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Things I Refuse to Buy at Full Price Because Black Friday Always Delivers
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items Every year I watch people pay full price in October for stuff that drops 40-60% just weeks later — and I used to be one of them. If you're the type who kicks yourself in late November scrolling deals on things you just bought, this list is what I've ...
Sections
11
Big Screen TVs That Crater in Price Every November
Laptops and Computers Worth Holding Out For
Kitchen Appliances That Always Get Slashed
Vacuums and Floor Care You Shouldn't Buy Early
Gaming Consoles and Accessories That Drop Hard
Smart Home Devices at Their Yearly Lowest
Big Screen TVs That Crater in Price Every November
Bought a 65-inch in September once. Saw the same model $300 cheaper on Black Friday. Never again — TVs are the one category where waiting literally always pays off.
Grab this one during the sale window — I paid $228 last Black Friday for a TV that sat at $400 all summer. Perfect if you've been squinting at a 42-inch in your living room and keep putting off the upgrade.
"TCL 65"" 4K UHD HDR Smart Roku TV
Switch to this from whatever ancient TV is flickering in your bedroom. Dropped to $198 last November when it hovered around $340 the rest of the year. Stock moves fast on these so don't sleep on it.
Hisense 58" Class 4K UHD LED LCD Roku Smart TV HDR
Use this if you want the big-screen movie theater feel without refinancing your house. Watched it go from $750 to under $500 last year. My dad grabbed one and won't stop texting me about how sharp football looks.
SAMSUNG 75" Class CU7000 Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV
Snag this for a guest room or kids' playroom — it drops to around $148 on Black Friday and sits near $280 the rest of the year. Solid picture quality for a TV you don't need to baby.
VIZIO 50" Class V-Series 4K UHD LED Smart TV V505-J09
Laptops and Computers Worth Holding Out For
Needed a laptop for my side hustle in August, almost pulled the trigger. Glad I waited — saved $220 on the exact same model three months later.
Pair this with a cheap external monitor and you've got a legit work setup. Dropped from $500 to around $279 last Black Friday. For anyone doing spreadsheets, browsing, and light photo editing — more than enough power.
HP 15.6" FHD Laptop, Intel Core i5-1235U, 8GB
Keep this on your radar if your kid needs something for school that won't make you wince at the price. Goes sub-$100 on Black Friday when it normally sits around $200. Battery lasts forever too.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook Review: Choose Wisely!
Try this if you've been nursing a seven-year-old laptop that takes four minutes to open a browser tab. Saw it drop nearly 45% last November — the before and after in boot-up speed alone is worth the wait.
ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop 15.6" FHD
Toss this in your bag for coffee shop work sessions — weighs almost nothing. Went from $449 to $179 last year which felt like a pricing error. For freelancers and students who move around a lot, it's a no-brainer at that price.
Gateway 14.1" Ultra Slim Notebook
Kitchen Appliances That Always Get Slashed
I used to think small kitchen appliances were already cheap enough to buy whenever. Then I saw a $250 air fryer oven drop to $89 and realized I'd been doing it wrong for years.
Ditch your old single-basket air fryer for this — cooking two things at different temps simultaneously changed weeknight dinners. Drops from $180 to around $99 every Black Friday. Anyone feeding a family of four or more needs the dual baskets.
Ninja Foodi 6-in-1, 8 Quart 2-Basket Air Fryer
Bring this home if you bake even three times a year — the price difference between October and late November is usually $80-$120. Waited two years to buy mine at the right time and it still feels like I got away with something.
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Get this for the person in your life who meal preps on Sundays. Regularly drops below $50 on Black Friday from its usual $90. Made chili in 25 minutes last week and my neighbor thought I'd been cooking all day.
Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-Quart, Electric Pressure Cooker
Swap out your drip machine that takes 12 minutes to brew a pot nobody finishes. Goes from $150 to around $60 every November. My mornings went from groggy chaos to coffee-in-hand in 90 seconds.
Keurig K-Supreme Plus Steel Single-Serve K-Cup Pod
Vacuums and Floor Care You Shouldn't Buy Early
Spent $400 on a robot vacuum in July. My sister bought the same one for $199 on Black Friday and I had to hear about it at every family dinner for months.
Use this if pet hair has declared war on your carpets and your current vacuum just pushes it around. Drops from $200 to $98 range every Black Friday. Two dogs and this thing still pulls up fur I didn't know existed.
