My 2025 Black Friday strategy (& tons of tips to help you shop)

How I plan, spend, and think about the biggest shopping week of the year.

Hi Geezers,

My typical rule of thumb around the back half of October is to hold off on shopping your wants until Halloween is over. You’ll notice that my Instagram stories were way less deal-focused in October; this is by design.

Black Friday is this week, and thanks to the competitive nature of the retail world, you’ve been seeing incredible discounts across a variety of categories since on November 1 that will now carry through the middle of December, though historically most of the best deals happen for the next 7 days — not December.

Retailers like when Thanksgiving falls on November 24 or 25th. But this year — like last year — Thanksgiving is late. Black Friday is November 28 (last year November 29) while Cyber Monday falls on December 1. You can expect that by December 14 you be hearing a lottttt about pre-Christmas shipping deadlines.

Between October 1 and December 14, the most FAQ in my DMs is do you think this will be on sale for Black Friday or should I buy it now?

A good rule of thumb: If something was on sale in October, it’s likely to be discounted again in November, often at the same discount or an even better price. Items not on sale in October will almost certainly go on sale in November. If an item hasn’t been discounted by Cyber Monday, it probably won’t be on sale at all. I have found that there are very very few exceptions to this.

How will Black Friday work in 2025?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are typically the same, with a few exceptions from big clothing retailers like J.Crew and Madewell, which have historically offered slightly bigger discounts on Cyber Monday (usually 30-40% off everything for Black Friday starting the Monday of Thanksgiving week and then bumping it up to 40-50% off everything for one 24-hour stretch on Cyber Monday). Click on that Madewell link; I bet I’m right! ;)

Most retailers keep their online deals consistent throughout the weekend, while in-store doorbuster sales at big box stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy are used to draw people into brick-and-mortar locations for the same deals.

Most stores will advertise their doorbusters in their in-store circulars or on their apps but not on their websites.

If an item is on sale online, it’s unlikely to have a deeper discount in-store, unless it’s a doorbuster. Speaking of those, online doorbusters are usually only priced for a certain number of units for a short window of time. Doorbusters are often labeled as SOLD OUT pretty quickly, even if it’s soon showed as back in stock at a higher price.

Here is my fool-proof Black Friday shopping strategy that has kept my sanity and wallet in check the last decade or so. I shared this last year with premium subscribers, and I got so much feedback about how helpful the aforementioned info was to have. Opening it this year to everyone.

Let’s get into it!

How I shop on Black Friday

I make two lists. One is a “what I need” list and one is a “what I want” list. On the need list: gifts for my family (if I don’t have a specific idea of the product I’m looking to buy them, I make sure to write down the max price I am willing to pay for whatever gift I land on), host/ess gifts, and what I need for my household like detergent, dishwasher pods, garbage bags and paper goods. The latter isn’t sexy, but usually a retailer like Target will offer a $15 gift card when you spend $50 on a category like cleaning supplies.

On my “what I want” list is the stuff I am hoping to snag for myself. Now full disclosure, my “want” list might be more robust than the average because my birthday is on November 27th and historically I use Black Friday to shop for moi. But the “want” list still exists — I do not give myself carte blanche — and it lives in tandem with the “need” list. Both lists are important to me on my shopping quest.

Here was last year’s list:

Then I have a line item for impulse purchases with an exact dollar amount. That’s a non-negotiable dollar amount. This is discretionary and I use it when I get the urge to buy something that’s not on either my “want” or “need” lists but is too good a deal to pass up in the moment. The budget is meant to keep me from doing that to every single thing I see on sale, and helps me consider what I actually am excited to buy but wasn’t thinking about while making my lists vs. what I feel drawn to purchase just because it’s on sale.

I don’t get sucked into IRL doorbuster deals. This is a little controversial as a professional shopper/deal finder but I truly stay out of the stores. If I can’t get it online, I am not getting it. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone, and again, look at the lists you’ve made! Are any of your wants or needs part of a Big Box doorbuster? Yes? Okay then you have some decisions to make! No? Then don’t do it. Time is money, and the sport of Black Friday shopping in a store or in a mall is not for the faint of heart. It felt fun when I was younger but I can’t hang anymore, and honestly? I simply don’t want to. Having my time and my sanity is more valuable than whatever money I would be saving on a doorbuster. Plus what’s better than bringing your laptop onto the couch, firing up a Hallmark Christmas movie and absolutely going to town online?

**When it comes to clothing sales, size matters. When shopping for clothing, especially in sizes XL or larger, I am mindful of stock availability if I am waiting for deeper discounts before Black Friday/Cyber Monday ends. Plus sizes are often the first to sell out since brands typically produce fewer units. If you’re eyeing a popular item, it’s better not to risk waiting for a small additional discount if you’re already happy with the sale price. Once sold out, Black Friday items usually aren’t restocked until after the sale is over. If you’re a size XXS, XS, or M, you will have better luck waiting for the prices to drop and seeing if you can score your coveted piece at a lower tag. This is because big brands keep making size XXS even though they almost never sell. I know, it’s the worst.

Know your price adjustment perks, your loyalty potential and pick your favorite store. When shopping at major retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart, many of the same deals will be available. Target usually offers a price match guarantee during the holidays, but you’ll be the one who needs to monitor prices and request adjustments, which can add extra work. If time is money to you, then this is something major to consider. Target cardholders get an additional 5% off, and Amazon credit card users can earn cash back or convert points into gift cards, so see which loyalty perks benefit you best during this season. Unless there’s a big price difference between stores, stick with your preferred retailer for convenience, as general savings will likely be minimal across the board on big ticket items. Keep your shopping list ready to stay organized and do your research, but don’t get bogged down over $5-10 differences unless that’s an enjoyable part of the game for you.

Two seconds here will save you a headache later. I never check out as a guest on retailer websites, and you shouldn’t either. Creating an account, even if it takes extra time, is worth it. Especially during the holiday season, having an account makes returns and tracking purchases much easier since you can access your purchase history directly. It’s far simpler than trying to find an order number buried in your emails. Taking those few minutes upfront can save you time and hassle later.

You never save money buying things you don’t need (or want). Remember that! Remember. That.

If you need some gift ideas, I can all but pretty much guarantee that every item on these two lists will have a discount this week that you will be thrilled about:

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