While many see the consumption of turkey and endless carbs as a national tradition with the sole purpose of bonding and filling one with gratitude, we fashion girls know there’s more to this epic meal than just thankfulness. We also like to see it as prep for another holiday long treasured: Black Friday. Yes, arguably the biggest shopping event of the year, this day allows us to indulge in truly insane deals. So, mashed potatoes and stuffing deliver energy for the retail marathon we’ve spent 12 months planning.
If it seems like we’ve got Black Friday down to a science, we do. After many a successful (and failed) BF experience, we’ve picked up a tip or two. We’ve learned the deals that are truly worth jumping on, and those that aren’t worth our hard-earned money (no matter how low those prices go). So before you add to cart, take a look at our list of the five things we’re buying (and not buying) this Black Friday.
Black Friday Cheat Sheet
While you're free to load up on the season's trendiest dress or slouchy boot, we see Black Friday as an opportunity to stock up on pieces that serve us well and we need in every color. We consider it getting more bang for our bulk—get it?
One sector to hold off on is beauty. While many stores are offering stellar Black Friday discounts, Cyber Monday is the day to stock up on all your makeup and hair needs. Patience is a virtue.
With luxe retailers like Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom and Barneys all offering insane markdowns on designer goods, we can't with good conscience pass up these deals. You snooze you lose, right?
That said, one high-end category we're avoiding is fine jewelry. While the holiday season might seem like the optimal time to frost oneself with diamonds, we say wait until January or February for the bargains to really come in (thank you, Valentine's Day).
We know we just confused the heck out of you, so allow us to elaborate. Winter weather has been elusive this year, so many of us haven't given our cold-weather wardrobes a full inventory scan. We suggest you do so before Friday—in fact, do it now.
If you have solid options that'll hold you until spring, wait until January to buy coats and jackets, as that's the prime time to get sky-high, end-of-season deals. (The only drawback is that the pieces you've been eyeing all season may be out of stock.) Now, if your plain black peacoat is looking a little worse for wear and you've been eyeing a neon puffer, Black Friday presents an ideal opportunity to get your hands on it. So, we'll let you call this one. (Personally, we're all about striking while the iron is hot, especially when the iron looks like this vinyl trench coat.)
You know that standing mixer you've been eyeing and secretly hoping your mom would impulsively buy you one day? Well, this is the time to stop dropping hints and just scoop up that bad boy. According to DealNews, more than a third of all Black Friday home deals will be on kitchen items, with Amazon and Walmart offering the most.
One home item to skip is exercise equipment. We all know the beginning of the new year is the most popular time to refresh your body and restart your workout routine—and fitness brands know it too. Hold off until January to buy that treadmill or elliptical, as that's when discounts will be truly worth grabbing.
We've all mocked those eager individuals who spend Thanksgiving Day camped out in front of Best Buy, but when all is said and done, they're the ones who get the last laugh. While electronics like iPhones and laptops are not recommended splurges (their sales heydays are December and August respectively), TVs on which to binge your fave Netflix show are a different story. DealNews is reporting amazing discounts on 4K sets across the board. So, stock up! And while we're not encouraging you to wait out in the cold for hours on end, it might do you some good to jump on those Amazon deal alerts that've been in your email inbox for the past month.
