{"id":95857,"date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T09:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T09:16:31","slug":"black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Black Friday Mistakes You\u2019re Making in 2025 (and How to Avoid Them)\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">(Reading time: 3 minutes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ah, Black Friday, the blissful day of shoppers&#8217; rage and roaring crowds vandalising malls everywhere. One might say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/promotions\/black-friday\">Black Friday deals<\/a> awaken a thirst for blood because on this day malls become spartan battlefields, where wallets bleed dry and someone might lose an eye. But it\u2019s all in good fun, who doesn\u2019t enjoy prying the last air fryer from an old lady\u2019s arms? However, as fun as it has been, <strong>Black Friday has changed.<\/strong> The battlefield has moved to the land of pixels and codes\u2014your phones and laptops. So stop shopping the outdated way, here are <strong>5 Black Friday shopping mistakes you\u2019ve been making and how to avoid them.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(PS: If you read far enough, you might just find an insanely good Black Friday online deal).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mistake #1: Thinking Black Friday Is Just One Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-1.jpg\" alt=\"Woman looking at a calendar to see when Black Friday 2025 is. \" class=\"wp-image-105003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-1-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newsflash: it\u2019s no longer Black \u201cFRIDAY\u201d; it\u2019s now <strong>Black \u201cWEEK\u201d<\/strong>\u2014some companies even extend it to two! Sadly, that means the once-a-year crowd chaos is mostly history. <strong>Black Friday 2025 is on the 28th of November,<\/strong> but many deals start as early as the 25th (perfect timing with payday!). Our Black Week Sale runs from 25th November &#8211; 1 December 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pro tips:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start Early:<\/strong> Beat the rush by shopping before the actual Black Friday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plan Your Shopping:<\/strong> Map out which stores to visit and which items to buy online. For&nbsp; example: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/\">Book flights<\/a> well in advance before the masses start scrambling for them.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mistake #2: Ignoring Online Black Friday Deals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-2.jpg\" alt=\"A man shopping for online Black Friday flight deals \" class=\"wp-image-105004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-2-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may come as a surprise but you see the device you are reading this on? It can do way more than just let you read blog posts. Most people (looking at you, Boomers and Gen Xers) still love the \u201cclassic\u201d Black Friday: hitting the store, lining up, and maybe even paying cash (can\u2019t trust cards, right?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your phone is your bestie:<\/strong> Imagine chilling on a beach in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/cheap-flights-to-maldives\">Maldives<\/a> and buying a fridge at the same time. Yeah your phone can make that happen.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cut the commute and the queues by shopping online. If you still choose to be afraid of technology, there\u2019s a word for that\u2014<strong>Technophobia<\/strong>. Don\u2019t be a technophobe, it\u2019s so 1956.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mistake #3:<\/strong> <strong>Shopping Without a Black Friday Budget<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-3.jpg\" alt=\"Black Friday shopping deals\" class=\"wp-image-105005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-3.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-3-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stop spending like you have a trust fund to fall back on, even if you do, stop it!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set a budget. It will be your safety net so when you shop till you drop, you won\u2019t drop flat on your face. Put yourself on a short leash (or medium leash, totally up to you) and once you reach it, stop spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pro tip:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Loyalty programs<\/strong>: Newsflash: coupons got a facelift, they are now called loyalty programs. Imagine shaving off a couple of hundred off your grocery shopping just by swiping a loyalty card. Getting a few extra pumps of petrol for less (heaven knows we need it with this economy) or getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/ts-plus\/ts-plus-benefits?https:%2F%2Fwww.travelstart.co.za%2Fts-plus%2Fts-plus-benefits=\">R5000 flight vouchers with Travelstart+<\/a> (not pulling your leg, it\u2019s real).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The point of Black Friday is to save (not spend) as much as possible, remember the December joys are followed by the \u201cJanuworries\u201d, so don\u2019t empty your bank account just yet. Be money-conscious, stock up the pantry before the cellar, <a href=\"https:\/\/travelstartstg.wpenginepowered.com\/cheap-rand-friendly-destinations\/\">visit budget-friendly destinations<\/a> and for the love of all that is pure, stop swiping without checking the price!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mistake #4:<\/strong> <strong>Falling for Fake Black Friday Deals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-4.jpg\" alt=\"Black Friday 2025 cheap flight deals\" class=\"wp-image-105006\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-4.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-4-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not all that glitters is a Black Friday deal. While you\u2019re hunting for discounts, companies are out to profit, and not every \u201cdeal\u201d is as sweet as it seems (it\u2019s a dog-eat-dog world, after all).