2022 is almost over and Black Friday is just around the corner. Although the peak shopping season doesn't start until the end of November, it's never too early to get ready. Black Friday sales are often the biggest shopping holiday of the year, so you may be wondering what it will look like in 2022. In the past, Black Friday sales have been affected by the restrictions of the Covid pandemic, and now, issues like inflation could make it another tough season for consumers. In any case, if you're thinking of buying something during the big sale, you should start preparing now. To ensure that your shopping on Black Friday and for the rest of the festive shopping season goes smoothly and that you get the best deals, here are some tips on when to start watching for discounts, how to stay within your budget and how to avoid disappointment.

Set a spending budget 

Setting a budget is a very important task every year with Black Friday, but in 2022 it's extremely important. Most shoppers have already felt the effects of this year's high inflation and are already experiencing hardship and reduced spending power. It is therefore important to set a budget for all purchases now, well before the Black Friday discounts kick in, and to prepare accordingly. 

The first step in budgeting is to decide how much you can afford to spend during this shopping spree. Make a list of must-have items, including festive gifts and other purchases on which you have saved so far. And be sure to leave room for the unexpected, such as last-minute gifts. Once you've made this list, calculate the absolute maximum amount you can afford to spend and be prepared to stick to it. Sometimes it's handy to have a separate payment card for such purchases, to which you only need to transfer a predetermined amount. That way you can be sure you won't overspend.

Once you have worked out how much you are prepared to spend, make a list of all the people you are buying gifts for. This will help you to allocate appropriate amounts for each gift. Then get an idea of what you would like to buy for the recipients. Just don't get too specific and be flexible in your shopping, and most importantly, don't go beyond the overall plan.

Check the prices of the products you want in advance

The question is, if there are good deals on Black Friday, why check prices beforehand? But the truth is that if you check the prices of the products on your list now, you will be able to have more confidence in the offers you see on Black Friday. Since some retailers have been offering early Black Friday deals for the last few years, you might even be able to take advantage of these deals in advance and avoid website disruptions and possible delivery delays. Also, by tracking items and their prices in advance, you will be more familiar with the specifics of the item and will be more confident in buying that item (with more time to decide if you really need it) during the Black Friday sale. 

Choose to buy online

Online shopping has boomed over the last few years and there is now certainly a much wider choice of products available in various online stores than in traditional ones. In addition, online shopping means you don't even have to leave your home, there are no traffic jams, queues, etc. It is also much easier to compare products in different online shops and you can easily find the most attractive product at the best price. However, even when shopping online, be prepared for possible website slowdowns or rapid stock outages, especially for items with the biggest discounts. While many retailers are already planning for a longer Black Friday season, and stores are expected to take the increased traffic into account and spread their offers over a longer period of time to help ensure a quick and easy shopping experience for their customers, making a list of items and preparing properly for Black Friday can certainly help to make more savings.

Marking pages in advance

If you plan to shop online, you should use bookmarks ('bookmarks', etc.) to save online shops. Often, bookmarking a product page in advance can save you precious seconds when sales start; just note that sometimes stores have different URLs for products. In such cases, you may need to refer to the 404 error message. If you don't want to take the risk, bookmark the home page of the store's website - you'll still save at least a little time.

Choose home or office delivery

As Black Friday offers are targeted at a large number of people, if you choose home delivery, they can fill up very quickly and the courier won't be able to place the parcel for a while. This can lead to a delay in collecting the purchased goods from the post office. Although some courier services, due to the increase in parcel traffic, offer the possibility to pick up the goods directly from the parcel car, this is also not a very convenient option, as it is only possible to pick up the goods at a certain predefined time. Meanwhile, for home or office deliveries, the courier will deliver the goods faster, so we suggest this delivery method during the big sales of the year. In any case, even if you choose home or office delivery, please be prepared that it may take a little longer.

Have a back-up gift plan

As the market is still experiencing many disruptions in the supply of raw materials and goods, some items may sell out quickly, or the low supply may mean that the price of the items you want will not come down enough to meet your budget. To avoid disappointment, it is best to have a back-up gift plan. That way, if the offer is not up to your standards - or does not exist - you will have a plan B and can avoid accidentally buying a product at a price that is not right for you.

Download store apps and save extra

Many shops have handy shopping apps that can make shopping even faster and more convenient. Some retailers also offer extra discounts on their mobile apps, so it's definitely worth being prepared and checking which stores' apps you'll want to download in advance. 

Avoid impulse purchases

It can be easier to avoid impulse purchases if you only shop online, as you won't have other items right in front of you (usually with lots of eye-catching items attached at the checkout) while you're waiting for the cashier to scan your purchases. When you save a lot of money during a sale, it's easy to assume that a few extra items won't be important and won't add much to your budget. But this thinking will eat into your Black Friday budget very quickly! Therefore, avoid any so-called "free gifts" that are subject to a minimum threshold and exceed your plan, such as a free handbag for a purchase of €100. Buy only what you have written down and don't deviate from your budget.

Use social channels 

Whatever your favourite social platform - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok or any other - start following your favourite stores now. If you use email, subscribe to your favourite stores' newsletters, which often contain additional offers and discount codes. Keep an eye on the stores' social media accounts, as they may have coupons, discount codes, sale reviews or even Black Friday ads. They can help you save money or find a discount you might not have noticed otherwise. Be sure to look for promotional codes on shopping websites and feel free to use them, sometimes you can even use several discount codes in one shopping trip to save even more.

Stay pleasant

Even if you encounter some inconveniences on Black Friday (suddenly running out of products, failed orders, slow loading sites, delayed delivery, etc.), stay pleasant. This is also a very busy and challenging time for sellers, who are really trying to fulfil all orders as quickly as possible, but all sorts of problems do occur. It's impossible to be fully prepared for all the possible challenges of the Black Friday sales, but you can try to keep yourself and others in good spirits.