Holiday shopping money-saving tips for Black Friday and beyond

While Black Friday looks a lot different than the lines, crowds and chaos of the past, it still marks the start of the holiday shopping season.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday really are the best time of year to get the biggest discounts on pretty much everything," said Samantha Gordon, the deals editor for Consumer Reports.

But if you didn’t find the deal you were looking for today or you didn’t feel like shopping, don’t sweat. You still have time to save with these tips.

Kyle James, the founder of Rather-Be-Shopping.com, said make sure you’re using browser extensions like Honey, Capital One Shopping or Camel Camel Camel.

These help gather coupons for you while you’re shopping online.

“My parents are in their 80s. I help them set up the Honey browser extension on their computer, and it automatically gives them a coupon. And they're like, ‘Wow, this is so easy. Why haven't I been using it?’ So, check them out. They're great right now, but have you can use them all year long, and you really save some money,” James said.

Another resource to help you save, try using an AI tool to give you a hand.

“If you use Chat GPT, it's a great kind of starting point. I've noticed for Black Friday, you can go in, you can say, 'Hey, what are the best Black Friday deals on TVs?' It'll quickly give you a list,” he said.

But, if you don’t see a good deal for an item on your shopping list this holiday season, don’t give up.

“Especially if you're shopping online, you can't seem to find a coupon or free shipping. And you're like, ‘Man, I just can't find a deal. I don’t really want to pay full price.’ Start a live chat,” James said.

That’s right, message customer service.

James said more often than not, that chat bot will give you a coupon code or free shipping because the store wants you to cash out.

Another strategy for savings, Rather-Be-Shopping.com suggests creating an account with the online retailer, then putting the item in your online shopping cart.

“And then basically, close your browser or log out of the account. And a lot of what that does is it triggers an email saying, ‘Hey, we noticed you have this item in your cart, here's a coupon code to come back and complete your purchase,’” James said.

If you’re more of a shop in-person type, make a list and do your research ahead of time.

 “Plan ahead, stack your savings with cash back offers,” RetailMeNot retail insights expert Stephanie Carls said.

She said, “because this is going to help you stretch your budget and maximize those savings.”