Black Friday Savings: Experts share their tricks to land the best deals

BOSTON — You’ve made your list and checked it twice. But how do you know you’re scoring a good deal on your holiday shopping?

This year, 76% of shoppers say they’re looking for savings, up from 69% last year.

So Boston 25 News went straight to the experts, asking three shopping pros for their list of tips and tricks.

It starts with getting organized.

“You really have to do your homework,” Consumerworld’s Edgar Dworsky says. “The favorite place that I use is camelcamelcamel.com. It has a history of the prices of particular items at Amazon.”

“Look at Google Shopping or Yahoo Shopping,” says consumer shopping expert Trae Bodge. “Search for the name of the item and then you’ll get a sense of where it’s being sold and for how much.”

“Set price tracking alerts through tools like Karma,” Andrea Woroch told Boston 25 News. “And use an app like Flipp, which allows you to compare Black Friday ads and other holiday shopping ads.”

With more than 8 in 10 shoppers expected to buy online this holiday season, all three experts warn: be careful what you click.

“It’s very easy to make a very quick purchase on, say, TikTok or Instagram,” Bodge says.

But those purchases aren’t always the best deal, and some may be outright scams. It’s that type of impulse shopping that gets some people into trouble.

“Don’t let shopper-ism and consumer-ism make you think you have to spend,” Dworsky says.

“If there are stores that you walk into and the deals tempt you, always leading to impulse purchases, don’t even step foot in those retailers this holiday says,” Woroch says.

As for when to shop, all three experts say Black Friday and the week after are great for things like electronics, fall apparel, and beauty products.

But shoppers may find deeper discounts in December on toys and gift sets.

For shoppers paying by credit card or signing up for buy now, pay later programs, it’s important to know the terms and due dates for your payments. A late or partial payment can lead to added fees and interest payments, which can wipe out the savings on a purchase.

“That’s just a waste of money,” Woroch says.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW