TillioBargain hunting · Seasonal
Prepare for Black Friday with an exact-model shortlist and a price target
The useful work for Black Friday happens before a sale badge appears. Choose the products you need, settle the exact models and record comparable prices. That gives you something to judge a promotion against, without needing to predict which retailer will offer the lowest price.
By Tillio editorial · Sources checked
Make the list specific enough to compare
Write down the full model code, capacity or size, colour if it matters, condition and essential accessories for each planned purchase. Add your maximum delivered price and the latest date you need it. A general 'new headphones' list makes it easy to switch to an unsuitable product because its discount looks larger.
Include one acceptable alternative only if you understand the difference. For an appliance that might be a smaller capacity; for a laptop it could be a different memory or processor configuration. Price it separately rather than allowing it to enter the exact-model history. This keeps a change of product from masquerading as a saving.
Record a baseline, with its limits
Check a few credible shops for the same item and record the delivered total, stock status and time. Repeat when practical. A series of checks can show changes during your observed period, but gaps cannot establish every intervening price or an all-time low. Keep the observation dates next to the claim.
The ASA's savings guidance examines whether higher comparison prices genuinely support an advertised saving. For your own decision, a retailer's crossed-out reference price should stay separate from your recorded baseline. A 40% claim against a reference price may be less relevant than a confirmed £10 improvement on the offer you could actually buy last week.
Sources: ASA: Promotional savings claims
Set a purchase rule before the countdown
Illustrative example, not a current deal: the exact monitor you want is £180 delivered across your recent checked offers. Your target is £155. A sale at £160 misses that target, even if the retailer says it was £240. You can choose to revise your budget, but do so because the purchase now fits your needs, not because the percentage tells you to hurry.
The CMA warns that urgency messages and countdowns can mislead when they do not reflect genuine limits. Treat a timer as something to evaluate rather than evidence of value. Confirm the actual promotion expiry, stock and checkout total. If you have not finished the compatibility check, a countdown does not resolve it.
Keep the budget tied to intended purchases
Allocate a total budget for your shortlist. Add useful bundle extras and confirmed discounts, but show potential cashback separately from today's payment. Extra spending to reach free delivery or a gift threshold is a new decision; compare it with buying only the products you intended.
Use a saved search or price alert where available so you do not need to follow every promotional email. When an alert arrives, recheck the exact selection, seller, condition and delivery for your address. No guide can guarantee that waiting until Black Friday beats today's offer. A suitable confirmed purchase within your target is a defensible decision whenever it appears.
Sources and method
Prepared with AI-assisted desk research and checked against the linked primary sources. Retailer terms can change; read the current terms for your exact order. Read our checking and editorial method.