As Christmas looms, the Black Friday deals are upon us. People get really excited about Black Friday in the hope of saving some much needed cash on Christmas presents, maybe a treat for themselves or some good furniture deals.
So, what is Black Friday and when is it?
Black Friday started in the States. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November, so the Friday after became a sort of unofficial holiday. Shops started dropping the prices to get people into stores and to get them spending money to start the Christmas season once Thanksgiving was finished.
Due to the popularity of it in the US, many UK stores joined in and by 2014, Black Friday was the peak pre-Christmas online sales day. This has cemented its position as one of the best shopping days of the year, with some people saving their Christmas shopping until Black Friday to make sure they get the best deals.
Black Friday in the UK is Friday 23rd November 2018, closely followed by Cyber Monday on 26th November 2018. Although Amazon have announced 10 days of deals from 16th November, so you can access deals even sooner.
Cyber Monday again started in USA. In 2005, an American trade federation noticed that the Monday following Black Friday was the best day for online shopping, so Cyber Monday was born. Again, it gained popularity in the UK and we followed suit to grab those bargains ready for Christmas.
Most of the major High Street retailers offer Black Friday deals. But how can you make sure what you are buying is a good deal?
How to bag the best bargains
Make a list of the things you want to get and research them before the sales start. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. Items can be discontinued stock or old models that manufacturers won’t be able to repair if anything goes wrong. If you do your research before you hit the Black Friday sales, you will be much better equipped to pick out the right deals for you.
Read product reviews. Know the features that are important to you about the item you are looking at. It’s no point buying that new cordless vacuum cleaner if it’s needs to charge for 24 hours to get 10 minutes of use!
Check prices of the things you want to buy. For instance, that coffee machine you had your eye on was £100 2 months ago, now it’s £150, but on Black Friday it’s reduced to £110. Bargain? Have you checked other stores, as those without Black Friday deals may actually be selling it at a better price. Just because the store you are looking at has something is on sale, doesn’t mean it’s a good bargain.
Online delivery charges annoy us. Why pay £5 for delivery, when I can get free delivery on orders over £50? I’ve only got £35 worth of goods in my basket, but if I spend another £15 I’ll get free delivery. Good deal right? Let’s be honest, most of us have done this! Most places will offer free delivery to stores, so you can collect it at your convenience, although this will only work for smaller packages!
How does The Wage Shop help?
So, what’s this got to do with The Wage Shop? We make sure you get paid on time and correctly, and you can be confident that your Tax and National Insurance contributions are all up to date, leaving you to concentrate on spending your hard-earned cash.
We also offer a Pay Day Advance service, so when you’ve seen that absolute bargain that you must have, you can get an advance on your pay to secure that deal! Click Payment Advance to get started, or head over to the website for more details.
Not an employee of The Wage Shop?
Contact us to find out about registering with us! Use our Contact Us section on the website or our Live Chat to get in touch. Great advice, pay day advances, simple and flexible approach – what’s not to love? Get in touch to find out more.