A finance expert has issued advice for Black Friday shoppers this year as he recommended one way of paying for expensive orders.
The final Friday in November sees thousands of retailers drop their prices in what is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Often continuing through to Cyber Monday, many people choose to take advantage of the sales for their Christmas presents.
But in order to stay safe while shopping online and to help spread the cost, a money specialist has told shoppers exactly how they should pay for any big purchases.
Salman Haqqi, personal finance editor from money.co.uk, has revealed that you should always pay for anything expensive using a credit card - especially if you expect to spend more over Black Friday weekend than you normally would.
This offers protection on faulty items that you wouldn’t get from the retailer alone and can also help you spread out the costs when your wallet takes a hit.
"It's important that you don’t get swept up in the excitement of the sales and marketing of big discounts," Salman commented.
He also warned shoppers not to assume every deal is a good one.
Salman explained: "It's easy to assume that the discounted price will give you a decent saving, but many retailers will mark up their prices ahead of the sales, only to knock a percentage off. The perception is that you are then saving money on the item, but in reality, it may have been a similar price before."
The expert told consumers how to judge if something is a true discount, saying: "The best way to ensure you're getting the best price is to head straight to the source and check the manufacturer's website for the true cost.
"Assuming all retailers use the same selling tactic of upping the original price ahead of the sales, use price comparisons on Google to see if there are any price differences."
With that in mind, here are five more of Salman's top tips for successful Black Friday shopping this year.
Read articles to find out the top sellers
Journalists often have a relationship with retailers to find out about the sales before the public.
Black Friday sales are covered each year and you can find regularly updated round-ups of the best deal. Articles are also a good guide to see which retailers offer good discounts in previous years.
Sign up for email lists and download the app
Most shops will send regular discount codes to customers by email, so sign up for alerts from the shops where you are likely to spend the most money.
You will get notifications for things such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts, free delivery and in-store promotions. As with email lists, brands like to reward loyal customers first.
Make an account in advance
When shopping the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, you compete with other shoppers for the last items to sell out quickly. Having an existing account set up with the retailer you're purchasing from, with your payment details and address already saved will help with a speedy checkout.
Set up Google Alerts
Set up Google alerts on your laptop or phone using keywords such as 'Black Friday laptop deals' or whichever items you're looking to buy at a discounted price. You'll then be alerted of any reports around the topic to ensure you’re not missing out.
Use price comparison sites
Use free online comparison sites to compare prices and be alerted to any current offers, deals and discounts as they update in live time. This means you can look across multiple retailers in one swoop to bag the best deals.
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