Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nancysnutz said 2:19PM on 6-17-2008
No mention of Peapod charging a delivery fee of $6.95 - $9.95 along with a fuel surcharge of $1.68. No savings there!
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Nancy said 1:08PM on 6-25-2008
Peapod has their service fees, but they do the shopping for you, and drop it off at your house.... it's reasonable to have to pay $9.95 or $7.95 when they are doing the shopping for you. The drivers are courteous and friendly, and they do a great job. I use them all of the time.... I can't do my own shopping so it's a lifesaver for me! It's so convenient, their website is so user friendly. It's a great service.
couponclipperextraordinaire said 2:29PM on 6-17-2008
The best free grocery site on the web...http://www.hotcouponworld.com
And for those who think they money can't be saved on organic and natural items, they should check out http://www.organicgrocerydeals.com
I save over $10,000 a year at the store, and most of it's done with the help of my online coupon buddies!
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jane said 2:51PM on 6-17-2008
I agree with PP...www.hotcouponworld.com and www.organicgrocerydeals.com and the best free sites out there.
It has allowed me to feed my family healthy on less than $800 a year!
You can trade for the coupons you want, look up sales ads and plan your trip so easily!
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Julie Parrish said 11:39AM on 6-18-2008
Yep - and you can get great printables there:
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/view.php?pg=couponsdotcom
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/view.php?pg=smartsource
And find links to other coupons that you can print from a variety of sources if you check out the coupon database.
Blake said 6:51PM on 6-17-2008
you can also save money on local restaurants and spas using http://www.cityskoop.com. while they're in New York, LA and San Diego, they also have online shopping sales
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shoptoearn said 4:39PM on 6-17-2008
I have been looking for a way to get groceries online ever since the Publix online deal shutdown! For many other items that you normally get at the grocery store you can get them online and get Cash back. You can use coupons plus there is NO shipping (if you spend a certain amount) and NO SALES TAX. You can take advantage of getting cash back on over 500 stores including Macy's, Target, Walmart, Bestbuy, drugstore.com (this is the one I use for everything from Diapers to formula, shampoo, detergent, cleaners, etc. I get 10% cash back on everything!) and many more. For info visit www.shoptoearn.net/tina. I have actually made over $6000 in just 6 weeks from my shopping and from referring some friends PLUS they have a bunch of Green and Eco-friendly products! IT' brand new and they are looking to become the largest shopping portal on the planet in a few year PLUS they want to be the "Wholefoods" of the internet! It's pretty cool!
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Judge not said 8:52AM on 6-25-2008
Since this post I am now at $7800 by using shoptoearn.net/tina. It is changing my life! I love to save $$$ but I like making it even more so this does BOTH! Check it out! I love that they are also trying to make a difference in the world with the shoptoearth site!
Mauimom said 6:18PM on 6-17-2008
Amazon.com will not ship grocery items to Hawaii. I found several great deals there, but when I got to check-out, discovered their policy.
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Gc said 6:16PM on 6-17-2008
Amazon.com for groceries has expensive merchndise. In addition to not offering any perishable items, their shopping list is very limited. Evn free shipping does not make up for the shortfalls.
Peapod in my neighborhood services Stop & Shop & charges for delivery and adds afuel surcharge. I find their shopping list to be significantly less than comprehensive and their meat is of poor quality. Their is absolutely no customization of orders. What you see is what you get.
I use Super Foodtown which is serviced by webgrocer.com for delivery. Webgrocer is available in many states and services smaller, independent grocers. I NEVER have a problem with them. Although they do charge for delivery, that fee goes down with larger purchases. They will customize anything. Comment boxes are available for this purpose. If you don't see hwat you want, just ask. Most times they can help. They will deliver even in foul weather. They take coupons. As a physically handicapped person, their home delivery is a God-send.
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probelvr2 said 6:32PM on 6-17-2008
Can anyone please tell me a good grocery coupon site where you don't have to fill out 50+ survey questions and sign up for a credit card to get some free coupns? I have tried a few but have always had to go through a bunch fo questions first.
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Julie Parrish said 9:17PM on 6-17-2008
http://www.Hotcouponworld.com - there is nothing to sign up for there. We hate those spammy kinds of sites!
KG said 7:07PM on 6-17-2008
Don't forget about a great coupon site www.afullcup.com that gives you the up to date HOT deals that are found out through out the the week. They also have previews of CVS and Walgreens ads.
Afullcup.com also has a great Target coupon generator that lets you print off tons of coupons with very little paper loss. I just went to Target today and bought $75 worth of items and my final bill was $5.43! Every item had a coupon attached to it!
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Kitty said 7:41PM on 6-17-2008
I agree with KG. www.afullcup.com helps me to save so much money on my groceries! They also match coupons with store sales. I can't believe who much I've saved since I found that site.
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Marcy Volk said 7:54PM on 6-17-2008
Boooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg!! Why don't you tell us something we don't already know.
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Mandie said 8:05PM on 6-17-2008
I love AFullCup.com! It is my one stop shop for all my grocery savings! In addition to store sales, it also has a huge list of printable grocery coupons and a generator for Target and Food Lion. I love the extras it has and the membership is FREE unlike other sites that charge you to get the same great info. I can't say enough good things about afullcup.com!
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Angie said 1:30PM on 6-20-2008
http://www.afullcup.com is the only site i use for all of my coupon needs~~i have a stockpile that's large enough for all my friends to come shop through when they need stuff~~and i paid next to nothing for all of it~~so happy when i save money. I can usually save as much as 90% off of my shopping bill when i use their site with all of their matchups and coupons.
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Wendy P said 4:06PM on 6-20-2008
www.afullcup.com helps me too- we are a family of 5, mom, dad, 2 teen girls and a 2 yo in diapers! All I can say is what a life saver. Besides all the great savings info I get, I haven't paid full price for any of my baby needs, my pantry is stocked for when the girls have friends over, and we are never caught off guard when dd says- "Oh, mom, I need a present for the party I am invited to- it's in 2 hours!" I have found out such great info there, and "met" such great people. this is def. the most friendly board I have ever been on. No bashing, no fighting. Just a great group of people, focused on helping everyone find great deals- check it out for yourself!
http://www.afullcup.com
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Blake said 1:42AM on 6-26-2008
i've been using http://www.Cityskoop.com to find out which stores, airlines and hotels are having sales. Plus, i go to LA and NY frequently, so i find which restaurants and spas are having promotions.
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