It's time to gear up for another year of holiday shopping! While the economic outlook remains uncertain and high prices and inflation rates linger, experts predict that overall holiday spending will increase again this year.
According to National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay, "American consumers may be cautious in sentiment [but we] remain bullish about the holiday shopping season and expect that consumers will continue to seek savings in nonessential categories to be able to spend on gifts for loved ones."
Knowing how to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) (whether in person or online) can save you time, stress, and money. To make the most of the sales this year, take a look at our Black Friday shopping strategy and tips below.
1. Set a budget for the season
Before you start your holiday shopping, sit down and decide on a total budget for gifts, plus costs for entertaining, travel, meals, or decorations.
Ultimately, you want to account for everything so that you aren’t shocked by your bank statements come January.
Creating a budget doesn't have to feel daunting or overwhelming. Here are a few easy-to-implement tips to help you stay on track:
- Set a spending limit per person/gift or event to prevent impulsive buys.
- Take note of various deals as you skim your inbox or look at sales. If you're eyeing something specific, consider enabling price tracking alerts in your Google searches (or manually monitor prices and stores).
- Install browser extensions, such as the RaiseRight Earnings Extension, Rakuten, or Honey, that alert you if discounts, coupons, or earnings are available on a brand's website.
- Using gift cards from RaiseRight to allocate per-store spending on gifts. Additionally, make online purchases through RaiseRight for even more savings on top of using your gift card to pay.
Pro tip
RaiseRight isn’t just for holiday shopping. Use it year-round to maximize savings and fundraising dollars for your favorite cause! Many families easily earn over $1,000 annually. To see how much your household can earn in one year, try our free earning potential calculator:
New to RaiseRight? Learn more about how it works.
2. Make a gift list
Just as a grocery list keeps you on track when perusing the aisles of your local supermarket, a gift list can make sure you don’t get distracted or overwhelmed when holiday shopping for friends and family.
To create an optimal gift list that helps you stay on task (and on budget), consider:
- Reminding yourself of previous gifts. Before you think of this year’s gift ideas, take time to write down the gifts you gave in previous years. This can help ensure you don’t give someone the same gift two years in a row, and it may help spark new ideas for this year.
- Noting likes, dislikes, and preferences. Take note of your loved ones' favorite colors, flavors, or sizes.
- Including homemade, regifted, and thrifted ideas on your gift list.
- Focusing on experiences and time spent together in addition to or in lieu of gift-giving—know that it's okay to scale back if you don't have enough money saved this year.
3. Navigate marketing carefully
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the messages, emails, and advertisements during this time of year. The best you can do is to prepare yourself with the knowledge to see through the sales pitch and make an objective judgment about a purchase.
Start with these facts:
- 49% of Black Friday buying decisions are influenced by free shipping offers
- Buyers respond to online ads more than twice as often on laptops vs. smartphones
- 62% think Black Friday is a gimmick, but 82% plan to shop on Cyber Monday/Week anyway
So, the next time you see that free shipping offer, feel pressured to get all your shopping done during BFCM, or go down an online rabbit hole, revisit your shopping plan and budget and think objectively about whether it’s truly worth it.
4. Know when to wait
Timing is everything. These days, the BFCM shopping season begins well before Thanksgiving and stretches into December. Retailers roll out various promotions throughout the season, sometimes changing discounts weekly or even daily to keep shoppers coming back.
That means it pays to be strategic: time your purchases around the sales that matter most. Shopping before, during, and after BFCM can help spread out spending, ease the impact on your paychecks, and reduce the pressure of last-minute gifting.
It’s also important to know that not everything hits its lowest price during BFCM. In 2025, the average discount is approximately 26%, with makeup leading the way at around 40% off. And despite toys being a BFCM favorite, they often see even deeper discounts closer to mid-December.
So, when should you shop to get the best deals? Is BFCM worth it, or should you wait to check off your gift list?
As of 2024, U.S. News recommends:
- Electronics in November through January, or July and August
- TVs during BFCM or right before the Super Bowl in February
- Appliances at the end of the year or beginning of the year
- Clothing at the end of any season
- Jewelry after the holiday season
- Furniture in February or August
- Mattresses during three-day holiday weekends (like Memorial Day or Labor Day)
With so many price fluctuations throughout the year, the smartest move is pairing your timing strategy with a way to earn back on every purchase—no matter when you shop. That’s where RaiseRight fits in!
Learn more about how RaiseRight works, and encourage your preferred school, sports team, music program, place of worship, or nonprofit to start a free program today.
