Don't shop Black Friday until you do these 5 simple things (a shopping editor's advice)

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Black Friday is Nov. 28, 2025.
Simple prep now can help you streamline and save on holiday purchases.
These five tips make Black Friday shopping stress-free.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the way, and soon enough, we'll be dashing through the snow (and plenty of deals). If you are planning on using the month of November to scoop up tech gifts for yourself or someone on your list, there are a few easy things you can do right now -- even a few weeks before the big weekend -- to make your holiday shopping process stress-free and maximize how much you save.

Also: Our favorite Black Friday deals live now

As ZDNET's deals and shopping editor, I've covered every major shopping event, from Prime Day to Cyber Monday, and, of course, Black Friday. I'm also a voracious deal hunter, and I'm always looking to save -- watching for the best offers and seasonal sales events, scouting cash back offers via services like Rakuten, and taking advantage of sneaky ways to apply or stack promo codes. I'm a Gen-Z editor who's been obsessed with saving pennies and dollars since I learned to make change on my Barbie cash register in 2007, so my advice is tried and true.

With a little more than three weeks to go until Thanksgiving and early sales for retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target kicking off as early as Nov. 14, you don't want to wait too long to prep your shopping plans for the holiday season. And since everyone knows that it's time to start making a list (and checking it twice), here are the five things I recommend doing right now to make your holiday shopping season magically easy.

1. Update your payment options

This step is simple and easy. If you plan to shop online for Black Friday, you'll want to double-check that your card information is up to date and accurate. This applies to any retailer-specific accounts where you have a card saved, such as Amazon, Nordstrom, Walmart, and more.

A person using their iPhone's Apple Wallet to tap and pay to enter an NYC subway.

But it also applies to your digital wallets, like Apple and Google Wallet. You'll want to verify your payment options on Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc. Verify your shipping and billing addresses, as well as your card expiration dates. And if you want to add a new card (perhaps one you're exclusively planning to holiday shop with), be sure to do that now, too.

This makes checkout seamless, especially if you shop via mobile devices, and will also have you set for Cyber Monday sales on Dec. 1.

2. Set up a shopping-only email

Creating an email account is typically free. And one of the best ways to clear inbox clutter is to create a dedicated email address exclusively for shopping. I use my "shopping" email as the email address tied to all retailer-specific accounts, accessed via website or app. I also use this email address for any online purchases, especially during the holiday shopping season. I do this for a few reasons. For one, it keeps every holiday purchase in one easy place -- no need to sort through spam and regular mail or create complicated folders -- and it houses every email that follows a purchase. I don't ever need to look for order receipts, confirmation of shipping messages, or tracking information for any gift I purchase during the holiday season.

I also use this tip all year round, which has helped keep all related shopping spam out of that email as well. Notifications of sales, marketing emails, and more should stay out of my personal emails and be directed mainly here. I'm not done, though. The holy grail of my shopping email? Using it to apply for first-time purchase discounts, which ensures any related marketing correspondence also stays out of my important personal or work emails.

Also: Your Gmail just got a useful new tool for tracking online purchases

It's truly beautiful. Marketing messages can't reach me if I don't bother to open the shopping email. So set up a new Gmail account this holiday season. Just do it.

3. Trade in old devices and check/use gift cards

We've all been there. You find a gift card in the crevice of your bag, wallet, desk, or drawer, only to turn it over and discover it is from January ... of 2014. That stops now. The best time to use up your gift cards is during the holidays. If it's for meals or activities, make a plan for how you'd like to spend them in the next couple of weeks or months, depending on when they expire.

You can buy retail gift cards on Google Play now - here's how

If they're retailer gift cards, you'll also want to verify the expiration dates (if any) and prepare them for use. Many physical gift cards can be added to an online account, like at Target or Amazon, and even at places like Sephora. This ties your gifted funds to your account, which typically allows you to easily access them as a form of payment at any point moving forward -- no physical gift card needed. The holiday season is truly a great time for using up these cards. Most of us see slightly more PTO, numerous opportunities for holiday shopping, and more chances to combat the winter chill with activities, meals with friends and family, and more.

