Five years ago, the term Black Friday barely existed in Ireland. It was a foreign US concept that we knew had something to do with Thanksgiving. In 2014, however, the trend travelled across the water and really kicked off in Ireland.

Last year, over €100m was spent in Ireland on Black Friday alone, a serious surge for retailers compared to any other single shopping day in the run-up to Christmas. Black Friday does offer some seriously good deals though, and we have listed quite a few below. However, before you start swiping the credit card, remember a discount is only a deal if you need it.

1 Make a List. Santa may be making a list and checking it twice, so, when it comes to Black Friday sales, you need to do the same. Make out a clear budget for your Christmas spending and stick to it. The benefit of Black Friday really comes into its own when you find the product you want at a reduced price. So, for example, if you are planning on spending €50 on jewellery for your mother and you find the product you like for €40, you’re saving €10 and she is still getting a quality present. Without a list and a budget, you could end up in financial hot water before December even begins.

2 Prioritise Spending. Once your list is made, do some research to see who is running Black Friday deals and who isn’t. Then prioritise your spending. So, for example, if you have €100 to spend this week and another €100 to spend next week, make sure you are prioritising the products on offer now.

3 Is it really a deal? Speaking of research, try and do some shopping around before you hit the shops to ensure that the item with the big ‘sale’ sign is really a good discount. Another retailer might not be running an obvious Black Friday sale but perhaps they have it at a better price. Also, some of the discounts can be a bit misleading. The recommended retail price (RRP) for a television might be €450 but it is advertised as €350. That doesn’t mean that the company was selling it at €450 last week or that it will be going back up to that price next week.

Ask some questions about the real value of your purchase. Also, look at the spec of the model. Deals created for Black Friday tend to have fewer features and reduced specs.

4 You Can’t Put a Price on Customer Service. We all love a good deal but you can’t put a price on customer service, especially when buying expensive electrical items. What happens if you can’t figure out how to work the TV? How long is the delivery waiting time, and what is your guarantee?

These are all important questions and going with a trusted company that you have had a good experience with in the past could be worth far more to you than a €50 saving with a retailer who isn’t quite as reputable.

5 Shopping Abroad. That’s not to say that we aren’t attracted by companies overseas and you may find that you can get a unique product abroad or for a better price. If you are shopping within the EU, you are protected under the Consumer Rights Directive. However, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is advising consumers that when shopping outside of these areas, you do not have the same level of protection, so check the website’s physical address to see where it is based. If it’s outside the EU, read the terms and conditions carefully and check what their returns policy is.

6 Look at Smaller Retailers. In fact, some of these trusted companies may be closer than you think. We may be influenced by the big brands who have the big budgets to grab your attention but don’t forget that smaller, independent retailers are also getting in on the Black Friday promotions.

As well as getting a good deal, you could be supporting an Irish business in a rural area that is intrinsic in the community. If you find the product you want at a good price, then it’s a good deal for everybody.

7 Deliveries from Overseas. There are some very reliable websites outside of the EU that are perfectly safe to shop on. However, they may not deliver to Ireland. An Post has launched a new online service called AddressPal (addresspal.ie,) which allows you to avail of a proxy address for the delivery of online shopping from the UK, US and beyond, enabling purchases from websites that don’t typically deliver to Ireland. Be aware though that you will have to pay customs. If you don’t declare it, you will be slapped with 23% and an additional €10 charge. All these costs need to be considered. CL

Top Tips

• Pay in cash. It’s easier

to budget and to really see

how much you are spending

when handing over real

money rather than swiping plastic

• If paying online though, pay

by credit card as you will

have more consumer

protection

>> Great deals

We’ve done some of the research for you by sourcing some great Black Friday deals

  • • It’s not just about getting the best deal for Christmas presents. Now could be the time to upgrade appliances. Dwyers Electrical in Cork will have 10% off all Whirlpool products.
  • • Irish award-winning jewellery designer Mairead De Bláca has 40% off all items on her website www.maireaddeblacajewellery.comwhen using the code Blackfriday
  • • Tesco Mobile is running a 14-day sale with discounts across their phone brands, including the Apple iPhone 5S from €49.99 for bill paying customers, a saving of €100, while customers on the €30 plan can get an Apple iPhone 7 32GB for €179.99, saving €250.
  • • The Nespresso U Cream coffee maker is usually €149 but you’ll get it for €69.99 when you buy 100 coffee capsules on www.nespresso.com
  • • Harvey Norman has up to 50% off recliner sofas and dining tables, while mattresses start from €49
  • • Michael Murphy Home furnishings is running a Black Friday sale until Saturday. One of our favourites is the Alexa 2.5-seater electric recliner. The RRP is €3,099, it was selling for €1899 but is €1,149 for Black Friday
  • • Portwest will be offering at least 25% off everything in their Galway, Westport and Killarney stores all weekend.

    • >> Consumer news

    Seamless to Seattle

    Dreaming about holidays for next year already? If so, a new destination to consider is Seattle as Aer Lingus recently announced that it is adding this direct route in May 2018, operating four times weekly. This is the first ever direct service from Ireland to Seattle. In just over nine hours, you could be sipping coffee and enjoying their famous café culture or listening to the sounds of the city, home to musical heroes such as Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam and Nirvana.

    Since joining IAG in 2015, Aer Lingus has launched six new direct transatlantic services to Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford, Miami, Philadelphia and now Seattle, marking the largest ever transatlantic expansion in the airline’s history.

    Fares to Seattle start from €259 each-way, including taxes and charges, when booked as a return trip.

    Maximise your savings this Christmas

    Christmas is one of the most expensive times of the year and monthly household expenditure increases by almost 40% during December to over €2,500. An Post now has a smart current account, which comes with some notable discounts when you are out shopping. This includes earning between 5% to 10% cashback from a range of retail partners where a large proportion of the household budget is spent.

    Lidl, SSE Airtricity, Intersport Elverys, Kennys.ie bookstore and Oxendales are all participating retailers. A few of the current opportunities to earn from MoneyBack include 5% back on all Lidl transactions of €25 and above and 10% back on total bill costs with SSE Airtricity MoneyBack.

    The way it works is that An Post keeps track of money spent at participating retailers and will make a MoneyBack payment into users’ accounts the following month. There is no limit on how much account holders can earn, as long as consumers meet the minimum spend thresholds which apply.