On Your Side: Ways to save and apps to use on Black Friday

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) -Despite some retailers starting their holiday sales before Halloween, Friday is still the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

Consumer experts say Black Friday is back. Post pandemic, bigger crowds are expected this year. Plus, inflation is a driving factor for bargain hunters. Get to the stores this weekend for your must-have items.

“Black Friday is the time to get the best prices on TVs. We’ve seen a lot of analysts say Thanksgiving is the best time to get tech devices. But we tend to see those prices last through the weekend. So you really don’t have to wait. You’re not going to see better prices on Cyber Monday. You might see different items available compared to Black Friday, but for the most part the sales are going to be the same,” said Samantha Gordon with Consumer Reports.

If you’re shopping in-person this weekend, you’ll be asked to get a store card. You could save a lot of money. Understand when the promotion ends. Know it’s a soft hit on your credit.

“That is going to ding your credit. So if you’re signing up for a credit card, it’s something that goes on your credit report. If you’re in the process of closing on a house, do not do that. Because that could mess up the whole thing,” said Shawn Gallagher with Piatchek & Associates.

If you plan to do all your holiday shopping online, review return policies. More companies than ever before are charging customers for the shipping.

“That’s something that’s becoming more common, especially with inflation. That’s how retailers are offsetting the cost of returns. It’s also their attempt to dissuade people from making those returns. If you have to pay for shipping, maybe you don’t want to return it. Maybe it’s not worth your time or money to return it. Hang on to it or re-gift it,” said Gordon.

When you’re in a store, shop with an app. BuyVia, Shopkick, ShopSavvy, and Shopular let you scan bar codes or QR codes to compare prices, get discounts, and score coupons.

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