Gone are the days when the best prices were slashed on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a reward for the bleary-eyed shoppers that managed to get up and in line at the store well before dawn. Even the last few years have seen a massive shift away from one or two days of sales, toward an entire week of Black Friday deals.

“It used to be the sales were on Black Friday and the sales were on Cyber Monday,” says Casey Runyan, managing editor of Brad’s Deals, a site that scours the web for the best deals and discounts and provides smart shopping advice. “Then we started having retailers drop their sales on Wednesday, then they moved to Tuesday, then they moved to Monday. And then they started doing Black Friday previews on November 1.”

More than 165 million Americans are expected to dive into holiday shopping between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Sales are projected to top $730.7 billion, about a four percent increase over 2018.

Shoppers say they will spend an average of $1,047.83 this holiday season, with most of that going toward gifts for friends, family and even co-workers. The biggest spenders? Older millennials and young Gen X-ers between the ages of 35 and 44 who are planning to spend $1,158.63.

While nearly 40% say they’ve already started their holiday shopping, Black Friday is still projected to get the largest share of discount-hungry consumers. And more than half — 56%—say they will do their shopping online, according to NRF.

Consumers say times have changed

While in-store shopping used to be a family tradition on Black Friday, Julie Robb, a product administrator from Oklahoma, who I interviewed, does almost all of her shopping online now to take advantage of free shipping, and to avoid the hassle of fighting the crowds both in the store and at the post office.

“I buy mostly for my family in California and I can have stuff sent there directly,” she says.

This year she’s looking for deals on a toaster for her mother, and a good set of headphones for her father.

I also spoke with Monique Richmond, who has been a diehard in-store Black Friday shopper for years, even after most retailers began putting their sales online. But she, too, is planning to shop from the comfort of her own home.

“People are getting kind of crazy so I am skipping this year,” she says

With nine kids to shop for, this Louisiana mom of nine has her eyes on one specific category.

“I usually go to Walmart to get the deals on toys,” she says. “This year I am looking for Legos, Elsa stuff and dolls.”

Retailers have gotten the message loud and clear that most people have Black Friday in-store shopping fatigue, Runyan says.

“I think honestly, the frenzied attitude of Black Friday kind of got to be too much. Nobody really wants to go somewhere and think, ‘Hmmm, maybe I’m going to get trampled today,’” she says.

So while some retailers may still try to lure shoppers into their brick and mortar stores with in-person doorbusters, she says, “by and large, the entire sale is online. And that does sure make it easier.”

So how can you get the best deals for the gifts on your list? Read on for some expert tips:

Prepare your shopping checklists!

1. Compare Black Friday ads before Black Friday

Most major retailers already have their Black Friday ads out and those are the best place to start comparison shopping, especially for big-ticket electronic items such as TVs, computers, video game consoles, and tablets, as well as popular toys.

Use those ads to get an idea of what each retailer is offering—along with any perks like rebates, free shipping or store gift cards with purchase—and to figure out where you will spend your money.

2. Understand the nuances of Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday used to be two very distinct shopping holidays, with the former specializing in in-store deals and the latter exclusively online, but the lines are becoming blurred.

“Traditionally, Black Friday is more on the electronics front. And toys are very big,” Runyan says.“And then Cyber Monday is meant to be more of the soft goods. More like clothing and home decor and that sort of thing.”

3. Know when to strike

If you see a great price on one of your must-have items, even in the days before Thanksgiving, go for it. Will all those millions of people vying for the same great deals, you run the risk of the item selling out.

Many major retailers have price-match guarantees and will refund you the difference between the sale price and your purchase price. Just make sure to contact the retailer while you are seeing the lower price, not later on after the sale has ended.

Another option if you buy something before the price bottoms out is to return the item you bought first and keep the one you got at the lower price.

4. Set a limit for gifting yourself

Let’s be honest. We all scour Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads for things we want for ourselves.

Don’t deprive yourself of a deep discount on something you really want, as long as you can afford it, but set a limit to avoid overspending and blowing your entire holiday budget.

