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I Tried Black Friday at Walmart Without Camping Out and Still Scored Big
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items You know that sinking feeling when you roll up at noon on Black Friday and the parking lot looks like a disaster movie? I was that person last year, pajamas still on under my coat, zero strategy. Turns out you don't need to lose sleep or your sanity ...
Sections
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Living Room Electronics That Actually Went on Sale
Kitchen Appliances I Grabbed While Everyone Fought Over TVs
Home and Bedding Deals That Were Still There at 2 PM
Toys and Gifts I Picked Up Without a Battle Plan
Personal Care Gifts That Don't Feel Like Afterthoughts
Fitness and Outdoor Gear Nobody Was Fighting Over
Living Room Electronics That Actually Went on Sale
I always assumed the good TV deals were gone by 6 AM. Walked in after lunch and three of these were still sitting on the shelf. My old TV had a green tint for two years and I just lived with it like a fool.
Grab this if your current TV makes everything look like it was filmed in 2008. I set it up in 40 minutes and my dad called to ask if I got a projector. Still can't believe the price I paid walking in late.
TCL, 55” Class S4 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Roku TV
Toss your old streaming stick if it buffers every time someone else uses the WiFi. Plugged this in and it loaded apps faster than my phone. Perfect for anyone whose smart TV isn't actually that smart.
Roku Express 4K Streaming Player, HD/4K/HDR ...
Use this to stop cupping your hand behind your ear during dialogue scenes. My apartment walls are thin so I was nervous about the sub, but it fills the room without making my neighbor hate me.
onn 20 in Bluetooth 2.1 Channel Soundbar with Multi-Color
Stick these behind your TV and suddenly your living room looks like it belongs on the internet. I put them up during halftime on Thanksgiving and got three compliments before dessert. They're always in stock even late in the day.
Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights 16.4ft with Covers,Smart
Snag this for a bedroom or guest room where you don't need anything fancy. My spare room had no TV for a year because I kept waiting for a deal. This was the deal and I didn't even have to fight anyone for it.
onn, 32 in Class 720p HD Smart TV, VIZIO OS, 32S2V1
Kitchen Appliances I Grabbed While Everyone Fought Over TVs
While the crowd was elbowing each other in electronics, the kitchen aisle was practically empty. I walked out with three boxes and zero bruises. My old blender literally smelled like burning when I used it.
Ditch whatever sad blender is currently leaking from the bottom of your counter. This one crushed frozen strawberries like they personally offended it. For anyone who meal preps smoothies and is tired of chunky ice surprises.
NINJA 72 oz. Professional Blender, 3 Speed
Keep this on your counter if you get home at 6 PM and want dinner by 6:30. I made pulled pork on a Tuesday like some kind of wizard. Wish I'd bought it three Black Fridays ago instead of that waffle maker I used once.
Customer reviews for Instant Pot, 6-Quart Duo Electric
Swap out your drip machine if you're the only coffee drinker in the house and you're tired of brewing a whole pot for one cup. Heats up fast enough that I can start it after my alarm and it's ready before I find matching socks.
Keurig K-Express Essentials Single Serve Coffee Maker
Try this if you want a grilled chicken sandwich in February without standing outside in the cold pretending you enjoy it. Cleanup took me maybe four minutes. Great for apartment dwellers who can't have a real grill.
Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
Throw everything in before work and come home to something that smells like you actually tried. I brought chili to a potluck made entirely in this and someone asked for the recipe like I was a chef. I am not a chef.
Crock-Pot Manual 7-Quart Slow Cooker, Mussel Grey
Home and Bedding Deals That Were Still There at 2 PM
Nobody thinks about sheets on Black Friday and that's exactly why the deals sit there all day. I replaced bedding I'd had since college and honestly felt embarrassed it took me this long.
Get this if your current comforter has that sad, flat look where all the filling migrated to one corner. Washed it twice and it still looks full. For anyone who keeps meaning to upgrade their bed but never pulls the trigger.
Mainstays 7 Piece Reversible Bed in a Bag Comforter Set
Swap your scratchy sheets for these and you'll wonder why you waited. I put them on the bed straight out of the dryer and my partner actually said the bed looked like a hotel. That has never happened before.
Better Homes & Gardens 4-Piece 400 Thread Count Cotton
Use this if you wake up punching your pillow into shape every morning. I'm a side sleeper and my neck stopped hurting after about three nights. Grabbed two because I knew I'd regret only getting one.
Serta Gel Memory Foam Cluster Pillows, Set of 2
Bring this to the couch and prepare to never move again. It's the blanket equivalent of sweatpants. Perfect for the person in your house who's always stealing everyone else's blanket during movie night.
Mainstays Extra Plush Lightweight Sherpa Throw Blanket
Pair this with a couple of wax melts and your living room goes from smelling like last night's dinner to smelling like a candle shop. Way cheaper than buying candles every month and it was fully stocked when I grabbed it after noon.
Better Homes & Gardens Ribbed Wax Warmer Starter Kit
Toys and Gifts I Picked Up Without a Battle Plan
I expected the toy aisle to be a warzone but half the good stuff was still on shelves because everyone was fighting over electronics. Knocked out gifts for three kids in one pass.
Grab this for any kid between 4 and 12 who doesn't need another screen. My nephew played with it for five hours straight on Christmas morning. Five. Hours. No charging required, no app updates, just bricks and chaos.
LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box 10698 ...
Snag this before someone's parent grabs the last one in a panic on December 23rd. I got it on Black Friday afternoon with zero drama. The kid I gave it to screamed so loud the dog left the room.
Customer reviews for Barbie DreamHouse Playset with 10
Try this for the kid who already has 200 loose Hot Wheels cars scattered across your floor like tiny landmines. Finally gives them a place to put everything. I stepped on fewer cars within 24 hours of gifting this.
Hot Wheels HW Ultimate Garage Playset with 2 Toy Cars
Get this if you need a gift for a younger kid and you want them occupied for more than 11 minutes. Fair warning, you will find dried Play-Doh in weird places for months. Worth it for the quiet though.
Play-Doh ultimate ice cream
Pair this with any Switch owner's setup and they'll actually use it. My cousin cracked his screen traveling without a case and I wasn't about to let that happen to my kid. Slim enough to toss in a backpack without thinking about it.
Nintendo Switch Carrying Case & Screen Protector - Switch
Personal Care Gifts That Don't Feel Like Afterthoughts
I used to grab random gift sets at the register and hope for the best. Started actually picking things people would use, and suddenly I became the good gift giver in the family. It's not hard, it just takes five minutes of thought.
Switch to this if you've been using the same manual toothbrush technique since middle school. I gave one to my brother as a joke gift and he texted me a month later saying his dentist noticed a difference. Not joking.
Oral-B, Toothbrush, Pro 1000, Rechargeable Electric White
Keep a tub of this anywhere your skin dries out, which in winter is everywhere. I cracked open my first jar three Novembers ago and haven't gone a day without it. For anyone whose hands look 30 years older than their face.
Moisturizing Cream
Use this if blowouts at the salon are eating your budget but air drying makes your hair look defeated. My sister asked for nothing else for Christmas. She uses it four mornings a week and her routine dropped by 20 minutes.
Revlon One-Step Volumizer and Hair Dryer Brush, Black
Toss this in a stocking for someone who refuses to upgrade their own toothbrush but secretly wants to. Four brush heads in the box means you don't have to buy replacements for a while. My gums stopped bleeding in about two weeks.
AquaSonic Black Series Ultra Whitening Toothbrush
Bring this into the shower when your winter skin feels like sandpaper and watch it work in one use. I gave three jars as gifts last year and every single person told me they bought more. Smells like vacation, costs like nothing.
Equate Shea Sugar Scrub, Tropical Mango, 18 oz
Fitness and Outdoor Gear Nobody Was Fighting Over
The sporting goods section on Black Friday is basically a ghost town because everyone's in electronics. Walked right up to the shelf, grabbed what I wanted, and left. No lines, no stress, no adrenaline.
Swap your old water bottle for this if you're tired of lukewarm coffee by 9 AM. Kept my water cold through an entire 8-hour shift and I accidentally left it in my car overnight without it leaking. Hard to beat for the price.
Ozark Trail 32 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler, Black
Get these if your New Year's resolution involves working out at home but you keep putting off buying weights. I started with 5-pounders and actually stuck with it because they were right there in my living room. No gym commute needed.
CAP Barbell 32 lb Neoprene Dumbbell Set with Rack, Black
Bring this to any outdoor event where you'll regret not having shade. Set it up at a tailgate in about three minutes and suddenly I was the most popular person in the parking lot. Folds down small enough for my trunk.
Canopy Top for Ozark Trail Coleman First Up 10 x 10 Straight Leg Instant Canopy Replacement Parts Tent
Try this if you keep saying you'll start stretching but you're doing it on carpet like some kind of animal. Thick enough that my knees don't hurt during planks. I paid so little for it that I bought a second one for my office.
Athletic Works Yoga and Fitness Mat
Snag this before camping season if your current tent leaks or takes 45 minutes to set up. I put this one up in my backyard to test it and my kids slept in it that night. Packs down easier than I expected.
Ozark Trail 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent, 10 ft x 9 ...
Stocking Stuffers and Small Wins Under $20
These are the things I threw in my cart on the way to checkout that ended up being everyone's favorite gifts. Sometimes the cheap stuff hits harder than the big box under the tree.
Grab this for anyone who commutes with coffee and has stained their car seat at least once. One-handed operation means you can drink and drive, legally. I've dropped mine twice and it just bounced.
Classic trigger travel mug 500ml 500ml/16oz Emerald
Keep one of these in your bag and stop being the person asking strangers at the airport if they have a charger. Charged my phone almost three times on one charge. Fits in a stocking perfectly.
Anker, Power Bank, 10000mAh, USB-C Fast Charging, Black
Toss these in a stocking and watch a grown adult get genuinely excited about socks. I replaced every mismatched sock I owned in one shot. For anyone whose sock drawer looks like a lost and found bin.
Fruit of the Loom Dual Defense Men's Crew Socks, 12 Pack
Swap out your old bulbs before your electric bill makes you cry in January. I changed every bulb in my apartment in one afternoon and my bill dropped enough to notice. Not glamorous, but useful beats dusty.
EcoSmart A19 LED Light Bulb 60W Equivalent ...
Get a pack now so you're not scrambling Christmas morning when every new toy needs batteries. I learned this lesson the hard way watching my kid stare at a toy robot that wouldn't turn on. Never again.
Energizer MAX AA Batteries (24 Pack), Double A Alkaline