Thanksgiving is almost here and you know what that means… It’s time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday! This guide has all the tips and tricks to make your shopping a success.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday or dare we call it, Black November? This is the time of the year when you shop-til-you-drop trying to score the best and biggest deals on 4K TVs, gaming systems, tablets and more.

Most of November is a teaser of what’s to come for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But, for a lot of people, trying to shop during this time can be overwhelming and stressful, to say the least.

Before you hit the pavement on November 25th for Black Friday deals, check out our shopping guide so that you can avoid any pitfalls that come your way.

1. Do Your Homework

Don’t think you’re going to come away with some great deals on Black Friday without preparing. Only rookies do that.

Instead, take the time starting weeks before the big event to do your homework. For starters, go to an Amazon Price Tracker site to be alerted about Amazon price changes and drops.

You can also check out Price Tracker from Slickdeals. Just put in the product URL, and Slickdeals will email you when the price of that item changes.

2. Start Early

Don’t get hyped with the hoopla for Black Friday. A lot of brands, including Amazon, have Black Friday deals all week long.

For the entire Black Friday week – and even in the whole month of November – you can find deals at Amazon every day. You may end up saving 45% instead of 50% when compared to buying something on the actual Black Friday day, but that’s still a pretty good savings, isn’t it?

This is also a great way to monitor the deals leading up to Black Friday. You can then see if the Black Friday deal is worth it or if maybe Cyber Monday may have better deals.

In any case, if you do most of your shopping before Black Friday, you can beat the traffic and long lines.

3. Try to Avoid Stores

It’s become apparent that online shopping is more popular than in-store shopping. People like the comfort of shopping on their mobile or laptop and the convenience it gives you when you can shop at all hours of the day.

But, it might be a good idea to skip the drive to the strip mall on Black Friday and save your shopping for Cyber Monday.

Traditionally, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving. It was created for the ecommerce industry and is a way to promote sales for online retailers.

From big brands to solopreneurs using this day to promote their product, this is a stress-free way to shop-til-you-drop!

And if that doesn’t convince you, online shopping might save you from being ripped off. How?

Retail stores usually offer enticing “doorbuster” deals, but most likely you’ll have to camp out in front of the store – eating your Thanksgiving dinner – to see those deals. And, the deals you see may not even be that great since a lot of retailers put their best deals online!

Go figure. So skip the stores and go online.

4. Make a List

Another rookie mistake is going into Black Friday without knowing what you want to buy.

People often use this day to do all their Christmas shopping for their families and friends.

But, if you don’t have a clue what you’re going to buy, don’t think you’ll have time to peruse the shopping aisles trying to find something for your geeky brother. Most likely, the shelves will be messy and the best electronics, toys and knick knacks will be picked over.

Instead, take some time before Black Friday and Cyber Monday to make a list. Look through the flyers of the current deals and use that to take notes of what you hope to buy.

This is also a good time to research the electronics you want. And if you have our SURE Universal remote, you’ll want to make sure you can sync your remote to the electronic device – don’t worry, we support thousands of devices.

5. Stick to a Budget

I know this can be hard when you’re faced with a lot of awesome deals, but if you make a list, stick to it.

Decide before you go in the stores or search online how much you want to spend. Resist the urge to spend more, no matter how great the deal is.

If you think using a credit card makes it too easy to blow your budget, then use cash during Black Friday.

You’ll thank yourself once the holidays are over that you didn’t overspend on gifts.

Relax When It’s All Said and Done

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fun and exciting times for many people. But, it can also be stressful and overwhelming.

After a long day shopping, kick back with your SURE Universal remote app and watch your favorite Netflix show. Be happy that your shopping is finally over!

Over to you – what’s your plan for Black Friday shopping?