Black Friday Picks
Our Favorite Holiday Shopping Deals
To kick off the busy holiday shopping season, we've been scrambling to provide you with lots of information regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While doing all this research, we couldn't help but notice some major online shopping and in-store shopping deals. So today, instead of telling you about the deals and sales you should cash in on come Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we thought we'd treat you to our staff's favorite deals and tell you what we'll be hunting down this holiday season. And boy, does our staff plan to do a lot of shopping in the coming weeks! Forget about gifts -- what better time of year to find great deals for household items, appliances, and more? So without further ado, here are our plans:
Max Levitte, Cheapism.com's CEO, says he'll be watching Guitar Center and Sam Ash on Black Friday because he's hoping to upgrade his son's electric guitar to a newer, nicer version. And while the specific one he wants may not be part of the Black Friday specials, Guitar Center will be having an extra 15 percent off of everything in the store on that special day. He is also keeping close tabs on online deals/coupon service Groupon to see what it will offer on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Felix Sheng, our CTO, has already been scoring deals. "I'm into Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week in general, but I'm watching their MP3 deals daily to see if there's anything I need to pick up."
Cheapism Associate Editor Kara Reinhardt will be spending Black Friday in Canada, where Thanksgiving was in October and the biggest sales of the year are the day after Christmas. That said, she can still cash in on Black Friday discounts online, but her favorite deal so far is available only in stores: Target is offering $25 iTunes gift cards for $20. Maybe someone else can pick some up for her!
When asked what she will be getting this holiday season, Kate Levin, web producer for the site, says she's been watching TGIBlackFriday for wireless printer deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday because hers finally died a few weeks ago. She also plans to head over to Toys R Us for discounted toys and diapers for her 1-year-old.
Elizabeth Sheer, a writer, plans to forgo Black Friday and Cyber Monday in support of local businesses by taking advantage of Small Business Saturday -- a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. "This has a lot more appeal to me," she says. "I love the idea of supporting small neighborhood businesses, particularly these days, and they always have stuff that's more unusual than big-box stores would have. Many of them are offering special sales for the day." Also appealing to her is the nice walk around the neighborhood to see what the stores are carrying without the mauling and mayhem associated with Black Friday.
Fellow writer Gina Briles is taking a different approach. "I'll be doing my Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping online this year at retailers like Target and Amazon," she says. "I'm not one for big, pushy crowds. And although I've bought most of my gifts already on sale throughout the year, I'm keeping an eye on flat screen computer monitors, computer games, and iPod accessories for my husband, and on toys for my nieces and nephews. I'm also hoping the American Express Wish List will start that weekend so I can score a mega-deal, like a new car for a few thousand dollars. You never know, it could happen!"
Michael Sweet, also part of the writing team, plans to brave the Black Friday crowds. He says his parents are long overdue for a Blu-ray player, so he's been scouring the local electronics stores for the best Black Friday deal. "I'm confident I can snag a name-brand player for less than $50," he says. "Walmart, Best Buy, Target, show me what you've got!" We're sure you won't be disappointed, Michael!
And last, but not least, Raechel Conover, another writer for the site, explains her refrigerator has been going downhill for months, but she's been holding out for Black Friday, hoping to find an exceptional deal. Sure enough, she spotted one marked down from $1,200 to $699 starting at midnight on Black Friday at hhgregg. She's pretty excited and reports that "this price allows us to buy the matching stove, too, for the price we would have paid for the refrigerator alone."
Whether shopping online or in stores, a deal is a deal, and our staff is hoping to score big savings. What are your favorite deals this holiday season?
