Black Friday Round Up Time! Love It or Hate It, It's That Time Again
Buying Tips From WSJ, Wired and Consumer Reports. Plus, What's On My List
Happy Thanksgiving to all my lovely American friends! Hope you are having a wonderful day off full of food and family and fun. And thank you for taking the time to open this! I usually try to send this out right around the lunch hour so you have time to read it.
Black Friday Round Up
Personally I’m not that big on Black Friday, but I also love a deal. Shopping addiction and impulse buying are real and I don’t want to downplay that, but some of us just want to save some money on bigger ticket items we were intending to buy anyway.
Every year there’s a growing backlash against Black Friday, a main criticism being that it only fills the coffers of Corporate America and it’s terrible for retail workers. I don’t necessarily disagree. But like politics, we don’t have to be so polarized about it.
How I see it: sometimes you need a parka or new TV and you don't want to pay the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, so you wait until Black Friday. Been there! I don’t judge. I don’t come from money. Sales like this are a big deal when you don’t have a lot.
What I will never suggest is standing in line at 4 a.m. in the morning to get a deal. So, online shopping it is. And that’s actually the suggestion a few different online publications make: buy online.
Here are some other Black Friday shopping tips I found. Oh, and if you find the tips in this article useful, feel free to forward it to a friend or post it on social media. I also have some sales info and codes, scroll all the way down!
Black Friday Will Be Confusing (Again). Here Are Wired’s Tips
You can read Wired’s full article here. Key takeaways:
-You'll see low prices on smart-home tech, like the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini. In previous years, they sold for around $20 or $25 every single November. This year, they'll probably dip to the same price. “Even if a price is technically a historic low, consider whether you truly need another cheap little speaker before you place your order—especially considering that these deals tend to pop up repeatedly throughout the year.”
-TVs are usually a great purchase to make around Black Friday. They are at their cheapest this time of year and through the holidays.
-You'll be able to save on clothes, toys, and home goods, but those deals may not be as enticing when you look at specific dollar amounts. “They're certainly cheaper than usual, though.”
-Tools that Wired likes include Camelcamelcamel, which tracks a product's price over time on Amazon; Keepa, which displays the price history on the Amazon product page; and Honey, which has price history for other retailers, like Walmart and Best Buy.
Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips for 2023 from Consumer Reports
Our vacuum-cleaner-testing friends over at Consumer Reports (read the full article here) have this to say:
-Black Friday is still the best time to get a new TV at a discount. Saturday is expected to bring the deepest discounts on laptops; toys and apparel will be at their best prices on Sunday; and Cyber Monday will be the ideal time to get electronics and appliances.
-A holiday shopping trend report from Adobe predicts that the discounts being offered this year will reach record highs.
-the best prices will still come around Cyber Week.
-tip: add items to your shopping cart if they have a price you like, so you can find them again quickly and be all set to order.
The Wall Street Journal’s 10 Black Friday Expert Shopping Tips 2023
The Wall Street Journal had this to say (read the full article here).
Watch out for product variants
-make sure the product that’s on sale is the one you actually want, and not a slightly tweaked version with lesser specs or a poorer build quality. “I’ve seen this happen with pricey electronics including TVs and stand mixers,” writes Nick Guy. “Look for the model number to be sure that you’re buying the right one. Even one different digit or letter could mean you’re getting a completely different product.”
Optimize your recent purchases
Most retailers have extended return periods during the holiday season. “So if you bought something already and then see a deal pop up, you can send it back and buy it again at the new, lower price.”
[Personally, I would contact the seller and see if they’ll adjust the price first, that will save you the hassle of all that billing and shipping.]
Use store cards for extra discounts
-Many store-branded credit and debit cards will offer additional discounts on top of any Black Friday sales. “For example, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature credit card offers hard-to-beat cash back rewards of at least 5% when used on Amazon.com. Target’s Red Card delivers a 5% savings at the time of checkout.”
