Black Friday is one of the biggest days in the annual shopping calendar. It’s the perfect opportunity to get the Christmas shopping done early instead of leaving it to the last minute (again). But, what is it all about, when is it and how do I get the best deals?
What is Black Friday?
The unofficial holiday started off in America when, the first Friday after thanksgiving in November, lots of people would take the day off work to recover from the festivities. With a day of freedom, loads of these people started going shopping on the Friday, so the shops got wind of this and began offering big discounts to get shoppers into their stores. From this, Black Friday was born!
In the UK, retailers jumped on to this bandwagon in the early 2010s, offering big discounts to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Since then, Black Friday has gotten bigger and bigger, becoming the go-to for many of us to get our Christmas shopping done as cheaply as possible!
When is it?
Black Friday is usually towards the end of November and is closely followed by the tech-deal discount day of “Cyber Monday”.
How do I get the best deals?
It can be easy to get caught up in the craziness of Black Friday. With massive discount percentages being thrown at you, some shoppers can get drawn in to what they think are great deals when really, they aren’t. Consumer experts explain how some items with supposed “massive reductions” could even be cheaper at other times of year.
One great way to prepare for Black Friday and get the best deals is to do your research. Make a list of items you’re interested in buying and check out how much they cost before the sales start, at multiple different stores. This way, when the craziness of discount-central starts, you know if you’re getting a good deal or not!
What about getting to the shops?
If you’d rather get your hands on the best deals and test them out, instead of buying them online, then you need to think about the best way of getting to the shops. You’ve got a few different options when it comes to Black Friday and beating the other shoppers to that item you’ve been eyeing up for Christmas.
If you don’t want to pay for a taxi and don’t fancy walking or getting public transport with loads of shopping, then driving could be a good option to beat other shoppers to the deals.
What if I don’t have a car?
Just because you don’t own a car yourself, it doesn’t mean you can’t get to the shops this Black Friday. With Jaunt’s short-term car insurance, you can borrow a mate’s or family member’s car for your Black Friday shopping trip. Marvellous.
You can get insurance for the time you need it, for up to 28 days. So, you can get covered for just Black Friday, or even for Cyber Monday too!
If you’re interested, check out our short-term car insurance guide for more info.
