Posted by Secret shopping strategies
Have you been bombarded with ‘hurry ends soon’ ads for Black Friday? The sales might be on now – ahead of the official start on 29 November – but there are still bargains. And in this post, I will share some of my strategies for getting a bargain.
In the US, the Black Friday sales (which happen just after Thanksgiving) are legendary. Pre-COVID, shoppers would swarm in when the doors opened to department stores and rush in and grab discounts. The sales continue for four days, ending with Cyber Monday.
In the US, sales are a popular way to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season; once the turkey and pumpkin pie are eaten, people often think about putting up the Christmas tree and buying presents.
Now, just like Halloween, Black Friday has been imported. The sale is now more popular than the traditional Boxing Day sales, which means you can buy gifts on sale before Christmas rather than after. The sales started early this year – and this is a trend. A few years back, certain online retailers focused on Black Friday sales but now they are everywhere. And it’s not just about Black Friday until Cyber Monday. Many retailers started in early November and will continue until early December.
Are the Black Friday sales real? Absolutely. In the past, many Boxing Day sales were staged. Employees would wheel in brand-new stock in time for Boxing Day, which would then be marked down (even though it had never previously been offered for sale). But Black Friday is (mostly) the real deal. It’s great for Christmas presents and tech products. Big online retailers such as Amazon, Catch and Kogan will have many items to tempt, including specials just for Black Friday. And discount retailers such as Big W and Target have also got into the act. The hardest thing will be getting away without buying too much (tips on that below)
Strategies to maximise your online sales savings
What could be better than getting a good deal online? Maximising your sales experience through strategies to increase the bang for your buck.
Membership schemes
During Black Friday 2024, there has been up an uptick retailers are selling paid membership schemes. Many are offering them at half price or more to entice people to sign up to the loyalty schemes. This has been happening since early November, presumably to build loyalty to their brand before the big sale items. (And yes, I’ve been roped in on more than one of these).
Membership schemes typically involve perks such as free shipping, special prices or points rewards. Often, you can sign up for a month (or even utilize a free trial) and then cancel – but make sure to read the fine print to avoid signing up for longer than you would like. And during Black Friday, many online retailers go all out to tempt consumers with specials exclusively for members.
Are they value for money? It depends largely on where you want to shop and what you want to buy. These are some of the main ones:
- OnePass. Normally $40 a year, it is reduced to $20 a year for Black Friday. It provides 5x Flybuy points at Kmart, Target, Bunnings Warehouse and officeworks, as well as free delivery on certain items with Catch or other retailers. It also offers free change of mind on purchases for 365 days, which could be useful for exchanging not-quite-right Christmas presents. And for Black Friday, it offers special early access for members.
- Everyday Extra. Normally $70 a year, this is available for $35 a year for Black Friday. It is a paid, upgraded Everyday Rewards membership. It provides 10% off every month on one shop at Woolworths and one at Big W (up to $100), double points and exclusive free products, offers and promotions. [Joyful Frugalista comment: I bought a Kitchen Aid this evening – plus more groceries – taking advantage of this special. I had wanted one for years and years, and after mentioning it to hubby a few weeks ago – he remembered and told me that it was on special. Yah.]
- Kogan First. 14-day free trial then $129 annually. It provides free shipping, member-only prices (e.g. Garmin watch for $869 rather than $1,699), 2 x Qantas Frequent Flyer points, 5% off pantry and beverage products, 1-2% Kogan Rewards credit and early access to big sales. [Joyful Frugalista comment: hubby somehow purchased an annual membership by accident once. We like Kogan products, but we found we weren’t buying electronics or white goods every months. Yes, they do offer more than that but we shop there according to need. It’s different to say Woollies.]
- Amazon Prime. The granddaddy of membership schemes is Amazon prime (free trial for 30 days, then $9.99 per month or $79 a year). Prime offers include free delivery on eligible products (even some free international delivery), special product offers for prime members, prime video, prime reading and prime music. It also offers DashPass from DoorDash for free for 2 years. All you need is to order one item a month from Amazon and watch a few videos for the membership to be worth it.
Cashback
Multiply your sales by combining them with cashback offers. These are platforms that utilise affiliate marketing and give consumers cash as a reward for certain products. Three of the best-known affiliate marketers in Australia are Cashrewards, ShopBack and Grow My Money. These sites are already primed for Black Friday, but expect them to ramp up further on 29 November.