Shark, Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum
Snag this for anyone who works long hours and comes home to dusty floors every single day. Price usually crashes from $275 to under $150 in November. Set it before you leave and come home to clean floors — felt like sorcery the first time.
iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum-Wi-Fi Connectivity
Grab the cordless freedom without the cordless price tag — this drops significantly on Black Friday when Dyson rarely discounts any other time. For apartment dwellers tired of wrestling a full-size vacuum through tight hallways.
Dyson V8 Origin Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Try this if you have hardwood floors and you're tired of sweeping then mopping as two separate chores. Vacuums and washes simultaneously. Saved about $120 buying it in November versus the summer price — wish I'd known sooner.
BISSELL CrossWave Turbo Pet Pro Cleaner
Gaming Consoles and Accessories That Drop Hard
Watched my coworker buy a console bundle in October at full price. Three weeks later the same bundle came with two extra games and a second controller for less money. The look on his face still haunts me.
Keep your eye on this if you want to get into current-gen gaming without spending $500. Drops to $199-$249 range with a bundled game on Black Friday. Perfect for someone who plays casually and doesn't need the absolute top-tier specs.
XBOX, All Digital Gaming Console, 512GB SSD, White
Get this for the family member who keeps borrowing yours. Bundle deals on Black Friday usually include a game and carrying case that would cost $60+ separately. Every parent buying one in December at full price — I feel for you.
Nintendo Switch™ w/ Neon Blue & Neon Red Joy-Con™
Snag a spare controller before holiday gaming sessions start — these drop $20-$25 every Black Friday. Bought two last year because I was tired of passing one controller back and forth during co-op nights with my roommate.
PlayStation®5 Warranties
Toss this in your Switch before you run out of storage mid-download again. Went from $110 to $56 last November. For anyone who buys digital games and keeps getting that dreaded ‘not enough space’ notification.
SanDisk, microSDXC Memory Card, 1TB, for Nintendo Switch
Smart Home Devices at Their Yearly Lowest
Paid $50 for an Echo Dot in March. Black Friday rolled around and it was $18. That's when I made a rule — smart home stuff only gets bought in November.
Pair a few of these throughout the house for whole-home music and announcements. They practically give these away on Black Friday — usually $18-$22 versus $50 regular price. For anyone who keeps yelling upstairs that dinner is ready.
2022 Echo Dot 5th Gen Smart Speaker | Charcoal
Use this if you're tired of missing packages because you didn't hear the knock. Drops from $65 to around $30 in November. Installed mine in fifteen minutes and caught a porch pirate on camera within the first week.
Wired Doorbell 2K Newest Model
Grab one for the kitchen — asking for recipe conversions and setting timers hands-free while covered in flour changed everything. Goes sub-$20 on Black Friday. For anyone who prefers Google's ecosystem over Alexa.
Wall Mount for Google Home Mini & Google Nest Mini
Keep tabs on your front porch, garage, or that spot where raccoons keep raiding your trash. Drops to around $16 on Black Friday from $34. Set up three of them last year and the peace of mind alone was worth it.
Wyze Cam Pan v3 Indoor/Outdoor Wired Security Camera
Headphones and Audio Gear Worth the Wait
Bought noise-canceling headphones for a flight in September at full retail. Saw them $100 cheaper eight weeks later and genuinely considered returning them just to rebuy. Lesson learned.
Ditch whatever earbuds keep falling out during your commute. These drop $50-$70 every Black Friday and the noise cancellation turns a loud subway into silence. Waited for the November price and zero regrets.
View Coverage - AppleCare & Warranty
Try these if you work from home and your neighbor's dog barks through every Zoom call. Saved $120 buying on Black Friday versus the summer price. The silence when you flip on noise canceling is almost unsettling the first time.
Sony, Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
Snag these as a backup pair or gym headphones — they drop to $20-$25 range on Black Friday from $50. Sound quality punches way above that price point. For anyone who loses headphones constantly and can't justify spending big.
JBL Tune 510BT - Wireless on-ear headphones
Swap to these if you're an Android user tired of AirPods not playing nice with your phone. Black Friday usually shaves $80-$100 off. Fit my ears perfectly on the first try which has literally never happened with other earbuds.
Samsung Product Warranty Information
Small Kitchen Electrics That Aren't Worth Full Price
These are the appliances that sit at a steady price for ten months then suddenly plummet. Once you see the pattern you can't unsee it — and you'll never buy a blender in July again.
Use this if your smoothies still have chunks because your current blender gave up two years ago. Drops from $100 to $50 range on Black Friday. Threw in frozen mango and ice on day one and it pulverized everything in seconds.
