tbh i've been doing the amazon black friday dance since like 2012 and it is honestly wild how the schedule keeps creeping earlier every year! i love it tho, the adrenaline of hitting buy now on a huge discount is such a high. based on how theyve handled the last few cycles, i am betting we see the massive early wave hit on friday november 22nd. basically they want to trap your budget before you even think about looking at other retailers. here is how i usually play it:

• start checking your saved for later list daily around the 20th
• watch for those invite only deals because those are amazing
• dont ignore the mid-week drops on the 25th honestly i stopped waiting for the actual friday a long time ago. i remember trying to snag a Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones last year and the price was exactly the same on the monday before as it was on the big day. if you see a price that looks like a steal, just grab it... amazon usually extends the return window for the holidays anyway so there is zero risk. its gonna be a fun year for sure!

@Reply #3 - good point! Tbh I am not 100% sure about the exact day this year since they keep shifting things around to compete. I think I heard somewhere that the official early kick-off might be around November 17th or 18th this time, but dont quote me on that. IIRC last year they started on a Friday too, so it is usually a slow rollout anyway. Basically, I have been shopping these sales for years and the main week typically starts the Friday before Thanksgiving. Prime members usually get a 30-minute head start on lightning deals. It is a decent perk if you are worried about stock. Honestly, most early prices are identical to the actual Friday deals, so if the price looks right, just grab it. Waiting until the actual day can be hit or miss with availability... just keep an eye on your cart if you want to be sure.

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November 21st.

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