Black Friday is just one week away, and with retailers rolling out early deals, shoppers face a crucial question: Should you buy now or wait for the main event?
Walmart shopper Carrie Weber likes to start before the big rush.
"As far as the prices go, if you look for the deals now, you can find them too," she said.
But timing the deals isn’t easy, as shoppers weigh whether to wait for deeper discounts, or risk losing out on hard-to-find items.
WATCH: Should you buy now or wait for lower prices?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
For Black Friday, consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch recommends "kitchen gadgets like coffee makers, blenders, air fryers," and "anything with a plug."
Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge said "tech is very strong, small home appliances — so I like to focus there."
Come Cyber Monday, Woroch suggested looking for clothing deals, including "brands like Gap and Old Navy, we typically see site-wide sales."
Other categories to shop during the Black Friday weekend:
- Beauty products
- Footwear
- Personal electronics
- Large TVs
- Vacuums
Also look for deals on services, such as spa packages, hotels and airfare.
Buy after Black Friday
For many gifts on your shopping list, it’s okay to wait.
"Wait maybe on toys or holiday themed items, winter items," Bodge said.
Hot toys, like gaming consoles, are an exception.
"If you have a very specific item that you have on your list, especially if it's a toy and someone on your list wants this one toy, you might want to get it on the earlier side," Bodge said. "Because it could sell out."
Pre-Black Friday deals
If you see a solid deal ahead of Black Friday, Woroch said don't hesitate.
"If you're seeing something on your list that you know you want to buy and it's available for 30% off, chances are it's not going to get any cheaper than that," Woroch said.
If you’re doing some early shopping, now is the time to take advantage of tools like CamelCamelCamel, a free price tracker that shows Amazon's price history.
"You could even use that as a benchmark by comparing those products sold at other retailers," Woroch said.
Also, check holiday price match policies. For example, Target will match its own lower prices later in the season, now through Christmas Eve.
So pay attention to all the big sales events, so you don't waste your money.
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