Black Friday buys you should and should not make
Planned electronics and appliances are what Black Friday suits best, summer clothing usually drops further in the January sales - and a R99 "first month free" subscription becomes R1 188 a year if it rolls into a debit order.
In 30 seconds
- Planned electronics and large appliances are the strongest Black Friday buys - on a R10 000 item even a 10% real discount is R1 000.
- Summer clothing and back-to-school items often get cheaper after 1 January, in end-of-season and January sales.
- A R99 a month subscription that starts "free" costs R1 188 a year once the trial turns into a debit order.
The categories below follow common seasonal sale patterns. We have not run a South African price study, so treat them as a starting point and check the price history of the item you want.
Usually worth buying on Black Friday
- Electronics you already planned - TVs, laptops, phones, headphones. These lead most Black Friday adverts, and the rand saving is large because the price is.
- Large appliances - fridges, washing machines, microwaves - especially one that needs replacing anyway.
- Gifts you would buy in December regardless, bought once at the sale price instead of in the December rush.
- Non-perishable household stock you use every month, in a quantity you will actually use.
Often better to wait
- Summer clothing - the season is only starting in November; end-of-season sales come after the holidays.
- Back-to-school stationery and uniforms - January specials are aimed at exactly this, and your child's needs are clearer by then.
- The newest model of anything - discounts usually go on older stock, and the "deal" can be on last year's version.
- Anything you have not priced before. Without a baseline you cannot tell a discount from a markup - see when a special makes sense.
Usually not worth it at all
- "Free trial" and "first month free" subscriptions. At R99 a month, a forgotten one costs R1 188 a year. Three of them cost R3 564.
- Store cards and "buy now, pay later" sign-ups at the till. They make it easier to spend more than the discount saves - real saving vs waste shows how interest eats it.
- Bulk perishables - food that goes off before you use it is a 100% loss, whatever the discount.
- Extended warranties sold at the till on a discounted item - read what they add, because defective goods already have a six-month return under the Consumer Protection Act.
How MaxWealth helps
Debit Watch lists the debit orders that come off your account each month, so a Black Friday trial that quietly turned into a paid subscription shows up in December instead of a year later.
Sources
- Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, section 56 (six-month return of defective goods) - gov.za.
- Calculations: R99 x 12 = R1 188 a year; 10% of R10 000 = R1 000 (MaxWealth workings).
Education, not financial advice. This post explains how the rules and the arithmetic work. It does not recommend any financial product, and your own situation may differ - speak to a registered financial adviser or tax practitioner before you act. Figures were checked against the linked sources on the date above.