When to find best deals this year

Deals will happen on Black Friday, but also on other days around then.

Editor’s note: This article was written by Dallas Cox and originally appeared on Clark.com.

When it comes to getting the best deal on nearly anything, it’s always a pretty safe bet to check prices around Black Friday. In fact, 60% of bargain hunters believe Black Friday is the best time of the year to shop, according to a survey from daily deals website Clark Deals.

“At Clark Deals, we agree because we see a significant increase of sales and discounts from Thanksgiving into Black Friday every year,” says Charis Brown, managing editor of ClarkDeals.com.

Over the years, we’ve watched as Black Friday has spread beyond 24 hours and become an entire shopping season of its own. That means even with this year’s late Black Friday on Nov. 29, you may still be seeing some of the best prices of the year beginning to appear in the third week of November.

While you’re going to find a ton of doorbuster deals beginning bright and early on Black Friday as always, you might be able to beat the crowd and still grab what you’re going for at the lowest prices of the season.

“This year, there’s an 11-day window between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2, 2019, for Black Friday deals,” money expert Clark Howard says.

According to this, you may be able to find some of the best deals as early as a week before Black Friday itself. Likewise, don’t fret if you miss Black Friday doorbusters entirely because you’ll still likely find great prices through Cyber Monday (December . 2).

When you do start shopping around Black Friday this year, it’s important to know what you’re looking for, as well as what to expect.

“This Black Friday week, cell phones are going to be a big promotional item,” money expert Clark Howard predicts. This will include opportunities to tradein your existing phone for discounted prices as well as deals on both Apple and Samsung smartwatches.

He also predicts that the biggest surprise of this Black Friday season will be the opportunity to buy a vehicle at a great price. “The vehicle market is completely overstocked and sales have slowed way down,” Clark Howard adds, “so if you’re interested in a car purchase (new or used), this is the season to buy it.”

How to get the best Black Friday deals:

Shop ahead of time. Be sure to know the average price of your target purchase so that you recognize a great deal when one comes up. Start checking Black Friday deals as early as possible using store ads. Be the first to know by signing up for our Clark Deals newsletter.

Always remember to price compare before making your final purchase. Use a tool like Google Shopping to do a quick comparison of current prices across the web and check to see if you can make the same purchase cheaper anywhere else.

Be sure to shop both online and in-store. According to a recent study conducted

by ClarkDeals.com, 81% of deal hunters are planning to shop both in-store and online while only 12% of shoppers plan to shop exclusively online. This helps you to ensure you’re not missing out on better prices that could be online or in-store only.

Know what you’re shopping for. You never want to spend money on something you don’t actually need to buy, no matter how great the deal is. Make a plan beforehand of what you’re looking for and keep your eye on the prize!

Set a budget. Nothing is worse than wrapping up the holidays only to face a huge bill in January. Save your future self the trouble and know what you’re able to spend this season.

Be sure to shop smart this season, and don’t get caught up in the hype. Keep in mind that the goal is to save more money than you’re spending during the season.

Learn more on Clark. com.