Our Top 4 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Tips and Shopping Strategies

It's time to gear up for another holiday shopping season! Retail experts predict that sales in November and December will grow 4.2% from 2025, even as shoppers remain cautious about inflation and high gas prices.

With budgets stretched, finding a good deal matters more than ever. Knowing how to shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), in store or online, can save you time, stress, and money.

Ready to make the most of this year's sales? Here's our BFCM shopping strategy, plus tips to help you get the most from every dollar.

1. Create a holiday-specific budget

You probably budget for bills and household needs month to month. But the holidays are different, with big, unexpected expenses that tend to hit all at once and can follow you into 2027.

Before you start shopping, set a holiday budget that covers gifts plus entertaining, travel, meals, and decorations. Account for everything now, so January's bank statements don't surprise you. These simple tips will help you stay on track:

• Set spending limits per person, gift, or event to curb impulse buys. 
• Track deals as they land in your inbox. If you're eyeing something specific, turn on price tracking alerts in Google (or watch prices yourself).
• Add a browser extension, like the RaiseRight Earnings Extension, Rakuten, or Honey, to flag discounts, coupons, or earnings on brand websites. 
• Use RaiseRight gift cards to cap what you spend per store or purchase. Shop online through RaiseRight to earn even more on top of your gift card. 

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 calculator:

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 ensure you won't get distracted or overwhelmed while shopping. 

To create an optimal gift list that helps you stay on task (and on budget), consider:

• Noting previous gifts you've given. Before you head to the store , take time to write down gifts you gave in previous years. This will help you avoid giving duplicate or similar gifts to the same recipient, and it may spark new ideas for this year.
  
  
• Jotting down likes, dislikes, and preferences. Take note of your loved ones' favorite colors, flavors, or sizes.
  
  
• Taking a creative or DIY approach. Include homemade, regifted, and thrifted ideas on your gift list.
  
  
• Focusing on experiences or time together in lieu of physical gifts. Know that it's perfectly okay to scale back or give the gift of quality time instead, if you don't have enough money saved this year. 

3. Navigate marketing carefully

Here's a surprising number: 64% of Black Friday shoppers believe retailers raise prices ahead of the big day, so the "discounts" aren't real. If you've ever wondered whether a doorbuster is actually a deal, you're not alone. Most shoppers have the same suspicion. 

With so many emails, ads, and "limited-time" offers flooding in this time of year, it’s easy to get swept up anyway. Keep these in mind before you buy: 

• Check the price history. Price-tracking alerts or a quick look at past prices will tell you whether a sale is really a sale.
• Look past free shipping. 67% of shoppers say free shipping sways them, but it can hide a higher base price or push you to add items just to qualify.
• Don't let the calendar rush you. BFCM isn't your only chance to save, so don't make a poor financial decision if a deal doesn't fit your budget.

4. Know when to wait

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have a reputation for rock-bottom prices, but not everything is at its lowest price during this time.

In 2025, the average BFCM discount was about 26%. Makeup led the way at around 40% off. Other categories saw much smaller markdowns, and some get cheaper after the holiday rush.

Toys are a good example. They're heavily advertised during BFCM, but are often cheaper closer to mid-December.

So when should you buy what? It depends; U.S. News recommends timing your purchase based on its category:

• TVs: during BFCM, or right before the Super Bowl in February
• Electronics: November through January, or July and August
• Toys and games: December
• Appliances: the end or beginning of the year
• Jewelry: after the holidays
• Clothing: at the end of any season
• Furniture: February or August
• Mattresses: three-day holiday weekends like Memorial Day or Labor Day

If something on your list isn't a necessity or standout, you might want to wait.

With so many price fluctuations throughout the year, the smartest move is pairing your shopping trip with earnings on every purchase, no matter when you shop. That’s where RaiseRight fits in! Earn up to 20% back for your organization across hundreds of brands—all year long. 

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.