[Serina comment: refer a friend to Cashrewards during Black Friday and you can both receive $20. Yes, their deals are genuine including (at the time of writing) 20% cashback from Woolworths (remember that KitchenAid I wanted?).]
Multiplying your returns with savings stacking
You can maximise your returns by comparing, contrasting and stacking different schemes. Here is an example of how that can work.
For instance, say you want to buy a new computer tablet. The first step is to do some research on reviews and to understand what features you want. Once you have gone through that, let’s assume you have then decided on a Lenovo Tab M11. It is sold in several different places, both online and in-store.
- Perform a Google Shopping search, and you will see there is a range of products available. Not all are equal, as some have 64GB awhile some have 128GB, so it’s important to read the specs. In this case, let’s assume you want the 128GB product.
- Create an excel spreadsheet, and write down all the different offers (e.g. $249 at BIG W, $247 at Officeworks and $247 at Amazon with free delivery, $249.99 at Costco with good returns policy).
- Create a column on your spreadsheet to look at what possible discounts you could get. For instance, if you have a Everyday Extra membership you will get extra points and possibly a 10% discount if you purchase from BIG W. If you have OnePass, you will get 5 x flybuys points.
- Check cash rewards sites such as cashrewards, ShopBack and Grow My Money and add those savings to your spreadsheet.
5. Research discounted gift certificates. For instance, the Entertainment Membership currently offer 5% off Big W eGift cards, 4% off Woolworths cards and 4% off JB Hi-Fi cards. If you are planning to make a large purchase, the savings could really stack up.
Finally, purchase your gift cards (if using) or make final purchase with a credit card that has a good rewards program.
Stacked savings on a Lenovo Tab M11 could then look something like this:
| Original price (not on sale) | $349 |
| Minus sale price at Big W of $249 | $100 |
| Minus Everyday Extras reward (10%) | $24.90 |
| Minus Cashrewards (13%) | $32.37 |
| Minus Big W gift card saving (5%) | $12.45 |
| Total price you pay | $179.28 |
| Saving | $170 |
| Plus Qantas Frequent Flyer points (credit card) | 249 |
| Everyday Rewards points | 448 |
The secret sale strategy
Do you want to know how to save hundreds – maybe even thousands – of dollars on the November sales? The best sale is not buying something just because it is on sale.
When there is a sale, you will often see signs like ‘50% off’ or ‘save $20’. It’s easy to think about the money you will ‘save’ while buying something on sale. But the biggest sale is not buying things you don’t really need. Full stop. No exceptions. I can guarantee you will save 100% of the sale price, and you probably won’t have many regrets, either.
And it’s super easy to get caught up in the hype, especially as many of these sales are for a limited time only. Some even have countdowns on their websites ticking down to when they end. It’s all geared to encouraging impulse buying.
Maybe you think it’s only a few dollars or super cheap, but if it’s just going to clutter your home – and your life – then don’t go there. And you’ll have the credit card or Buy Now Pay Later debt long after the thrill of clicking something into your cart has gone.
The Lenovo Tab M11 example is based on some real research I did. I have an earlier model and use it for work and study, and my husband has often said he wouldn’t mind one for travel But when he thought about it some more, he decided he didn’t need one. He often shares my tablet if there isn’t other onboard entertainment, or he uses his phone.
But one thing we did buy was a new oven. For over the last two years, I’ve been propping it shut with a mop as the door wouldn’t close properly. The mop technique worked fine for a while, but then the fan started squeaking. I’ve already baked fruit cake, sour dough bread and pumpkin pie in my new oven and it brings me so much joy. Plus even with the mop method, having an oven door that closes probably saves us money in the long run.
Buy Nothing Day is an annual day held each year concurrently with Black Friday as a protest against consumerism. Whether you do join Buy Nothing Day or not, it is worth considering the economic, social and environmental cost of buying stuff we don’t need just because it is on sale. And yes, I have shiny object syndrome and am totally guilty of that – which is one of the reasons I’ve been doing a Buy Nothing challenge this year.
Sometimes, you think you need something, but if you are just a bit more patient, you might find it cheaper – or even free. In 2022, I decided to splurge on a new electric kettle during Black Friday as ours was old. We love our new kettle: we got a steep discount, and we love the double-walled insulation feature. But within weeks of buying it, there was a flood of brand name kettles being offered for free in my Buy Nothing Group.
Are you buying things at the Black Friday sales? Or have you, like me, already bought something?