Is That Black Friday Deal Real? A 10-Minute Price Check Before You Buy

• 1. Write the item down before the sale starts
• 2. Look up the normal price, not the “was” price
• 3. Compare the exact model
• 4. Add the hidden costs
• 5. Apply the max-price rule
• A simple tracking sheet
• Tools that help

A big red “was $199, now $99” tag tells you what the store wants you to compare against. It does not tell you what the item normally sells for. Here is a short routine that answers that question before you pay.

§1. Write the item down before the sale starts

Make a short wishlist now: the exact model, the store or two you would buy from, and the most you are willing to pay. That last number is the important one. Deciding it in advance, while nobody is counting down a timer at you, is what keeps the decision yours.

§2. Look up the normal price, not the “was” price

• Check the price history on a price-tracking site or browser extension for the last 60 to 90 days.
• Note the lowest regular price in that window, not the highest.
• If the “sale” price is close to a price it already hit in October, the deal is ordinary.

Some retailers raise prices in the weeks before a sale so the discount looks bigger. A 90-day view usually shows that.

§3. Compare the exact model

Big sales often feature special model numbers made for the event (slightly different ports, storage or materials). A great price on a cut-down version is not the same deal. Match the model number letter for letter.

§4. Add the hidden costs

Shipping, a required membership, a store card you have to open, the extended warranty pushed at checkout, and the return window. A $10 cheaper price with no returns can be the worse deal.

§5. Apply the max-price rule

If the final price is at or below your max price, buy it and stop looking. If it is above, it waits. Deals that are not on your list are not savings, they are new spending.

§A simple tracking sheet

One row per item: item, model, store, regular price (90-day low), your max price, Black Friday price, bought yes/no. A total at the top shows how much of your overall budget is already committed. That single total is what stops five “good deals” from turning into a January card bill.

§Tools that help

• Black Friday Deal Tracker spreadsheet ($2.99, Google Sheets + Excel): set a total, track target vs sale prices, and see spent, saved and left, per person and in total: https://smartbudgetsheet.gumroad.com/l/ykmstz?utm_source=nostr&utm_campaign=bf_article
• Black Friday budget calculator: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/black-friday-budget-calculator/?utm_source=nostr
• Discount calculator: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/calculators/discount-calculator/?utm_source=nostr
• Price in Work Hours, a free Chrome extension that shows prices as hours of your work: https://smartbudgetsheets.surge.sh/extensions/price-in-work-hours/?utm_source=nostr
• 42 free budget templates, pay what you want ($0 is fine): https://smartbudgetsheet.gumroad.com/l/ngpkrb?utm_source=nostr

General information, not financial advice.