Also: Turn your old tech into Amazon gift cards and discounts before Black Friday - here's how

Similarly, if you are hoarding tons of old tech, you could turn it into cash to spend this Black Friday. At Amazon, you can trade in your unused devices for Amazon credit, and get up to 20% off new devices. Credit usually arrives in 10-14 days, though, so if you want to clear some space and gain some credit to spend before Black Friday, you'll want to do that now. Costco also offers a trade-in program on old tech devices, as do other retailers, too. Be sure to check for these types of offers while you shop.

4. Enable a price tracking tool

As a shopping editor, I hear this line all the time: "There's just no good deals anymore." Similarly, the "Black Friday is a scam" one-liner has been popular in the last few years. Here's the actual deal.

Yes, times have changed. We have decided we're too good to queue in line at a brick-and-mortar store at 1 a.m. after stuffing ourselves with turkey and fixings so we could emerge victorious with that toy, game, or appliance of the season at an obscenely reduced price. To this I say, reject modernity, embrace tradition. But I digress.

The fact is that the way we choose to shop has changed, as have the actual sale events themselves. There's more competition than ever, more obscure sales during the year instead of concentrated winter savings events, member-exclusive offers, and more. This doesn't excuse nefarious tactics, such as inflating sticker prices to make discounts appear greater, which have certainly gained popularity in the last decade. However, it does say that there is a greater onus on the consumer than ever before to verify their purchases.

Fortunately, it's easy to do with a price tracking tool. Here are a few to consider:

Keepa: Keep is an Amazon-specific price tracker, particularly one with great Chrome integration. This allows you to view price history without needing to leave the Amazon page you're currently viewing.
CamelCamelCamel: Triple Camel, as I like to call it, is one of the classic price tools. It also is designed for Amazon, and can aid in tracking over 5 million products. All you need to do is paste the Amazon link for any particular product into CamelCamelCamel, and you'll have access to tracked prices.
AisleGopher: AisleGopher works the same way CamelCamelCamel does, but it's focused on Walmart products. Keep in mind that it works best for items specifically sold by Walmart, and not third-party sellers, though.
Google Price Tracker: Google offers native price tracking features itself. There are several ways to access this tool, but the easiest way includes searching for a product via Google Search, then viewing the product card and tapping "Track Price," and then accepting notifications. This allows Google to send you push notifications and emails when the price drops on the particular product you've indicated.

5. Explore cash back services

I've saved myself over $500 thus far using Rakuten's cash-back service, and I'll probably never stop talking about it. So many shoppers dismiss Rakuten or similar services because they seem too good to be true or feel like a scam. Others might think it's a waste of time to receive what's sometimes pennies on the dollar for purchases.

Here's the thing. Money doesn't grow on trees, and in this economy, I'm taking any and every opportunity to keep cash in my pocket. Every purchase you make on Rakuten counts toward a larger cash back return. So yes, sometimes, it's a few cents, sometimes it's much more. But the point is that a majority of the time, if you're purchasing items online anyway, why not try and make back some cash? Cash back efforts via these platforms will never hurt you. Vigilance and consistency are key to success with Rakuten, and don't forget that some of the best return rates of the year happen during the holiday season. Last week, I made $23 in cash back on an Ulta Beauty purchase I was going to buy either way, thanks to a 20% increased cash back rate.

Also: I've used Rakuten for a year and earned nearly $500 - here's how

I highly recommend everyone shop with Rakuten (it's free). You must remember to enable the service or shop through the app, but it's worth it. Bottom line: don't leave any money on the table, even when it's a small percentage of cash back savings. Money is money. You can spend $50 and get nothing back, or $50 and get 5% back. Last I checked, $2.50 more in your pocket is better than $0.

Happy holidays and happy shopping!

Looking for more shopping tips? Check out the 3 money-saving tricks I use every time I shop online - and why you should too. Plus, explore my full Black Friday shopping guide, and find out everything you need to know to save, including sale dates, times, and top offers.

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