Is Black Friday Shopping Worth It This Year?

With prices on the rise, getting maximum value for your money is essential in 2025. If you plan ahead, Black Friday can be a strategic moment for big-ticket purchases and early holiday shopping.

But does Black Friday live up to the hype? Are the doorbusters and discounts truly worth your time? The answer is a firm yes—if you shop with a plan. All Black Friday shoppers this year should create a shopping list now, check each item’s current price, then track the price changes once brands and stores announce Black Friday deals. That way you can tell if the savings are real, or the result of pre-season price-hikes in disguise. We recommend downloading at least one or two price-tracking apps to find the best moment to click buy.

So make your wishlist, add items to your online cart now, and check every so often to see if the price fluctuates. If you see a significant drop on November 28, then you can confidently buy and see your savings. It may take more effort, but strategic Black Friday shopping is a smart financial move, helping you avoid any “deals” that appear in name only.

We’ll break down when Black Friday is worth your time and money, and strategies you can use to avoid pitfalls.

When is Black Friday worth it?

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Black Friday ushers in the biggest savings of the year, but make sure you're spending wisely this shopping season. Here's how to make Black Friday worth it for you:

What to look for:

• Planned purchases: Black Friday is a good opportunity to buy items you already plan on purchasing, especially if you aren’t in a rush.
• Premium electronics: You're more likely to find significant savings on more expensive electronics like flagship smartphones and tablets. 

What to avoid:

• Impulse buys: The excitement of sales can lead to overspending on items you don't really need.
• Misleading deals: Retailers sometimes inflate original prices to make discounts seem more impressive, so check out the item’s pricing history before you buy.

Shop for items you need

The most effective way to make Black Friday worth it is to shop for items you already intend to buy. Instead of focusing on what’s on sale and getting caught up on offers, start by considering what you actually need. A focused search can help you find savings on products you would normally pay full price for at any other time. This way you save on meaningful purchases instead of falling for flashy marketing on unnecessary items. 

Start by making a list of items you plan on purchasing, so your search is more direct. Think of it like this: Black Friday shopping without a plan is like grocery shopping while hungry. Everything is appetizing and irresistible with supposed deals, but a plan can help you avoid temptation (and buying everything).

Save on top tech items

For anyone considering a new premium smartphone, Black Friday consistently offers the most significant savings of the year. It's the key season when major brands and retailers compete with direct discounts on their latest models. 

This is your chance to find tangible price cuts on current-generation devices like Apple’s iPhone 17, Samsung’s Galaxy S25, and Google’s Pixel 10. By planning your upgrade around this Black Friday, you can get a flagship phone without breaking the bank.

Retailers also offer steep discounts on previous-generation smartphones that are still worth using in 2025. In fact, we recommend buying an older model phone for more savings, but nothing older than two generations. Smartphones three generations or older run the risk of being discontinued or facing software update restrictions—ultimately making your phone unusable. So be careful when choosing a model since a smartphone’s long-term value is more important than one-time savings.

The Apple iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24, or Google Pixel 9 are excellent options for a premium phone at a lower price. On the contrary, we don’t recommend buying an older model like the iPhone 14, as it has been discontinued and will see its software support phased out in the coming years.

Why Black Friday is bad

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It’s important to know when to walk away from Black Friday deals. It's easy to get caught up in the Black Friday hype, but the excitement often leads to these classic shopping pitfalls. 

Don’t fall for flashy deals

Before you buy something (and later regret it), take a moment to think about whether you need it or not. Countdown clocks and limited stock alerts are designed to create urgency and push you toward impulse buys you didn't plan for. We’ve all been there: You grab something just because it seems like a great deal, not because you need it. 

Before you know it, those small, unplanned purchases have blown your budget, and the money you saved on one item is spent on things you never meant to buy. So before you go to checkout or proceed to payment, double-check your items and ask yourself, “Do I actually need this?”