And finally, our Black Friday gift to you, a few last shopping tips from the team at Stash:

1. Check refund and return policies before you buy. Check for re-stocking fees, return deadlines, and final sales that don’t allow for returns.
2. Make your credit cards work for you. Grab a rewards credit card and pay it off as soon as the bill hits to turn your holiday shopping spree into cash back or travel points.
3. Don’t get caught up in keeping up with the Joneses. What matters most is not what you buy, but the thought you put into it. Baking cookies or taking someone out to lunch could be the best gift you could give, and it could save you a bundle.
4. Set a budget for all of your holiday spending. Knowing how much you have to spend on Black Friday, CyberMonday, and other shopping days can help you avoid unwanted debt.
5. Invest in yourself. With the money you save thanks to Black Friday discounts, consider opening up a retirement account or investment portfolio.

The post Black Friday! Cyber Monday! What’s the Difference? appeared first on Stash Learn.

Luckily, we have a specialist to give us some guidance.

Trae Bodge*, a shopping expert who has appeared on the “Today” show, knows the ins and outs of using credit cards wisely, curating smart shopping lists, and finding good deals at big box stores.

Bodge is sharing her advice for shoppers on our podcast “Teach Me How to Money,” including these seven tips for those looking to save some money.

The following are excerpts from Bodge’s recent conversation with Stash editorial director Lindsay Goldwert, edited for clarity.

1. Never settle.

“A smart shopper is someone who refuses to buy something at face value. If you’re shopping, and you see a price, even if it’s on sale, don’t stop there. There are many great tools out there to help you make sure that you’re getting the best price, or [at least] getting an easy discount.”

2. Give up on clipping coupons—use technology to your advantage.

“Thanks to technology, there are so many great tools out there from apps to browser extensions—you can save money in seconds. I don’t think it’s worth the effort to clip all those coupons.”

3. Shop out of season.

“Buying out of season is the best way to save overall.

If you prepare, you will save a lot because right at the end of a season is the best time to buy. If we’re looking at a September, for instance, there are lots of great deals on things like patio furniture, grills, and swimsuits.”

4. Do your research.

“Often, you get what you pay for.

If you’re not familiar with a particular retailer, I would do a little bit of digging. My daughter was shopping, and she said, ‘Oh, my God, the prices are so amazing.’ And she did some research and found several terrible reviews about this retailer. The product sizing was really off, and the quality was terrible.”

5. Learn to love the list.

“I’m a big fan of lists, especially around holidays or birthdays when you’re doing a lot of shopping. Back-to-school is a good time too. Make a list, and try to stick to it instead of veering off and jumping on sales, which can actually cause you to go over budget and get you into trouble.”

6. Save up a holiday fund.

“I do recommend saving throughout the year for holiday [spending]. I’m not a fan of carrying debt into the new year, so I think saving along the way is really helpful.”

7. If you’re buying for credit card rewards, buy smart.

“[If you’re buying things with cash-back cards], make sure that it’s something useful. Make sure that you’re going to be able to apply it to something that you regularly use.

Also, the majority of cashback cards have a very high APR. So, if you’re not intending to pay that card off every month, you’re basically shooting yourself in the foot with all those points that you’re accruing.”

The post 7 Smart Spending Tips From Shopping Expert Trae Bodge appeared first on Stash Learn.

Leave us your review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

What does it mean to be a smart shopper?

Here’s the thing: It’s not always being an extreme couponer, buying in bulk, or stacking your gift cards.

Being a smart shopper can mean using technology to get discounts on things you need, buying sunglasses or winter coats at the end of the season, or avoiding being tempted by sale items (just because they’re on sale).

In this episode, Trae Bodge, a shopping expert who has appeared on the “Today” show and CNBC, and many others, talks about shopping lists, bad deals, smart strategies, avoiding aggressive ads, using credit cards wisely, and how to shop at big box stores without wasting your money.

Thanks for listening to Teach Me How to Money. Send us your questions at teachmehowtomoney@stash.com, and we’ll try to answer them on a future episode.

The post Podcast: How to Be a Smart Shopper with Trae Bodge appeared first on Stash Learn.

Cyber Monday isn’t just Black Friday’s online little brother anymore. It’s growing, year over year, with an increasing number of shoppers preferring to score deals that are every bit as good as Black Friday without having to rise before dawn and stand in long lines.

Last year, Cyber Monday shoppers made a record $6.59 billion dollars in purchases.

More than half of shoppers surveyed for Deloitte’s Holiday Retail Survey—53%—are counting on Cyber Monday to score the best deals, while 44% are Black Friday loyalists. Those numbers increase among younger shoppers, with 62% of Millennials preferring Cyber Monday to 53% for Black Friday.

