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Black Friday is Nov. 28, 2025.
Simple prep now can help you streamline and save on holiday purchases.
These five tips make Black Friday shopping stress-free.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the way, and soon enough, we'll be dashing through the snow (and plenty of deals). If you are planning on using the month of November to scoop up tech gifts for yourself or someone on your list, there are a few easy things you can do right now -- even a few weeks before the big weekend -- to make your holiday shopping process stress-free and maximize how much you save.
Also: Our favorite Black Friday deals live now
As ZDNET's deals and shopping editor, I've covered every major shopping event, from Prime Day to Cyber Monday, and, of course, Black Friday. I'm also a voracious deal hunter, and I'm always looking to save -- watching for the best offers and seasonal sales events, scouting cash back offers via services like Rakuten, and taking advantage of sneaky ways to apply or stack promo codes. I'm a Gen-Z editor who's been obsessed with saving pennies and dollars since I learned to make change on my Barbie cash register in 2007, so my advice is tried and true.
With a little more than three weeks to go until Thanksgiving and early sales for retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target kicking off as early as Nov. 14, you don't want to wait too long to prep your shopping plans for the holiday season. And since everyone knows that it's time to start making a list (and checking it twice), here are the five things I recommend doing right now to make your holiday shopping season magically easy.
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