Black Friday feels like it's months away.
Which is exactly why now is the time to start.
The smartest Black Friday shoppers aren't the ones setting an alarm for 5am. They're the ones who already know what they want, what it normally costs, and who they're buying it for — so when a real deal shows up, they can actually tell.
Here's the plan we're using this year.
1. Make the list now, not in November
Before you look at a single deal, write down who you're shopping for. Doesn't have to be fancy — notes app, back of an envelope, whatever survives until December.
For each person, jot:
- Who they are
- One gift idea (even a rough one)
- Your budget for them
That's it. You're not committing to anything yet. You're just giving future-you something to work from instead of panic-scrolling on December 20th.
2. Start a watchlist before there's anything to watch
This is the part people skip. You can't tell if something is "on sale" if you don't know what it normally costs.
So right now, before any sale exists, start noting the regular price of a few things you're actually considering. A couple from our own list:
- The Hot + Cold Depuffing Wand — an investment-piece beauty gadget, the kind of thing that's genuinely nice to catch on sale.
- The Little Skincare Gadget From TikTok — same story, a $200+ splurge worth watching.
- The Sunglasses That Take the Photo For You — tech gifts move around in price a lot; know the "normal" before you buy.
- The Screen-Free Box Kids Actually Love — a starter set plus a few extra figures adds up fast, worth tracking before the holidays.
💬 The Family Group Chat tip: if you don't know the normal price, you don't actually know if the sale is a deal. Screenshot it, note it, whatever — just capture it now.
3. Know which categories are actually worth watching
Not everything gets a real discount on Black Friday. Historically, the categories worth waiting on are:
- Electronics and tech gadgets
- Beauty tools and gadgets
- Toys and kids' gear
- Small kitchen appliances
- Home and cleaning gear
Things that rarely move much: consumables, drugstore beauty, most gift sets. If it's already cheap, Black Friday isn't going to make it that much cheaper — buy it whenever you actually need it.
4. Set the budget before the sales start, not during
Sales are designed to make "but it's 40% off" feel like a reason. It's not. A $60 thing marked down to $35 is still $35 you weren't planning to spend, on something you weren't planning to buy.
Decide your total holiday budget now, while nothing is on sale and your brain is calm. Then when November hits, you're checking prices against a number you already picked — not making it up in the moment.
5. Build a "do not buy" list
This is the one nobody talks about, and it might be the most useful.
Write down the things you know you'll be tempted to buy just because they're discounted — not because you need them or even really want them. For us it's usually: a third air fryer, a "cute" seasonal thing that'll live in a closet by January, anything described as a "steal" that we hadn't thought about once before seeing the ad.
Naming it in advance makes it a lot easier to skip in the moment.
The family group chat version
You don't need to wake up at 5am. You need a list, a few known prices, a budget, and the self-awareness to know which "deals" aren't actually for you. Start that part now — the sales will take care of themselves.