We have all done it, walked by a store and notice a sale sign and just have to look (and shop) but are they all really good deals?  We have some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Black Friday shopping if you choose not to cross the border.

Research: We have all seen the signs that say 70% off but when you look more closely, the “regular” price is inflated to a never seen price.  Make a list of items you want to buy and their usual sale prices.

Store rely on the fact that once in the store, you are likely to buy and capitalize on that.  You will often find that clearance items are back up to close to regular prices with an additional percentage off, making them the same price they were reduced to previously.

Have some back up choices too.  While you may have a specific item in mind, if it sells out before you get to the store, know what item or brand you want to replace it with if you are not willing to wait for another sale.  Check what other stores nearby will have it for a similar price.  Remember that many stores will not price-match a Black Friday deal.

Plan: With some stores offering shopping online as early and various opening times on Black Friday, plan where you will go first to make the most of door crasher sales that are often the best deals.  Decide if those prices are worth the wait time and potentially missing out on other sales (and if they are worth setting that early alarm for on your day off).  We get a little luckier than our US counterparts as some sales will start earlier on Thursday here since it is not a holiday.

Set a budget! Door-crashers and unadvertised sales plus random items you just have to have can be tempting, know how much you want to spend.  Buyers remorse is no fun and Black Friday is pointless if you overspend.

Where to shop? Heading across the border may get you better deals but the line up at border crossings may be long and customs is happy to take your money when you come back, factor in the duty when considering prices.

Some stores will offer coupons as will some malls.  Make sure you print or save them ahead of time as data can be spotty when deep in the mall and you don’t want a huge line of angry shoppers behind you while you try and download a coupon.  Some malls will also be trying out their special personalized offers when you visit a store if you connect to their app and allow location access this year.

Keep your receipts. We have all come home and wondered what happened to that receipt, make sure you keep them, especially for big ticket items.  I usually stick an envelope in my purse and put them all in that rather than my wallet so I don’t risk losing them when I pull cash out.  You may need the receipt for a return on a faulty item or for proof of purchase for warranty.

Be comfy & prepared: Let’s face it, shopping during big sale events can be stressful.  Parking is a nightmare and it is a prime time for thieves.  Plan your parking and make sure you lock your car with all items hidden from view.  Wear a cross body bag so you can carry shopping or grab that last cute sweater off the rack without worrying about a purse and wear comfy shoes for all of that walking.  Have breakfast because shopping on an empty stomach is a big no – no!

If using public transit, it can be chilly in the morning but warm in the stores or malls – layers you can take off will help rather than bulkier clothing you have to carry (or check to see if your mall offers coat check).

Remember it is a work day for many, if you are heading from the suburbs, add plenty of time for dealing with commuters trying to get to work too.  Even with malls like the Eaton Centre opening at super early, Toronto roads can be busy, I am sure the same is true for other areas.

Shopping with a friend or family member will help too.  You can hit up two stores at once, or save a place in a line while the other runs back to grab an extra item.  Not too big a group though or you will waste time browsing and chatting!

Bring some cash.  While Black Friday is not as big here as in the US, it is still one of the busiest shopping days in Canada and it can put a strain on credit card and debit processing systems.  It is not unheard of for the system to go down, so some cash always helps.

Use rebates and loyalty cards: I remember shopping during Black Friday last year and watching someone buy a television along with other items at Shoppers Drug Mart and not use an Optimum card.  I stood there behind them thinking of my 20x offer sitting on my card which would have been $100+ back in points at bonus redemption.  With so many people not using points on their cards, it is also a good time to redeem loyalty points or just use the card to keep it active.

There are lots of discount gift cards to be had during the year and even this week.  Pick them up now and decide what you will buy with them.  Plus buy the ones offered on Black Friday for Boxing Day shopping!

While the grocery rebate apps will not have many big ticket items, it is always a good idea to check to see what is available and if shopping online, check for online rebates at select stores to help you make the most of your shopping.

Get social: While SmartCanucks has an extensive list of Black Friday sales, there are many smaller stores you may visit that we will not know about.  Follow your favourites on social media and watch for flash sales throughout the day.  During big shopping days, I like to add notifications for stores I plan to buy from so I don’t miss a sale – even if I have to delete some extra push notifications throughout the day.

Lastly, of course, check back with us throughout the day as we add more sales and be nice to store staff, they are working and probably a lot more stressed at the lineups than you are!

Lowe’s Canada Black Friday 2017 sale is LIVE now. Enjoy the great savings from today, November 23, 2017 until November 29, 2017, while quantities last. The Sale include:

Black Friday! Save up to 50% while quantities last.