Black Friday still beat out Cyber Monday in 2017—with 77 million people shopping in-store and 66 million shopping online, according to the National Retail Federation. But Cyber Monday saw more than 81 million consumers fill their Internet shopping carts, meaning more people are going online than ever before.

“I do not celebrate Black Friday. You have to get up insanely early, put on pants and, I imagine, a bra,” says Marissa Bryant, a mother of two from Long Island, NY. “No thanks.”

As with Black Friday, some important rules apply—learn to budget, don’t overspend, use credit wisely, make a list, and don’t forget to buy yourself something.

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday

Trae Bodge, a shopping expert from New Jersey, says while both retail holidays have something a bit different to offer consumers, the trend for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday is digital offerings.

And for retailers, that means getting ever more creative about luring customers through the door.

“With Black Friday, some of the deals will be exclusive to in-store, specifically because retailers who have a brick-and-mortar presence are trying to remain relevant, trying to keep brick-and-mortar relevant,” Bodge says.

Walmart is upping their game this year by throwing an in-store Black Friday party on Thanksgiving evening, opening its doors at 4 p.m. for free coffee and snacks, two hours before Black Friday deals kick off at 6 p.m.

Target is offering $250 gift card with the in-store purchase of an iPhone XS or XS Max. And Best Buy is taking hundreds of dollars off TVs when they are bought in-store.

“I think we’ll see more of this where there will be fun activities in store on Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season, again, to incentivize consumers to shop in store,” Bodge says.

Look for sitewide discounts on Cyber Monday

The two biggest days in holiday shopping also differ not just in how the deals are offered, but which deals are offered.

Black Friday tends to see sales on very specific items, Bodge says, such as a particular sweater or one specific computer model. Cyber Monday brings more sitewide discounts and free shipping deals.

Both days have tried and true categories that will see the deepest discounts: TVs are the most well known, Bodge says, but also watch for great deals on beauty items, apparel and small electronics, such as video game consoles, tablets, smart home devices, smartwatches, and last generation phones.

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday: A Checklist

Here are Bodge’s top tips for getting the best deals from both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

1. 1. Do your prep work ahead of time. Scour Black Friday ads, figure out what needs to be purchased in-store for the best price. Make a list and set a spending limit and then stick to it.
   2. Utilize smart shopping apps and websites. Bodge is a fan of Flipp, which collects all your local retail circulars. “You can circle items, you can highlight items, you can build a list and then they’ll alert you when things on your list go on sale. It’s like having this personal assistant,” she says.
   3. Keep a close eye on Cyber Monday discounts in the days after Black Friday. Places with a brick-and-mortar store, especially smaller retailers, will often deepen Cyber Monday discounts to make up for less than optimal in-store sales. The bad news for them could be very good news for your budget.
   4. Don’t be scared of Black Friday crowds. “I think that Black Friday has a bad rap. We’ve seen the videos of people storming Walmart and crushing each other on the way in and that’s not appealing to a lot of people,” Bodge says. “That’s not happening as much anymore. The influx of in-store shoppers have kind of loosened because of the online availability of these sales and so Black Friday isn’t so bad anymore.”
   5. Put a gift (or two!) for yourself on your shopping list. “What I often see is that people go overboard buying for themselves while they are supposed to be buying for other people,” Bodge says, adding you should just go ahead and put yourself on the list for one or two things. “That can help keep you on a budget as well,” she says.

Invest in yourself, the best gift of all

A brighter financial future looks good on you! You can start a retirement account or start investing for all your goals on Stash.

You can start with just $5.

The post Get the Scoop on Cyber Monday appeared first on Stash Learn.

She’s been scouring leaked Black Friday ads for weeks. She even made a chart to plot the best deals on her shopping list.

Broom, an accounts receivable coordinator who lives outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, calls herself an obsessive “chart-making queen.”

“I make a goal list of items I’m looking for and sit there searching all the ads to see what is shown,” she says. Then she charts the items along with store locations, start times and pricing.

“That way I could identify and compare what would be the cheapest spot and what time that store opened,” she says.

Black Friday means big business. In 2017, 174 million shoppers went Black Friday shopping, spending $7.9 billion, according to industry data. Between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, consumers spent an average of $335.47, according to the National Retail Federation, up 18 percent compared to 2016. (Shoppers between the ages of 25 and 34 spent the most—an average of $419.52.)