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Want to beat them at their own game?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Skip impulse buying&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stick to your budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do your research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Think like you\u2019re broke and every cent counts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, and stay tuned\u2014<strong>Travelstart is cooking up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/promotions\/black-friday\">something too good to miss!<\/a><\/strong> We can\u2019t say anything yet (we wouldn\u2019t want to ruin the surprise) but just keep your eyes glued to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/sign-up-to-our-newsletter?https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/sign-up?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=account-sitelink&amp;affid=adwords-generic&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwsoe5BhDiARIsAOXVoUu12lKrQzS3e7Ozhj_asmRTjTfbdHWVxbExEYwshaJQlfFSDv4iUVUaApz1EALw_wcB\">our newsletters<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mistake #5:<\/strong> <strong>Not Reading The Fine Print on Black Friday Deals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/travelstartmu.wpenginepowered.com\/zablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-5.jpg\" alt=\"Cheap Black Friday flight deals 2025\" class=\"wp-image-105007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-5.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-5-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Image-5-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The devil\u2019s in the fine print! Those tiny words hiding under the big \u201cSALE\u201d sign? They\u2019re exactly what you should read. Companies have to be transparent by law, but they\u2019re hoping you skip the details. Without checking the Ts and Cs, you might miss hidden fees or no-refund policies\u2014and end up buying a mountain of regret.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, it\u2019s boring, but sometimes the fine print holds hidden perks which stores hope you\u2019ll overlook. So, grab a magnifying glass and dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking of magnifying glasses, did you know the world\u2019s largest one is in Lancaster, near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/las-vegas\/flights\">Las Vegas<\/a>? You should go see it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Embrace the New Black Friday\u2014Minus the Chaos<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve all had a love-hate thing with Black Friday, and some of us even have scars to prove it. But it\u2019s time to let go of the battle tactics, no more uppercuts or tug-of-war with little old ladies over a toaster. Those days are over. Breathe easy; you\u2019re safe now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Black Friday 2024: Don\u2019t let these common shopping mistakes ruin your deals! Get more online deals and cheap prices with these money saving tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":104998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_destination_ratings":[],"_destination_review_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,16,448],"tags":[110,111,112,113,114,115,116],"class_list":["post-95857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-travel","category-inspiration-travel","tag-black-friday","tag-black-friday-2024","tag-black-friday-deals","tag-black-friday-savings","tag-black-friday-specials","tag-cheap-flights-black-friday","tag-flights-black-friday","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 Black Friday Mistakes You\u2019re Making in 2025 (and How to Avoid Them)\u00a0 - Travelstart Blog %<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Get the most out of Black Friday shopping in 2025. Avoid these five mistakes that could lead to missed opportunities and wasted money.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Black Friday Mistakes You&#039;re Making in 2024\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get the most out of Black Friday shopping in 2025. Avoid these five mistakes that could lead to missed opportunities and wasted money.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Travelstart Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-11T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-25T09:16:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/travelstartstg.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/Top-5-mistakes-780x585.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"5 Black Friday Mistakes You&#039;re Making in 2024\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brandon Mlilo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brandon Mlilo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0c92c48c805c2d5ebd15bafa2395fa16\"},\"headline\":\"5 Black Friday Mistakes You\u2019re Making in 2025 (and How to Avoid Them)\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-11T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-25T09:16:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":874,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/1920x1080-2.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"black friday\",\"Black Friday 2024\",\"Black Friday deals\",\"Black Friday savings\",\"Black Friday specials\",\"Cheap Flights Black Friday\",\"Flights black Friday\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\",\"Travel\",\"Travel Inspiration\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/\",\"name\":\"5 Black Friday Mistakes You\u2019re Making in 2025 (and How to Avoid Them)\u00a0 - Travelstart Blog %\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/black-friday-shopping-mistakes-2024\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.travelstart.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/5\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/1920x1080-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-11T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-25T09:16:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"Get the most out of Black Friday shopping in 2025. 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