If there's one thing you hear over and over as Black Friday and its sibling sale days get closer, it's that there are no "real deals" to be found anymore. While it's certainly true that the days of huddling outside of a big electronics retailer after stuffing yourself with, well, stuffing have fallen by the wayside, that doesn't mean you can't save quite a bit on Black Friday.
I've been closely involved with this particular shopping event for over a decade now, and while the rules have changed there are still plenty of ways to save. Here's what we've learned along the way, and the tools you can use to make sure you're saving as much as possible this year.
When does Black Friday start?
If you're reading this, Black Friday has already started in some sense. Some of the same discounts you'll find across Amazon, Walmart and others are the same discounts you'll find at the end of November. That doesn't mean these deals aren't worth exploring, and it certainly doesn't mean there won't be a much larger selection of things to save on as we get closer to Black Friday. Here's what we know about the big sales that have been announced so far:
While we're still waiting for an official announcement from Amazon regarding its Black Friday plans, the retailer always has a massive presence for this event. Last year Amazon's Black Friday event technically ran from Nov. 21 to 29, but we found quite a few deals at the lowest price of the year starting Nov. 1 and remaining at that price through to the end of Cyber Monday. It's a good idea to check Amazon regularly ahead of its officially announced event so you can save ahead of everyone else.
Not only will you find discounts on everything from TVs and gaming accessories to kitchen appliances and outdoor gear at Walmart, but you'll be able to start shopping much earlier than Black Friday. Walmart is hosting a pair of big sales in November, starting on Nov. 14 and Nov. 28 called "Whoknewville". These sales are expected to be both online and in stores, but Walmart is also planning a separate Cyber Monday sale that will only be online.
There are some Black Friday deals already available at Best Buy, if you're a fan of shopping early. Oct. 31 kicked off the start of Best Buy's month-long Black Friday event, filled with what the retailer calls doorbusters launching every Friday until Nov. 20. After that last doorbuster day, a lot of the sales from previous sales days will come back and remain on sale with new Black Friday offers until Nov. 29. Best Buy will then transition to Cyber Monday sales until Dec. 1.
For more Black Friday retailer announcements, check out the full list from our colleagues at BlackFriday.com.
How do I save the most during Black Friday?
For as long as sales have existed, there have been companies getting caught increasing the price on something a couple of weeks before the sale and then returning that product to its regular price in order to call it a discount. We've all seen or heard about it happening, but the good news is we live in 2025 and there are some tricks you can use to make sure you're not being taken advantage of when trying to save some cash.
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