While you can save big time on all your holiday shopping, it’s important to have a game plan that includes making a list, sticking to a budget to ensure you’re not overspending, and strategizing.

Here are some Black Friday pointers from the pros:

Not all Black Friday prices are created equal

Broom ranks her stores by priority. One store may have a better price on a TV, for example, but Broom is willing to pay a slightly higher price at a different retailer if that second store also has good deals on other items on her list, like new pots and pans. She also takes advantage of price matching guarantees in those cases.

She jokes that she learned her Black Friday hacks from her mother, who joins her before dawn to strike on the best deals.

“It’s usually the two of us together to conquer the stores,” she says.

Broom uses BFAds.net to strategize for Black Friday. The advertising aggregator not only publishes all the Black Friday ads—leaked and officia—but also cross-references deals by categories and keeps a running tally of new deals listed.

Be early and be prepared with a list of must-haves

Michelle Gonsalves, a doctor who provides care in a hospital in southern Florida, used to get the jump on Black Friday by using her night shifts at the hospital to her advantage. While on her breaks, she scoured the ads and made a list of exactly what she wanted. Then she hit the stores right after her shift ended to be there when they opened.

“I arrived at the stores awake, freshly informed from reviewing ads an hour before, and ready to go, compared to everyone else who was sleepy and sluggish and had read ads the day before,” Gonsalves says. “Plus, I had extra incentive to finish quickly, as I had to work nights again that night. So I needed to go home and go to bed.”

Gonsalves has since transferred to the day shift, so she skips Black Friday in-store sales and the crush of crowds, which, she admits, means she misses the best deals.

“I do a lot of my shopping online now,” she says. “I probably spend more money.”

Create a list to rein in spending

Our hardcore Black Friday shoppers stick to lists to prevent overspending and unnecessary impulse buys, and try to get the lowest prices possible for each item, even if it means hopping from store to store.

“I love Black Friday shopping,” says Rochester, New York writer Marcia Layton Turner, who reviews deals ahead of time at GottaDeal. “Based on my list and the lowest prices announced, I make a plan for which stores to hit first.”

Like many Black Friday shoppers, Turner uses her downtime on Thanksgiving to begin scoping deals, but she also tries to pre-order her items online at Black Friday prices to save herself time in-store the next day. She also uses Black Friday to take advantage of once-a-year sales for items that are otherwise rarely discounted, such as Apple products.

Rebates, gift cards, and returns

“If I can buy it online, I check first for discount codes and to see if Ebates will give me a rebate. I stack coupons whenever possible,” Turner says. “Sometimes I’ll buy things and hold onto them and if the price drops after Black Friday, I’ll return them for the lower-priced item.”

Returning an item and then buying it again after a price drop is a move many retailers will honor, and it ensures you get the lowest price even after Black Friday is over. Some retailers might also refund you the difference in prices.  Make sure you keep your tags and receipts.

Turner doesn’t just look for deals on gifts. She also shops for her business, especially technology items. And this year she’s looking to get a great deal on a flat-screen TV for her living room.

Another of Turner’s hacks? Stock up on gift cards with built in rebates and discounts that she can use too.

“Our local grocery store gives you $20 back on a $50 gift card,” she says. “So I’m trying to stock up on those, both to give as gifts and for buying gifts.”

Here are a few additional bonus tips from the pros, to help you stick to your budget and get the most out of Black Friday:

1. Make sure to check refund and return policies before you buy. Nothing is more of a bummer than realizing you can’t get a refund for an item you no longer want. Avoid buyer’s remorse and overspending heartburn by making sure those amazing deals don’t come with restrictive return policies.
2. Use credit cards wisely. If you think you’re in danger of overspending, use cash. But if you have a rewards credit card that you can pay off as soon as the bill hits, put that Black Friday shopping spree to work for you through cash back or travel points.
3. Remember that bigger isn’t always better. It’s easy to get caught up in the shopping craze, but what matters most is not what you buy, but the thought you put into it. A thoughtful $20 gift along with a handwritten note can often mean more to the recipient than the latest must-have gadget for hundreds of dollars.

Invest in yourself, the best gift of all

A brighter financial future looks good on you! You can start a retirement account or start investing to help you reach your goals on Stash.

You can start with just $5.

The post Black Friday Shopping Hacks: Get What You Need, Don’t Lose Your Mind appeared first on Stash Learn.