Black Friday brings out the bargain hunter in us all, with the average shopper spending £177 on tech, homeware and personal care items, but with some planning, and using deals and discounts, there are ways to save too.
New laptops, TVs, air-fryers and skincare are among the most searched products, according to research from TopCashback.
But half of those surveyed (52%) don’t use any tactics that could help them save even more money while sales shopping, A similar number (53%) don’t do any preparation or research ahead of Black Friday.
Just one in ten (11%) are planning on using extra money saving methods like cashback on their sales bargains and only one in ten (10%) will use price comparison tools.
Worryingly, only one in eight (12%) have kept an eye on prices in advance to ensure the sales bargains are genuine deals.
New research, which examines How Britain Spends on Black Friday, has revealed that one in eight (12%) of us is planning to fork out more than £500.
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Adam Bullock, UK director at TopCashback, says: "To make the most of the deals, especially if you know you’re likely to shop during this prime time, planning ahead is essential.
"With only one in ten looking to take advantage of extra savings through cashback, and a similarly low amount planning to use comparison sites, so many are at risk of opting to miss out on saving even more money.
"As with any promotion, it can be easy to get swept up in the event and spend on impulse. You might just well nab what you think is a great price, but ultimately, you could have missed out on even further savings doing so. Therefore, pausing to plan could help your wallet. We’ve found our members bag up to 18% more off their Black Friday purchases when shopping via the site – that’s extra cash in your wallet to save or spend ahead of the festive period if you take the time to search for additional deals."
Last Black Friday, its members saved on average an additional 10% on top of their Black Friday purchases.
Of those who plan to shop this Black Friday, TopCashback also found that more than a fifth (22%) haven’t set any money aside and less than one in ten (10%) believe they will avoid overspending.
This Black Friday, TopCashback has teamed up with Jordon Cox, Britain’s Coupon King and savvy shopping guru to help people save even more on their sales shopping by searching for extra deals.
Jordon Cox, Britain’s Coupon King, said: "Black Friday can be a dream for bargain hunters like me! My best ever bargain was £2 flights to Sweden.
"But to make the most of Black Friday - you need to do some research and planning, to make sure you’re truly getting a good deal.
"Some deals may not be the cheapest price, despite being labelled as a ‘Black Friday deal’. So it’s important to do some research into historical pricing, to see if it’s a good deal right now.
"It’s also worth doing a price comparison before jumping straight into buying. Don’t assume the first place you look is going to be cheapest - as another retailer might be cheaper, offer extra benefits or extended warranties.
“And finally, get deal stacking! This is the holy grail - finding a bargain, and stacking extra offers on top like cashback and codes. Just because it’s Black Friday, doesn’t mean cashback stops.
"Keep all of this in the back of your mind while shopping, and you’ll save potentially £100s more and be a savvier shopper."
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Jordon Cox's tips on how to make the most of your money in this year’s Black Friday sales
- Have a look at historic pricing to see if you’re getting a good price now - or if it’s been cheaper in the past. You can use tools such as Camel Camel Camel, which gives you the Amazon price over the past few years (and Amazon tends to price match its competitors).
- Before you buy an item, check the offers across a number of different retailers. Prices can go up and down as brands compete to be cheapest - so look around. You might find retailers offer longer warranties or benefits like free streaming subscriptions too. Use tools like Google Shopping to tell you the price at most online retailers.
- Deal stack where you can. It’s all well and good getting a Black Friday deal, but there’s usually cashback available too that can add to those savings. Look at TopCashback’s website before you purchase, and get even more money off.
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