• Buy 3 LG Appliances & Save $600 PLUS Get Free Delivery!
• $100 off American Standard EverClean Dual-Flush Elongated Toilet
• Save up to $1100 on Appliances
• Save 20% on Delta Kitchen Faucets
• Save 20% on Blanco Kitchen Sinks
• Save 15% on Pfister Bath Faucets & Shower Panels
• Save 15% on Toilets
• Save 15% on Tubs, Showers, Door & Wall Surrounds
• Save 15% on Select Interior Doors
• Save up to 40% Smart Home Products
• Save 20% on Schlage Keypad Handlesets
• Save up to $200 on Tools and Storage
• Save 25% on Holiday Living Lights
• Save up to $200 on Select Artificial Trees
• Save 40% on Opuluxe, Cabin Fever and Deep Freeze Indoor Decor
• Save 30% on Rev-A-Shelf Kitchen Organization
• Save up to 30% on Chandeliers, Ceiling Fans & More
• Save up to 70% on Online Only Furniture
• and more

Click here to view all Lowe’s Canada Black Friday 2017 sale.

Roots Canada’s Black Friday Sale is on now! Shop online and you will save 30% off entire site. This sale is valid until November 28 at 10AM EST.

Also, Roots is a holding a Six Nice Days sale with Six Nice Offers – enjoy a great new offer everyday! Today’s offer is: Save 40% off all Winter Accessories. This offer is valid today only, November 23, 2017.

Click here to shop at Roots Canada’s Black Friday Sale.

The Home Depot Black Friday flyer 2017 is out! This flyer is valid from November 23, 2017 to November 29, 2017. The Black Friday 2017 deals include:

• Save $420 on LG Washer & Dryer
• Save $300 on GE Profile Refrigreator
• Bosch Dishwasher for $598
• Save $300 on Range
• and more

Click here to view The Home Depot flyers.

Click here to view The Home Depot Canada online offers.

Shoppers Drug Mart Canada has a great Seniors Bonus Day, Savings + Points, Offers available today! The Shoppers Drug Mart Seniors Bonus Day offers include:

• Save 20% with a Shoppers Optimum Card on regular priced merchandise +
• Get 8000 Shoppers Optimum Bonus Points with a purchase of $50 or more on almost anything in store. That is a $10 savings value.

The Shoppers Drug Mart Seniors Bonus Day Offers are valid today, Thursday, November 23, 2017.

Click here to view Shoppers Drug Mart Canada weekly flyers.

Lowe’s Black Friday flyer 2017 is out! This flyer is valid from today November 23, 2017 until November 29, 2017. The Black Friday 2017 deals include:

• Save $100 on American Standard EverClean Dual-Flush Toilets, now for $169
• Save $400 on Briggs & Stratton Gas Snow Blower, now for $899
• Save $600 on Dishwasher
• Save $150 on Dyson Vacuum
• and more

Click here to view Lowe’s flyers.

Click here to view Lowe’s Canada online offers.

It’s happening again! Toys R Us Canada is going to have new stock of Super Nintendo Entertainment System on November 25, 2017 for $79.99. (Minimum 20 per store, 1 unit per customer). We’d line up early if we were you!

Click here to view all Toys R Us flyers.

Hopefully you have been able to pick up that fantastic tear pad coupon for $2 off the purchase of Maple Leaf Prime frozen chicken products, so that you can use it with this great offer at Food Basics Ontario this week.

From November the 23rd to the 29th, Food Basics has Maple Leaf Prime chicken wings, 800g, frozen, on sale for $5.99. This is a substantial savings without a coupon even, but there was recently a SmartSource tear pad coupon that came out, for $2 off the purchase of select Prime frozen chicken products, including the wings. If you don’t have this coupon, it is very recent so you do stand an excellent chance of finding it if you get out and check the coupon boards.

At just $3.99 with the coupon, these would be great to stock up on to have on hand during the holiday season as they would make a great appetizer for both expected and unexpected guests.

Click here to view this offer in the Food Basics Ontario flyer.

If you missed our earlier post, Shop The Block is back this year.  For those in Ontario, you can easily earn over $200 while spending much less if you have access to a Sobeys or Foodland store and a printer!  Here is how to maximize the coupons this week at Sobeys.

To get the 2000 Air Miles bonus, worth over $200 in Air Miles Cash, you need to use seven offers.  I confirmed with Air Miles that you can use multiple coupons in one transaction.

• 10 Air Miles when you buy a Tia Rosa Kit: These are priced at under $5 but are hard to find.  Many stores do not carry them and more are sold out.
• 20 Air Miles when you spend $10+ on Maple Leaf or Schneider’s deli meat.  To qualify, you need to buy this from the deli counter where they cut it for you, prepacked meat does not count.  Check for special offers as I received a free pack of Panini buns worth $3.29 due to an instore special too.
• 20 Air Miles when you buy 3 Maple Lodge Chicken Bacon, Bologna or Ultimate Frankfurters.  The cheapest deal when I bought this was the chicken bacon.  Bologna is also an option, but many stores only carry bologna or mock chicken for the deli offer. (If you are doing this offer in Foodland, buy 4 packs and get 50 bonus Air Miles on top of your coupon!
• 20 Air Miles when you buy 3 Cadbury Family Bars. These are $2.49 this week at Sobeys and you will earn an additional 25 Air Miles if you buy 4 in store, so worth adding the extra one on, it is free with the store Air Miles and helps you get to the minimum spend coupon requirement.
• 30 Air Miles when you buy 2 Herbal Essences haircare. These are not in the flyer this week, so likely overpriced but you get over $3 back in Air Miles plus you are more than making your money back on the full promotion.