What I Would Be Buying if I Didn’t Own It Already
I guess I’m in my low-buy era because I don’t have much on my list this year, other than a Roots sweatsuit (a Christmas gift for my kid) and Adidas white flat sneakers (for me, I have to rebuy them every 4 years or so when they get too worn). Oh wait, and an air fryer because my 10-year-old T-Fal Actifry is on its last legs. Here’s what I bought in years past:
⛄️Arcteryxx Long Black Quilted Thorium Parka. Last year I decided I was done with shivering December through mid-April (you think I’m exaggerating but I’m not) and I was going to buy the longest but lightest parka I could find. I don’t love the aesthetics of Canada Goose, so I went with Arcteryxx and the price last year was incredible, like $300 off of $700.
🧥Barbour Ombersley quilted jacket. I have a thing for coats, I really have to restrain myself from buying them each year. Usually I fail and end up purchasing one, even if it’s thrifted or via Poshmark. I adore this quilted jacket and look forward to having it in 20 years. Got mine in a Nordstrom sale.
🎧 Bose headphones. Noise-cancelling headphones are such a joy. I use them for editing, and for blocking out my noisy household.
📘E-book reader, I like the Klara Kobo. I am an avid reader, about 1-2 books a week and I love my e-reader. Not because it gamefies the experience (nothing could be less appealing) but rather because it’s light and I can read for longer without my hand or eyes tiring.
I find e-book readers MUCH easier on my eyes than both books or tablet/smartphone screens. In fact, they don’t work like regular LED screens, they use something called e-ink which are black particles that mimic print much more closely than pixels on a screen. I don’t know why but I’m picturing an Etch-a-Sketch situation in there.
🔪Shun Nakiri knife. I’ve talked this one up and it’s truly lovely and not pointy! I’m scared of pointy knives. I’ve had mine for 8 years and never brought it to be sharpened yet, it’s still like new though I use it daily.
🍲Boos cutting board. I love mine and if I had a different kitchen set-up, I’d get a huge one like you see on the Food Network. The one I have is about 12 x 12 inches, and it’s great for charcuterie moments when you don’t need a monster platter.
⛷Cashmere sweaters. I like to joke that I’m Canadian and you need to trust me when it comes to staying warm. I own two thin cashmere sweaters and they do the work of a thick-gauge knit sweater or a Lululemon sweatshirt; they are simply incredible for warmth without bulk.
And for those who don’t want to partake in Black Friday, I get it! I would also be perfectly comfortable buying almost all of the above secondhand, either on Poshmark or eBay or from a vintage shop. I bought my gray cashmere for $3 at Sally Ann, unworn with the tags and extra threads still attached.
In other words, not to worry, Black Friday is just one way to get a deal among many so if you don’t catch a bargain now, you will later! These things sometimes find you when you’re not expecting them.
Black Friday Sales Codes
A random selection of sales and codes that caught my attention.
20% off + free shipping
Ends Today!
Next week: 25% off + free shipping on orders $85+
Code for Monday only: CYBER23
Code for Tuesday only: CYBERTUE23
Details: 25% off everything
Code: no code needed
Dates: 11/22-11/27
Details: Shop 25% off sitewide + up to 60% off Best Sellers. Receive 4-piece GWP on orders $75+ and 6-piece GWP on orders $100+
Code: no code needed
Dates: 11/22-11/26
30% off
Code: BF30
25% off $150+
Ends on Saturday
Code: BF25
Charlotte Tilbury (US and Canada)
Get 20% off orders $60+; Get 25% off orders $110+; Get 30% off orders $160+
20% off sitewide ; 25% off $75+ ; 30% off $150+
Code: CYBER
20% Off Sitewide + $180 of Free Gifts
Code: GOLD
25% off all orders
Catch you on the next one, thanks for reading!
Warmly,
Helen
P.S. In Case You Missed It, a retrospective of The Devil Wears Prada…
The Devil Wears Prada Turns 20: I Think These Parts Were Accurate
Hello everyone, thanks for opening this up. Can you believe The Devil Wears Prada (the Lauren Weisberger novel, not the movie based on it that came out a few years later) is already 20 years old? Helen Avery is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Hi Helen,
Do you know if the Kerastase Black Friday sale is taking place in Canada as well . . . or only in the U.S.? Thanks!