframe, you can ask for the lower price. They also offer Black Friday price matching! Don’t forget to get a RedCard and save 5% all the time!
Don’t Forget my time tested Black Friday tips!
DO review the ads in advance. I cannot stress this enough. Know what you are going to buy and where it is located in the store. Walmart has perfected this in years’ past with downloadable PDF maps of each individual store as well as store maps in the Walmart app, with deal locations clearly marked.
DO download a Black Friday app. My favorite this year has been BlackFriday.FM for the iPhone and Android. It allows you to add an item from any ad on the app to your favorites and you can compare prices from different stores for the same item. I love the its simple-to-use search — it checks sale prices online as well as in stores.
DON’T grab a shopping cart. Shopping carts slow you down. Bring the biggest reusable shopping bag(s) you own. I have a few IKEA bags that are perfect for this. If you are after a big item such as a TV, bring someone with you. That person’s one job is to obtain the TV.
DON’T shop in a group. There is no time for chitchat at Black Friday sales; this is serious business. It is okay (and probably safer) to shop with a buddy, though — especially if they are grabbing a shopping cart to buy the TV. If you are with a friend, both of you change your ringers to that very annoying Alarm sound (on iPhones). It is loud, obvious, and you are guaranteed to hear it over all the commotion.
DON’T bring your husband. He will just try and talk you out of buying things. (Hey, you can always return it or sell it on Facebook Marketplace!)
DON’T forget a blanket! Leave it in your car to hide your purchases. You can conceal them from your husband, your kids… even thieves!
DO be nice. I must say, in all my years of Black Friday shopping, I have never witnessed any rudeness, and I have been everywhere from Walmart on Normandy to Toys ‘R’ Us at the Town Center (RIP). I like to think our Southern manners have something to do with that. And while you’re shopping, go ahead and pick up items for our upcoming December Kindness Calendar such as canned goods to donate to local food bank, socks for the homeless shelter and toys to donate for Toys for Tots!
Jessica Morgan @jesinjax 