I'm a professional Black Friday shopper, these are my 7 top hacks to bag the best deals and save money

Steffie Price, is a 30-year-old influencer, deal-hunter and Black Friday expert living in New York.

I grew up in the golden era of Black Fridays, going to the mall at midnight with my parents to queue outside of my favorite stores.

A lot has changed.

Everything is now online and the days of shoppers being trampled in Walmart are hopefully behind us. But my enthusiasm for the bargain holiday has remained undimmed.

And, over the past two decades, I have perfected the art of Black Friday, and I’m here share my tricks and tips to help others find the best buys too.

1. Be patient

Black Friday sales start earlier and earlier each year.

Brands are trying to maximize their earnings, and one can easily get sucked in to the 15 or 20 percent off banners that start popping up in the weeks and days ahead of the big day.

But those early discounts are a trap. The best deals are always going to be released on the day itself or Cyber Monday (December 2).

I consistently see discounts jumping up by a further five to 15 percent on Black Friday. So, as a rule, and unless you're worried something will sell out: wait.

If you’re really on the ball, you can put all the items you want into a basket and then regularly check for the discounts to go up. When they do, you're ready to hit ‘buy now’.

2. Cut out the middleman

Most of the time, best practice will be to shop directly from a brand, as opposed to via a department store (though see my next tip for an exception to that rule).

Say you like a beauty brand that is carried by Bloomingdale's, you're probably going to find a better deal going directly to the brand's website, because it’s direct to consumer and you cut out any middleman fees.

The only thing to remember is to check the shipping costs. Most brands offer free shipping these days but occasionally smaller shops don’t.

If you know the exact product you want, use ‘Google Shopping’ to compare prices and then go for the cheapest one – as long as it’s from a reputable website! Reviews or ‘Trustpilot’ are a good resource for checking if a site is legitimate.

3. My secret weapon: price-matching

This is one of my favorite tips if you’re shopping at Nordstrom, because the department store promises to price match its goods.

For example, if Nordstrom carries a brand that’s also having a Black Friday sale on its own site, and their discount is better, you can go to Nordstrom’s ‘customer chat’ feature and request a price match.

Say something like: ‘I'm a loyal Nordstrom customer, can you please price match this?’

4. Sign up to stay ahead

I sign up for text notifications from all my favorite brands. That way, I get real-time notifications whenever they raise discounts or offer special add-ons like a free gift with purchase.

It means I don’t have to waste time constantly checking their Instagram accounts or websites.

Some brands also offer additional discounts when you sign up for their text notifications or mailing lists.

5. Set a strict budget

It’s easy to get sucked into the Black Friday madness, buying each shiny thing that crosses your screen.

But it’s equally easy to wake up the next day with a overwhelming feeling of buyer’s remorse, and a stream of packages on their way that will end up straight in the returns pile.

Planning ahead is key to avoiding disappointment.

Make a list of all things that you want, while also making sure to set a strict budget so that you don’t go overboard 

Rank your desired items from ‘most essential’ to least. As you work your way down the list, update your total spend. Once you reach your maximum budget, force yourself to stop – no exceptions.

6. It pays to use credit – and to shop online

If possible, it is best to use credit cards that offer cash-back rewards – especially if you’re spending a lot of money.

I would also say that an online experience is always less stressful.

Websites have access to a brand’s entire warehouse stock, so you can see the full range of sizes and colours of items available.

Still, I will do a spot of in-person shopping on the day – largely for tradition’s sake – but I won’t go crazy. Stores can get chaotic, so I certainly won’t bother trying things on – the changing room queues get hellish!

Remember: you can always return items unless they are marked otherwise. Check with a staff member if you’re unsure.

7. Bonus tip…

Now is the best time to buy gift sets: they’re already bundled at a lower price, so you can score high-value products at a fraction of the true cost.

Happy shopping!