By: Nick Gambino
While there are those that look at Thanksgiving as a grand feast they can share with family and friends while they reflect on those things they are grateful for, there are some that merely consider the holiday dinner a fueling station as they top off their energy tank before they set out into the madness that is Black Friday
To be truly prepared for Black Friday and (the much more convenient) Cyber Monday you should know where the best deals are that match your Christmas list or, in some cases, your personal wish list.
Pretty much every retail store is going to promote Black Friday deals but we know from years past these “deals” are little more than gimmicks to get you in the store and offer little to no actual savings.
We’re here to help you out with a list of a few items and locations with major discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make sure to check out individual websites as some of these deals are a month-long affair.
Best Buy
Apple products are going to be flying off the shelves this holiday season and if you’re looking for a great deal on a MacBook Air then Best Buy is your…Best Bet. They are chopping $200 off the price of the 13.3-inch MacBook Air bringing it down to a low $800.
Several tablets are getting decent discounted prices as well, including $30 off the 16 GB 8-inch Amazon Fire and $17 off the 7-inch. For the Microsoft Surface Pro fans they are offering the 12.3-inch tablet for $600 which is a savings of $400!
Right now with the trade-in of a working smartphone and the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge with a monthly installment plan you’ll receive $450 in gift cards for Best Buy. If you wait for Black Friday you’ll receive a $250 gift card and a free Samsung Gear VR when you buy a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge.
Target
Target is offering some good deals. When you purchase the 128 GB iPad they’ll cut the price to $450 saving you $150.
Buy the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus on a 24-month installment and they’ll throw in a $250 gift card for Target.
For the headphone junkie out there they’re slashing Beats By Dre 2 wireless headphones from $300 to $120.
Sears
There are plenty of TVs on sale at your local Sears or online over the holidays. The Samsung 40-inch Smart LED TV for instance dropped from $400 to $250.
There are hundreds of discounts on other electronics including the 16 GB iPad Air which is dropping from $364.89 to $209.
Walmart
Yes, Walmart. They’ve got plenty of deals on 4K and other smart TVs as well as other tech products like Roku and Fitbit but this is also the place to go for gaming consoles. Gaming systems are always a big buy over the holiday so you want to keep your eye open for the deals.
Walmart is selling a PS4 Uncharted 4 500 GB bundle for $249 and will throw in a $30 gift card to sweeten the pot.
If you’re more of an Xbox guy or lady, the Xbox One S Battlefield bundle is also going for $249 (sorry no gift card).
Additionally they’re offering some sweet deals on games and controllers.
Amazon
Amazon, because of course this list wouldn’t be complete without mention of the most convenient one-stop shop.
Just like in years past Amazon is offering Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals throughout the month and all the way up until December 22nd.
Obviously a lot of their best deals are on their own products like the Echo which is being sold for $139, a savings of $40.
The Amazon Tap is $40 off, the Kindle – $30 off and the Amazon Fire TV – $25 off. But there are other deals as well like the quality Sennheiser HD 598 Cs Closed Back headphones selling for $99.95 instead of the usual $199.95 and the 3rd Generation Nest Thermostat for $199 instead of $249.
BONUS
HTC Vive
Still haven’t jumped on the VR wagon yet? Are you feeling a little left out? Well, now’s the time to change all that. As I pointed out above, Best Buy has a sweet deal with the Samsung Gear VR but if you’re not a Samsung mobile user then you should check out one of its main competitors – The HTC Vive.
HTC is slashing $100 off the price of their VR headset on Black Friday and Cyber Monday bringing it down to $699.
So that should get you started though it’s not a complete list by far. Do your research based off the items you’re looking for and take advantage of some of the great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Good luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Gambino is a regular script writer and tech beat reporter for NewsWatch. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter.