That gets you five offers and a guaranteed $100 in Air Miles Shop The Block bonus.  But there is an an additional coupon for

• Get 20 Bonus Miles when you spend $60 or more OR
• Get 40 Bonus Miles when you spend $80 or more OR
• Get 60 Bonus Miles when you spend $100 or more.

If you drink Nabob or Maxwell House coffee pods, you can add on three packs to help you get to the minimum spend requirement and get 25 bonus Air Miles.  Personally, I would skip it and use the coupon for 25 bonus Air Miles when you redeem at Metro, Sobeys or Foodland in a separate transaction.

Without the coffee, your bill will come to around $50 and you will earn 145 Air Miles if you top up to spend $60.  Add on these Air Miles deals to maximize your points and get 6 Air Miles Shop The Block deals crossed off your list

• 15 Air Miles when you buy 2 Old El Paso products (priced at $2.49 this week)
• 25 Air Miles when you buy 4 Maynards products (priced at $1.99 this week)
• 20 Air Miles when you buy 2 Coffee Mate products (priced at $2.99 this week)

Or simply top up with whatever groceries you need.  Once the points credit, go back and redeem $10 using the coupon for a bonus 25 Air Miles for your last Shop The Block offer.  Points can take 120 days from the end of the promo to credit, so hold onto your receipts.

Get your Air Miles Shop The Block coupons here and see the full Sobeys flyer for this offer here.

Foodland Ontario has a great deal on Maple Lodge Farms products from November the 24th to the 30th, when you combine their in store bonus Air Miles offer with the Shop The Block bonus Air Miles coupon.

Purchase four Maple Lodge Farms products, including chicken bacon, wieners, or sliced meats, and get 50 bonus Air Miles from the advertised in store offer. Prices start at $1.99 for the chicken wieners.

If you visit Shop The Block by clicking the link below, you can find and print a coupon for 20 bonus Air Miles when you purchase three of these products. Stack this with the in store offer, and you receive 70 bonus Air Miles reward miles for purchasing four of these products. If you purchased 4 wieners for about $8, you will get back about $7 in Air Miles!

Click here to view this offer in the Foodland Ontario flyer.

Click here to print the Shop The Block bonus Air Miles coupon.

Amazon Canada has awesome deals available now! Today, Thursday, November 23, 2017, the Amazon Canada deals include:

• Get Xbox One S 500GB Console – Bundle Edition, today for $229.99, list price 319.99, save $90.00 – 28% off.
• Click here to view all Microsoft offers

Also,

• Click here to view all Black Friday 2017 Deals Week!

The Amazon Canada offers are available now, while supplies last. Amazon has FREE shipping on orders over $35.

Click here to get the Amazon Canada today’s offers.

Amazon Canada has awesome deals available now, that include:

• Get Mega Construx Despicable Me 2017 Advent Calendar, today for $22.99, list price 39.99, save $17.00 – 43% off.
• Click here to view all Mega Bloks offers

The Amazon Canada offers are available now, while supplies last. Amazon has FREE shipping on orders over $35.

Click here to get the Amazon Canada today’s offers.

American Eagle Outfitters Black Friday Sale in on now! The Sale includes: Save 40% off AE, Aerie & Tailgate, includes Jeans + FREE Shipping for All Orders!

The FREE shipping to all Canadian addresses with an AEO, Aerie or Tailgate

Click here to get American Eagle Outfitters Black Friday Sale.

Amazon Canada has awesome deals available now, that include:

• Get Comforter Duvet Insert White – Quilted Comforter with Corner Tabs – Hypoallergenic, Plush Siliconized Fiberfill, Box Stitched Down Alternative Comforter by Utopia Bedding (Queen 88-by-88 inch), today for $41.99, list price 99.99, save $58.009 – 58% off.
• Click here to view all Utopia Bedding offers

• Get AmazonBasics Microfiber Sheet Set – Twin, Beige, today for $8.72, list price 17.95, save $9.23 – 51% off.
• Click here to view all AmazonBasics offers

The Amazon Canada offers are available now, while supplies last. Amazon has FREE shipping on orders over $35.

Click here to get the Amazon Canada today’s offers.

Here is a great offer for cheese lovers this holiday season! Purchase four or more Canadian cheeses, and get a free limited edition, maple wood Canada cheese board.

The four cheeses must feature either the 100% Canadian Milk or Dairy Farmers of Canada Quality Milk logos as pictured. There is a huge variety of cheeses out there with this logos so this shouldn’t be an issue at all. To obtain your cheeseboard, take photos of your receipt, and also take photos of each of your four qualifying cheeses. You will then need to text “CHEESE” to 80808 to receive instructions on how to upload your photos.

If you will be buying cheese anyhow for parties and gatherings or just for yourself, you may want to get a jump on it so that you can claim your free cheeseboard before supplies run out.

Click here for more information about the free Canada cheese board.