5 Black Friday Scams Not to Fall For
Something about Black Friday just really makes you want to set your money on fire. And because it gets earlier every year- I figured it was time to get ahead of the game and talk through scams you need to avoid.
Amazon is notorious for this: They'll take a $30 item, pretend it originally cost $60, then mark it "50% off" - so you think you're getting a steal when you're paying the same $30 it always costs.
Use a price tracker to avoid falling for it.
Lots of stores will discount items but if you read the fine print- they're on final sale. Make sure you can return what you buy- it's better to pay full price than be stuck forever with shoes that don't fit.
When brands suddenly jack up their free shipping threshold to astronomical heights, take a step back. Sometimes paying for shipping now beats buying extra stuff you don't need.
Don't fall for the trap of spending $50 on stuff you don't want just to get a "free" sample size product worth $5 - retailers count on you forgetting that these "gifts" are built into their inflated prices.
Stores try to get you to panic buy by putting warnings like "Only 2 hours left!" or "5 items remaining!" Ignore it. they'll run the exact same "once in a lifetime" sale next week, just with a different countdown timer.
Sales are like buses - there's always another one coming, so take your time and shop smart. Stick to the MDJ golden rule: wait 3 days until you pay so you make sure your purchases are unemotional.
Plan what you actually need, see if it's on sale, and give yourself time to make a smart, calm decision.