Tips on how to shop on a budget this Black Friday

Question: I’ve had a tough year financially and I’m a bit nervous about my Christmas budget. I want to get my family some lovely gifts but I don’t know how I am going to cover everything; it is really stressing me out.

I also keep seeing these Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers. Are these all just a gimmicky way of convincing me to part with my hard-earned cash or are there any genuine bargains to be had? I’ve also heard of loads of people being scammed this year, are some of the deals too good to be true?

Answer: Christmas is a time that can bring a lot of financial pressure. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement so before you spend a penny, start a budget.

Figure out your own finances first, so you know exactly how much you can spend – without putting yourself into unnecessary debt. And then plan your list accordingly.

If you’re looking at your finances and things are just too tight, think about having a chat with your family, explaining the situation, and asking if they might prefer to do a Secret Santa Christmas this year. They may also be relieved to have less financial stress.

Once your budget is set, stick to it. Prioritise must-have items over deals that seem too good to pass up but are not essential.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday do offer shoppers a chance to make significant savings on everything from electronics and fashion to home essentials but a common sense approach is always necessary. Stick to the retailers that you are familiar with and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Shopping rights were strengthened by the Consumer Rights Act 2022 (CRA) which details that when buying in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales at a reduced price, you have exactly the same rights and protections as you do if you buy at full price any other time of the year.

To get the best deals, it is worth looking at the following.

Do your homework

Plan ahead, comparing prices, and check out local stores to make sure you actually are getting the best deal. Websites like shopmania.ie show comparisons with other retailers.

Being organised also means signing up for early notifications – many stores release discounts to subscribers before they go public.

Some retailers launch flash sales online throughout the day on Cyber Monday, offering limited-time deals on popular items. Enabling push notifications on shopping apps or bookmarking retailer pages can help you catch these time-sensitive offers.

Check the address

If shopping online, make sure you are buying from a reputable retailer. To do this, you may need to do a bit of investigating. Just because a website has a ‘.ie’ address does not mean it is an Irish registered business. You should also check that the website lists contact information, including a contact email address, phone number and address.

Reputable and legitimate companies will always list ways to get in touch with them, so if the website doesn’t have a ‘contact us’ page, it could well be fraudulent. In general though, if it is a big retailer, where you know you can go in-store and return a purchase if necessary, that is a good indicator.

Delivery details

When shopping online, retailers must deliver your package within 30 days of your order. The morning this newspaper hits the shelves (Thursday, 21 November) there are 32 days to Christmas Eve which means it has just about enough time to arrive or you are entitled to a full refund. Also, if a company commits to delivery within a certain time period, ie seven days, it must stick to that. Otherwise, you can get your money back.

However, this is only if you shop in the EU. Outside the EU, retailers can set their own terms and conditions and consumers have very little protection.

Check your returns

If you buy anything online, you have 14 days to get a refund after it is delivered, even if you bought it in the sales. So when your package arrives, inspect it to ensure it’s what you want.

If you are shopping in-store, retailers do not have any legal obligation to offer you a refund as you can inspect the item before purchasing. Although many offer a refund up to 28 days, it is worth checking their policy before you purchase. For sale items, it’s essential to know the return policy.