Long gone are the days of snagging the best holiday shopping deals only on Black Friday. Those deals are now scattered throughout the season. So the NBCLA I-Team talked to experts about what you should buy now, and what you can wait to buy at cheaper prices.
The Black Friday sales are already everywhere.
If you’re shopping for a TV, analysts at DealNews say Best Buy has some great prices right now. One 70 inch TV is discounted $270.
DealNews says Target is offering $200 off Beats noise-canceling headphone, and $40 off a fancy Keurig machine.
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“They’re kind of encouraging consumers not to wait. Because their reasoning is that these are the lowest prices. If you don’t get it now and it sells out, there’s no guarantee it’ll be restocked for Black Friday,” said Julie Ramhold, an analyst at DealNews.
Ramhold says if you see bargains on smartphones, especially ones offering gift card giveaways, snag those now, too.
“We have seen in past years the latest iPhones with $750 in gift cards. You may have a few hoops to jump through, but if you can get those perks, then it really makes it worth it,” she said.
Money saving expert Andrea Woroch says it’s also best to buy popular toys right now before they sell out.
“If they have a very specific toy, a certain character, style, or color, and it’s one of those popular items, like an LOL Surprise Doll or a Lego set, then you might not want to wait,” Woroch said.
But if you’re not picky about what toys you’re buying, Woroch says to wait until the last two weeks before Christmas, because that’s when you’ll see big markdowns.
Woroch says to shop for clothing on Cyber Monday, because that’s historically been the best day for those sales.
And if you’re shopping online, remember to stretch your dollar by shopping through cashback sites like CouponCabin.
“They actually increase those cash back rates. So instead of getting 1, 2, or 3% cash back, you’re now getting 5, 6, or 10% cash back,” Woroch said.
But no matter how or when you do your shopping, experts remind you to create a budget and stick to it.
