On your mark, get ready, get shopping! For many of us, Thanksgiving was always the prelude to the really important occasion: that of Black Friday. How many of you remember bundling up and into the car in the evening hours of Thanksgiving, or the early hours of the following day, to be on a line and ready to pounce when stores opened their doors the Friday morning after Thanksgiving? Of course, we were all incentivized because of the fleeting bargains, limited stock, and mob scenes that worked us up into a frenzy as we gathered items for holiday gift-giving. For the most part, those days are now behind us, and Black Friday shopping is more of an exercise in pointing and clicking, as we use our computers, tablets, or phones to select items and fill our virtual shopping carts. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still bargains to be had- but many, if not most of them, are available before the technical day of “Black Friday” and few of them require you to get off your couch and put on your coat.  In fact, New York Magazine’s The Strategist has declared that “Black Friday and Cyber Monday are without a doubt the best days of the year for sales.” So let’s take a look at some Black Friday strategies and sales for this year’s holiday gift giving, and some bargains that might just lure you to enter your credit card info online.

Most strategists urge you to do your homework before you click “place order.” You should have a list of what you’re hoping to purchase, a budget in mind, and, if possible, price comparisons across different websites. You are also urged to carefully read the return and refund policies, so if you find yourself with some duds, you’ll be able to send them back without problems. Some websites specifically advertise and update special Black Friday deals across multiple websites (look here and here), while others concentrate specifically on price-tracking on Amazon. And speaking of Amazon, its “Black Friday” deals are scheduled to go live today, November 20th, and continue on until Monday, Dec. 1 (otherwise known as Cyber Monday). For a view of all Amazon available deals, grab your list and click here. And for some additional tips for snagging the best prices, especially on those high-priced tech and entertainment products, take a look at these suggestions from the website Wired. And click here to see what Consumer Reports suggests are the best Black Friday deals.

What about some specific shopping suggestions, especially those that align with the agebuzz motto of better info leading to better aging? Let’s first look at some Amazon items that make wonderful gifts for your loved ones (or yourself!): 

-Get moving and strength training with 23% off some well-rated women’s free weights

–Stay well hydrated with a discounted Stanley stainless steel water bottle 

–Stay connected with friends and family with 50% off a Samsung tablet

–Stay warm and cozy with 30% off a heated throw blanket or with 50% off Dearfoam memory foam booties

–Shop Laura Geller’s makeup intended for mature skin and save 30% on her combo blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, and highlighter kit

Or get some special deals from our friends and advertising partners who are offering their own Black Friday specials:

–Babbel (learn a new language from your laptop!)

–Cognifit (get your brain training going with their 50% off code for Black Friday)

–Padel Market (deals up to 80% off for all your Padel needs)

–TruSkin (get 25% off and early access to their collagen peptide serum)

–MasterClass (take lessons from the world’s best experts)

–Yes2Next Exercise App (our favorite exercise team has created a new app- act now and get the special introductory price)

Finally, with our appreciation to all of our guest bloggers, we suggest you consider purchasing some of the terrific books they’ve written as memorable gifts, for yourself or your loved ones:

–Older Wiser Shorter by Jane Seskin

–Provence Reflections by Dave Donelson

–The All Home Care Matters Official Family Caregivers’ Guide By Lance A. Slatton

–Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows By Kathleen Rehl

–The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food By Annie Fenn

–Grand Plans 2.0: How to Mitigate Geri-Drama in 20 Easy Steps By Susanna P. Barton

–Occupying Aging By Katherine Schneider

–Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age By Nancy Peckenham

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping To All!