A Student’s Guide to Black Friday: Best Tips and Deals

Computer with Black Friday Sale on the Screen and a tiny shopping cart with credit cards on it
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Did you know that there are some student discounts on Black Friday? Or that the laptop you have been wanting may finally be in your price range?

Black Friday can be a great chance for students to get the supplies they need at a fantastic discount. Check out the best tips and deals for students to make the most of Black Friday.

Click hereOpens in a new tab. to check out Prime Student. It is my favorite way for students to save money and get great student deals!

When is Black Friday? 

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. This means that Black Friday is always on the fourth Friday of November.

In 2023, Black Friday is on November 23rd. 

Check out all the benefits of Prime StudentOpens in a new tab.. Click hereOpens in a new tab. to sign up for Prime Student.

Is there college on Black Friday?

Black Friday is not a federal holiday, but schools and colleges in the United States are closed for Thanksgiving weekend. This means that there is no school on Black Friday.

Do you actually save money on Black Friday?

People do get discounts on Black Friday. However, whether they save money depends on if they stick to buying what they were going to buy anyway. If they get swayed by the idea that it is a great “sale” and buy things that they don’t want or need, then they will not be saving money.

This is why it is important to set a budget, make a gift list, and do your research (which we will talk more about below).

How much of a discount is Black Friday?

People can expect anywhere from a 10%-90% discount on Black Friday, with the average discount around 25%. The discounts vary widely depending on the store and the item. 

Do your research before you go shopping or shop online to make sure you can search around for the best deal on the items you want.

Do you get more discount on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

In general, Cyber Monday has slightly better deals. However, Black Friday has better deals on big-ticket items, such as TVs or laptops.

Do your research to see where and when you can find the best deal.

Can you use a student discount on Black Friday?

As a general rule, people usually can’t use their student discount on top of Black Friday sales. However, some stores allow discount stacking, and others will give it to you if you ask.

Some stores like Apple never allow stacking discounts. This means that you would not be able to use your student discount with a Black Friday sale.

Other stores are more lenient.

Stacking a student discount on top of the Black Friday sale can lead to big savings, so it is worth trying. 

Find stores that offer discounts. See if you can use the discount code at check out if purchasing online. 

If purchasing in the store, make sure you bring your student ID and ask about student discounts. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Tips to make the most out of Black Friday

Black Friday can be a fantastic chance for savings, but it can also lead to impulse purchases and overspending. These tips will help you save money.

Make a budget and gift list

Woman with a long gift list and lots of presents

To avoid impulse purchases on things you don’t really want or need, you need to have a budget and gift list.

Setting a budget (at the very least, a maximum amount that you can spend) will help you to better decide how to allocate your funds. That way, you don’t spend all your money before you even get to buy the things that you actually need.

Making a gift list is also important. Include yourself on that list. This can give you a chance to think about what you need/want and prioritize this, so it fits in your budget.

It can also be a good idea to get your gifts bought first before you go on a shopping spree for yourself.

Write down everyone you need to buy a gift for (and how much you want to spend), then brainstorm some gift ideas. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to buy, but having some ideas can help you lookout for the best deals.

Do your research

Now that you have your budget set and your gift list made start researching. Check out some likely stores where you may find the items you want and see who has the best deal.

Whether you are shopping in person or online, do your research ahead of time to ensure that you find the best deals.

Come up with a plan

Once you find what you want to buy and where you want to buy it from, you are ready to go. If this is a fantastic deal, you will want to buy it early (this applies to purchasing things online too).

Get a plan of action in place so that on Black Friday, you are ready to go!

Best Black Friday deals for college students

Adobe Creative Cloud 

Adobe Creative Cloud is offering students 60% offOpens in a new tab. for the first year.

Amazon

AmazonOpens in a new tab. offers great deals on a wide range of products on Black Friday, including up to 40% off on headphones.Opens in a new tab.

Check out their early Black Friday dealsOpens in a new tab. now.

Apple

Apple discounts products on Black Friday. Apple’s Black Friday dealsOpens in a new tab. are a little different. They offer Apple gift cards ranging from $50-$250 when you make select purchases.

You can also get great deals on Apple products from AmazonOpens in a new tab. and Best Buy.

For more Apple discounts, check out my post on Apple Student Discounts (Best Deals and Apple Music Tips)Opens in a new tab..

Audible 

AudibleOpens in a new tab. is offering a Black Friday discount of 60% off your first 4 months.

Prime and Prime Student members also get a discount on AudibleOpens in a new tab. anytime.

Best Buy

Best BuyOpens in a new tab. is offering great Black Friday deals on most products starting in late October 2023. These dealsOpens in a new tab. include saving up to $500 on select laptops and up to $700 on select TVs.

Datacamp Black Friday sale

DataCamp offers over 350 courses on data science and analytics. These range from courses on Data visualization to computer programing. 

DatacampOpens in a new tab. offers a Black Friday discount of 50% off on their annual Premium plan. 

Dell 

Dell is offering a lot of Limited Quality Black FridayOpens in a new tab. deals of up to 60% off. Dell’s Black Friday deals are open now!

If you are interested in this, keep in mind that they may be claimed quickly (though still compare with other sites to make sure you are getting a deal and not being pressured into making a quick purchase).

edX 

edX was created by Harvard and MIT to offer online university courses on a wide range of subjects. It has over 3,500 courses!

edX offers a Cyber Monday saleOpens in a new tab. where you can use a coupon code to earn 20% off your purchase.

Microsoft 

MicrosoftOpens in a new tab. offers up to $650 savings on select laptops.

Be sure to compare Microsoft, Dell, Amazon, and Best Buy for the best deal on the laptop you want. 

Target

TargetOpens in a new tab. is offering some great Black Friday sales, including up to 40% off on laptopsOpens in a new tab. and tablets and up to 50% off TVsOpens in a new tab.. Target’s Black Fridays discounts are available now!

Udemy Black Friday sale

Udemy is an online learning platform that offers over 180,000 online courses on nearly every subject you can think of. 

Udemy offers discounts on some of their most popular courses for Black FridayOpens in a new tab..

UNiDAYS Black Friday

If you haven’t heard of UNiDAYS, it is a website that shows a ton of student discounts for many different stores. 

It always has great student discounts, but it also lists many Black Friday deals for your favorite stores. 

I would definitely check UNiDAYSOpens in a new tab. for a Black Friday discount!

Walmart

Walmart is offering 2023 Black Friday dealsOpens in a new tab. on a wide range of items. They start online on Nov 22nd and in stores on Nov 24th.

I hope this helps you have a great Black Friday!

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