Not every discount is a bargain

Good Black Friday deals are the needle in the shopping haystack. Among the many misleading deals are a few genuine offers, but finding them takes real effort. Retailers often use tactics like artificially inflating an item's original price to make the sale price look incredible. Others create special, lower-quality versions of products just for the event. If you haven't checked the price history or compared model numbers, it's easy to be fooled. You might end up paying the standard price—or even more—while walking away thinking you got a major win.

Who has the best Black Friday deals?

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Predicting Black Friday deals with absolute certainty is difficult, but past trends show that buying flagship smartphones is best with Black Friday price cuts. 

You can find serious Black Friday discounts from major retailers like Amazon, and you can secure valuable premium perks when purchasing through carriers like AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. In recent years, we've seen price reductions on Samsung Galaxy devices, Google Pixels, and even Apple iPhones.

Make sure to check out our best Black Friday deals 2025 to see who had the biggest savings last year. We keep you updated with the best offers and promotions, including the best discounts on the iPhone 17:

When do Black Friday deals start?

Early holiday deals kick off throughout November with the bigger sales likely ramping up the week of November 17. Every year, Black Friday deals start earlier and last longer. What was once a single day of intense shopping has evolved into a multi-week sales event. 

Some major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target even launch promotions as early as October, moving past the traditional one-day doorbusters. Shoppers now have access to more than just a single week of cyber savings to snag the biggest discounts of the year.

Is Cyber Monday better than Black Friday?

No, Cyber Monday and Black Friday both offer similar deals. In fact, when comparing Black Friday versus Cyber Monday deals, the difference between both has become less noticeable over the years. Black Friday traditionally focused on in-store doorbusters, while Cyber Monday highlighted digital deals. 

Nowadays, retailers typically launch their promotions on Black Friday and extend them through the entire weekend. This means many of the same offers available on Friday will remain active through Monday. 

Tons of offers will be popping up at different points throughout Cyber Week. So, if you’re looking to shop for the best discounts online, you should start your search on Black Friday instead of waiting for Cyber Monday.

Best early ways to save

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Over 30% of Americans start their holiday shopping in October. With Amazon’s bi-yearly Prime sales and mobile phone launches setting off price drops , you can find discounts all year long. Check out the best phone deals going on right now to snag a new smartphone for cheap.

Best Black Friday shopping tips

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Navigating Black Friday is all about strategy, not speed. A solid plan and the right tools are what separate a genuine bargain from a cleverly disguised trap. Here’s how to make Black Friday worth it for you.

1. Make a list

This is the golden rule for successful Black Friday shopping. Decide exactly what you're buying and for whom before you look at any ads. Set a strict budget and stick to it. This is your best defense against impulse buys.

2. Set a firm budget

Determine the exact amount of money you can afford to spend before the sales begin. This creates a financial boundary that keeps you from getting swept up in the frenzy and overspending.

3. Research prices in advance

Make sure you investigate product pricing before blindly accepting the deals you see. This exposes fake discounts that are just price hikes dropping to regular pricing. Luckily, you don’t have to manually look up pricing anymore. You can compare prices, see trends, and even rack up rewards with browser extensions and apps.

Here are the top extensions and apps to follow product pricing:

• CamelCamelCamel and Keepa are essential for Amazon shoppers. They reveal a product's full price history, so you can see if a discount is actually a historic low.
• Flipp is your digital flyer hub. It gathers all local store circulars in one place, making it effortless to find and compare the week's best advertised deals.
• If you prefer cross-checking pricing in stores, use ShopSavvy. Scan any product’s barcode to see if it’s cheaper somewhere else.

4. Be patient

Avoid the urge to buy the first thing you see. By waiting, you can compare prices, avoid the initial rush, and often find the same item at a deeper discount or in a less stressful online sale. Remember, sales usually continue through Cyber Week, so don’t stress about not snagging a deal on Black Friday itself. Chances are it’ll carry over the next few days.

Black Friday shopping: FAQs

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