Our Top 6 Money Saving Tips for Black Friday 2022

We’re well on our way towards Black Friday 2022, and it’s always a manic time of the year! Black Friday is sure to cause a rush no matter which shopping centre or mall you’re planning on visiting. Some people even try to avoid the crowds altogether.

Here are our top tips for how to save money on Black Friday:
Avoid Shopping Altogether
Shop Online
Shop for Specific Products or Services
Carefully Analyse Every “Deal”
Shop for Christmas
Save your paycheck

Black Friday might be the scene of massive discounts on the products you’ve always wanted — whether it’s furniture, tech, or even just clothing. But, it’s so easy to overspend when those big red “SALE” signs go up.

When is Black Friday 2022?

Black Friday is always the last Friday in November. Black Friday 2022 will be on November 25th. It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and it’s well-known for sales. No matter where you look, you’re likely to see Black Friday specials everywhere!

Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, so it’s always a good time for shops to bring in those early Christmas shoppers who are looking to spend their hard-earned cash on gifts for their loved ones.

But, with so many discounts at all kinds of different stores, it’s easy to get lost in retail therapy. So, how do you stay within your budget and leave some cash for the December holiday that the whole family has been looking forward to?

Top 6 Budgeting Tips to Survive Black Friday

When we make a purchase, especially if it’s something we love, our brains produce endorphins and dopamine, the chemicals that make you feel happy and rewarded. That’s why “retail therapy” is a thing. The problem with Black Friday is that it’s so easy for these feel good hormones to cause you to lose your self-control, and before you know it, you’ve blown your entire budget for the upcoming holiday season.

So, how do you control your spending on Black Friday? There are a few different ways that you can approach Black Friday this year, so let’s take a closer look at how you can stick within your budget, but still enjoy some amazing savings.

Avoid Shopping Altogether

So, the first tip might be an obvious one, but it certainly won’t appeal to everyone! Abstaining from shopping altogether is the best way to avoid the Black Friday madness and save your money.

If you don’t head into the malls or browse online shops during Black Friday, then you’re likely to avoid spending money. As soon as we see those “sale” signs, our brains are automatically intrigued and you almost can’t stop yourself from seeing how much money you can save.

The reality is though, you’re not saving money because you’re still spending money. If a product is discounted from R1000 down to R600, you might think you’re saving R400. But, you’re still spending R600 when you buy that discounted product.

A great way to rewire your brain is to directly value each item that you want to buy with its monetary value. If someone offered you either R25,000 or that brand new iPhone, which one would you take? If you said you would take the R25,000, then the purchase is not worth the money.

That being said, there are still some deals that are genuinely great and can help you to save some money. Especially if it’s something that you have been planning on buying, and you have been saving for.

Shop Online

In recent years shopping has become incredibly convenient and easily accessible thanks to everything being available online. Whether you’re shopping from Takealot, Superbalist, or directly from the store, it’s become so much easier to buy something without ever leaving your home. Shopping online has two main benefits during Black Friday.

The first benefit is that you’ll miss the crazy Black Friday traffic. Not just on the roads, and in the parking lots, but also the people in the stores fighting over the last specials. It’s always a mess on Black Friday, no matter how prepared everyone tries to be.

Secondly, you won’t be tempted to head into other shops along the way. While walking through a mall, you’re always bombarded with specials and discounts from a bunch of different stores. All it takes is one great special from your favorite retail store to distract you, and before you know it you’ve been to five different stores before you’ve even got what you wanted in the first place.

Shop for Specific Products or Services

On the topic of shopping through different stores on Black Friday, if you want to save money, you need to plan ahead as to what you want to buy. If you go into Black Friday knowing what you want to get — whether that's a new laptop or just a pair of running shoes, you’re far less likely to overspend.

This also works if you’re shopping online. If you know what you want to buy, all you need to do is order the specific product or service on their website and ignore all the other specials that are going on around you.

Remember, you can often find some good deals on transport for 2023 whether it's flights or bus tickets, or maybe your couch desperately needs to be steam cleaned. You don’t necessarily need to buy a physical product!

Carefully Analyse Every “Deal”

It’s tempting to jump on a special deal when you see one, especially when it’s something that you’ve been after for a long time. But, it’s important to not trust everything you see at face value, especially when it comes to Black Friday.

There are tons of stores out there that become a bit cunning when it comes to Black Friday. It’s a great opportunity for them to sell old stock, or to move stock that usually is considered “too expensive” by the general public. Some stress will raise the price of their products just before Black Friday, but then slap a “discount” sticker on it as soon as the crowds roll in for their Black Friday deals. Essentially this means that you don’t save anything on the product because the discounted price is the same as it was all year-round.

When it comes to food items that have expiry dates, large grocery store chains like Checkers, Pick n’ Pay, and even WoolWorths, will put their expiring stock on sale. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy, just make sure you check the expiry dates first, especially if it’s something you plan on storing at home.

Shop for Christmas

Black Friday technically marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. Christmas shopping is expensive, especially if you’ve got a family reunion coming up this year!

Most people don’t use Black Friday to buy their Christmas gifts, its discounts they want to use on themselves instead. But, it’s a good time to save cash on your Christmas gifts and have some extra spending money available during December.

Make sure to set a budget for your Christmas shopping, whether it’s a total limit or a limit per person, and then venture out into the Black Friday madness to see what you can find. You’ll be surprised to see how much you can save on your family’s Christmas gifts this year.

Save your Paycheck

Black Friday is all about “savings” according to all your favourite brands and stores. But, really, it’s about spending more and more money. It’s easy to get lost in all the savings and the discounts are being thrown your way, but there’s one important thing that you need to keep in mind!

Black Friday is at the end of November, it’s likely your last payday before December. Whether you’re staying at home or going away on holiday, make sure you save enough money to enjoy your time off and unwind this December.

Final Thoughts

Black Friday is fast approaching, and we’re all looking forward to it. But, it can quickly derail all of the hard financial work that you’ve put in throughout this year. Make sure to spend your money wisely and keep control over your wallet!