The Six Best Things to Buy on Black Friday (& How to Tell if You’re Getting a Good Deal)

Find out what to buy where, and the four products you should not purchase!

Let’s be honest: Black Friday is past its prime. Gone are the days of camping outside of major department stores for hours in hopes of saving hundreds of dollars. Between multiple “Prime Days,” Cyber Monday, and various sales throughout the year, Black Friday is no longer THE best shopping day. But you can still find some of THE best deals, if you go in with a plan!

We turned to RetailMeNot for a list of six things TO buy and four things to absolutely NOT:

The Best Things to Buy on Black Friday

1. Computers, Laptops, and Tablets
Best Buy
Apple products will be on sale at tech stores like Best Buy (don’t bother with Apple.com.) Dell, Lenovo, and HP will also be dropping discounts the entire weekend. But the best deals are expected on Amazon Fire tablets and Kindles: up to 50% off!

2. Small Appliances
Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s
Air fryers and blenders will be deeply discounted– up to 50%. Kohl’s is known for giving out special Kohl’s Cash on small appliance purchases. But if there’s ONE kitchen product to buy this Black Friday, it’s a KitchenAid mixer. Some models will be discounted by more than $100!

3. AirPods, and Other Wireless Earbuds, Headphones
Walmart, Target
Look for record-low prices on AirPods Pro, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Studio Buds True Wireless earphones: between $50 and $100 off retail prices. And if you need over-ear headphones for better noise cancellation and/or comfort, expect 40% savings at Target.

4. Small Home Gadgets
Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond
Amazon and Google have an annual tradition of dropping prices on their smart speakers (the Echo and Nest, respectively) by 40% or more on Black Friday. It’s also common to see BOGO deals, with a smart plug or even another smart speaker thrown in! 

5. Video Games 
Walmart, Best Buy, Target, GameStop
You’ll find plenty of games priced at $15. While the most sought-after titles won’t go that low, last year, Walmart offered several popular Nintendo Switch games for $25 off.

6. Towels, Sheets, and Other Home Goods
Target, Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s
Linen cabinet content is the unsung hero of Black Friday. If you need to stock up, towels and sheets will be up to 60% off, but they come with a warning: they sell out quickly!

The Worst Things to Buy on Black Friday

1. Clothes
Especially if you’re shopping for winter coats, sweaters, or jeans, you’ll find better deals during After-Christmas and New Year sales.

2. The Cheapest Doorbuster 4K TV You See
The doorbuster models are not the best quality and typically need to be replaced in 2-3 years. Instead, take advantage of the best deals of the year on higher-quality sets (think TV’s that usually retail for $600 marked down to less than $300!)

3. The Newest Gaming Systems
The latest Xbox and Playstation consoles are still hard to come by and most likely won’t be marked down this season. The same goes for the new Nintendo Switch OLED. Some colors of the Switch Lite will be discounted by $10, but that’s about all gamers can expect!

4. Furniture
Unless you absolutely need a new bed or dining room table now, wait until February. The best furniture savings happen around Presidents Day.

Good luck!