Ninja Professional Plus 72-Oz Blender
Get this for the person who hits the drive-through every morning because making breakfast feels like too much effort. Goes under $15 on Black Friday. Five minutes, one appliance, egg sandwich done — my grocery bill dropped noticeably.
Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Makers
Grab this if you spend 30 minutes hand-chopping vegetables and secretly resent every recipe that says ‘finely dice.’ Saves $40-$60 on Black Friday versus any other month. Meal prep Sunday went from two hours to forty-five minutes.
Cuisinart, Food Processor, 14-Cup, 720 W Motor
Toss this on your counter if you live alone or cook for two — tiny footprint, goes under $20 on Black Friday from its usual $40. Reheated leftover pizza in it once and now the microwave collects dust.
Chefman, Air Fryer, 2 Qt, Digital Display with Shake
Clothing and Cold Weather Gear Deals
November is when winter coats and boots finally drop to reasonable prices right when you actually need them. Bought a puffer jacket at full price in early October once and watched it get cut in half three weeks later.
Wear this when the temperature drops and you refuse to look like a sleeping bag with legs. Goes from $27 to around $13 on Black Friday. Surprisingly warm for the price — wore it through a Chicago December without issues.
Time and Tru Women's Puffer Jacket
Throw this on for everything from weekend errands to backyard bonfires. Drops under $15 on Black Friday when it normally sits near $28. The sherpa lining is thick enough that some days I skip a coat entirely.
George Men's Fleece Lined Flannel Shirt Jacket
Bring home a couple pairs — at Black Friday prices they're basically the cost of a coffee each. Lived in these all last winter while working from home. For anyone whose jeans come off the second they walk through the door.
Athletic Works Men's and Big Men's Fleece Jogger
Snag these before the cold floors hit — went from $25 to $12 last Black Friday. My feet used to freeze on tile every morning until these became my permanent indoor shoes. Real suede at that price point felt ridiculous.
Dearfoams Women's Harriet Genuine Suede Moccasin
Toys and Gifts You'll Kick Yourself for Buying Early
Parents who buy toys in September thinking they're being smart — I was you. Then I saw the same LEGO set $30 cheaper on Black Friday and vowed to never panic-buy early again.
Get this for any kid who's into building — the Black Friday price usually drops $15-$25 below what you'd pay in October. Bought one for my nephew last year and he was occupied for an entire Saturday. An entire Saturday. Worth every penny.
LEGO City Police Station 60316
Snag this before it sells out — Dreamhouses drop significantly on Black Friday but they go fast. My daughter's face when she opened this on Christmas morning made the strategic waiting completely worth it. Saved over $40.
Customer reviews for Barbie Dreamhouse Pool Party Doll
Use this if you need a gift that keeps a kid busy for hours without screens. Drops from $90 to around $50 on Black Friday. The parking structure holds like 100 cars — my living room floor has never been cleaner since we got one.
Hot Wheels City Ultimate Garage Playset with 2 Die-Cast
Pair this with a console deal and you've got Christmas handled. Goes from $60 to $35-$40 range in November. For any household where someone always suggests 'let's play something together' — this is the answer every time.
Nintendo Switch – OLED Model Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle
Home and Bedding That Plummets in November
Sheets, comforters, towels — all that stuff stores price high because people buy it year-round without thinking. Black Friday is when the markup finally comes down to earth and you can actually stock up without wincing.
Swap out that flat, lumpy comforter you've had since college. This drops under $20 on Black Friday for a queen set — comforter, sheets, shams, the whole deal. Washed mine a dozen times and it still looks full and fluffy.
Mainstays Reversible Comforter and Sheet Set
Try these if you keep buying cheap sheets that pill after two washes. Usually $25 but drops to $12-$15 on Black Friday. Slept on 300-thread-count for the first time and immediately understood what I'd been missing.
Better Homes & Gardens 4-Piece 300 Thread Count Cotton
Get this before the first cold snap — I waited too long one year and they sold out everywhere. Drops from $50 to around $25 on Black Friday. Turned my thermostat down three degrees all winter and my heating bill thanked me.
Beautyrest Plush Electric Blanket Throw for Cold Weather
Toss your threadbare towels that stopped absorbing water two years ago. This six-pack drops to $10-$12 on Black Friday. Bought a set for my guest bathroom and visitors actually commented on how soft they were — for twelve dollars.
Mainstays Performance 6-Piece Bath Towel Set