The Student Guide To Black Friday 2022

Calling all shopaholics, this Black Friday guide is designed to give you everything you need to know about Black Friday 2022.

From the history of the annual shopping event to this year’s date to tips and tricks for getting the best discounts.  

If want to stay ahead of the pack and make the most out of the Black Friday deals available to you, get prepared in advance and be ready to pounce on the best gear this November and treat yourself! You deserve it. 

Let’s get going.  

What Is Black Friday? 

Black Friday is a fantastic annual saves event that take place at the end of November.

Originally it started off in the USA, with the date being the first Friday after Thanksgiving, but now it’s one of the biggest shopping days in the UK too.  

It is a brilliant opportunity to make great savings on beauty products, technology, clothes, gaming, you name it, you’ll find a Black Friday deal for it!  

As a student you can make great use of Black Friday, especially if you have a tight budget for the year.

It is the ideal time to buy Christmas presents, as it is only a few weeks before, for any birthdays coming up, and to just treat yourself for smashing it at uni this year.   

2021 was a massive year in the UK for Black Friday sales, so expect things to get even bigger and better this year.

Retailers are bound to ramp up the offers, deals, and discounts to draw you in, and if you’re clever you can be very successful with your latest shopping spree.  

Originally Black Friday was an in-store only sale, but this has changed to online sales too, widening your possibilities as a shopper.  

Who doesn’t love a bit of online shopping? You get so excited about your parcel tuning up, and the best part is you don’t have to leave your student flat to get what you need! 

When Is Black Friday this year? 

This year, Black Friday falls on 25th November 2022 – who’s counting down the days?

Although this is the official date of many of the deals and sales promotions you do find that some retailers will kick things off even earlier.  

Throughout November you should keep an eye out for some early deals and be sure to get ahead with some discount retail therapy.  

As we mentioned, Black Friday is always the first Friday after Thanksgiving and is followed by Cyber Monday on 28th November 2022.

Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November, meaning that Black Friday is always at the end of the month.  

Why Is It called Black Friday? 

The term Black Friday came to the UK from the US along with the sales event itself, but there are two theories about why it is called that.  

The first is that many retailers would be struggling with sales in the run up to Thanksgiving and would be ‘in the red’ until they saw a massive uptake in sales in the immediate aftermath of Thanksgiving, putting them ‘in the black’.  

As this was on the Friday, Black Friday as a term was coined.

The other theory is that in 1960s Philadelphia, police officers started using the phrase ‘Black Friday’ to describe the long shifts, traffic jams, and increase in shoplifting associated with the influx of tourists coming into the city on that day to begin Christmas shopping.  

In the UK, Black Friday (or Mad Friday) has always been the last Friday before Christmas and used to describe the wild pub and bar trade on that day as most people across the country finish work for Christmas and go for drinks and a party. 

Tips & Tricks For Black Friday 2022

If you want to get ahead and make the most of the discounts this Black Friday, we’ve put together some handy tips and tricks for you below. 

1. Wake Up Early  

There is only really one guarantee to get what you want out of Black Friday this year, and that is to get up as early as you can.

We know, it’s not ideal but it’s worth it!  

If you start shopping earlier than other people, try and avoid the crowds and just set up on your laptop to shop online in the morning, you’ll have a better chance of gaining access to the deals on offer.  

You’ll find that many of the best deals and promotions sell out very quickly on the day, so you need to be one of the first in the queue (whether in person at a store on in a virtual queue online).  

Do people really get up early and go queue outside at this cold time of year? You bet they do!

If you want to be one of them, set that early alarm, wrap up warm, and get into those queues in time. 

2. Have A Clear Plan  

Of course, you might not always know for sure what shops and stores have discounts and deals that will appeal to you.

However, you can minimise impulse buys and wasting some of your budget by planning where you would like to get deals from this Black Friday.  

Think about items that you’d like to buy and where you can buy those things from.

If you are looking for beauty products for you, or you are searching for a specific gift for a loved one this Christmas, make a list of the stores you can buy those things from and plan how to approach each on the day (or in the run up to Black Friday in stores with early promotions). 

If you’re going to be shopping for Black Friday deals online, you can create wish lists on most apps, so you’ve sorted exactly which items you want already.  

That way, you can just add them straight to your basket and you won’t waste time scrolling.

Is there anything worse than finding out the item you want is out of stock or not in your size? It’s such a pain!  

It’s also important to remember to create accounts on the websites you want to buy from, to save time typing all your details in.

Treat it like buying concert tickets! Unfortunately, just because you’ve added something to your basket doesn’t always mean you’re guaranteed to get it. 

3. Look For Black November Deals

As we’ve mentioned, it isn’t just on Black Friday when you can make the most of amazing promotions and discount deals.   

For some stores, they bring the discounts in early, reeling in customers right through November.

You might find different products on sale at various points during the month, so keep a keen eye on your favourite brands and see what they’re up to.  

Sign up to newsletters and alerts from the brands you are most interested in, this way you’ll be the first to know about any deals to make the most of.  

4. Don’t Be Fooled Too Easily  

Some Black Friday deals are not that good at all, it is easy to get sucked into the hype and hyperbole when it comes to Black Friday deals.  

You might feel the pressure that the item in front of you will never be this price again and you must buy it right this second.  

Try to take a small step back and think clearly about the product.  

If you’ve done your research and it’s something you really want, you should check the price a couple of days before Black Friday.  

That way, you’ll know for sure whether this is a genuinely good deal or not. 

5. Use your student discount

You can use your student discount in many different stores all year round, so why wouldn’t you use it on Black Friday?

Some shops will accept your student discount on top of any discounted or promotional items that come under the Black Friday banner.   

This could end up helping you save a lot of money!

When shopping in-store always have your student card with you to unlock the discount, and if you can’t see a sign be brave and ask if they offer a student discount.

Worse case, they don’t and there’s no harm done. 

If you’re shopping online, then you can use the likes of UNiDAYS, Student Beans and NUS to get your student discount through a unique code!  

6. Set a strict budget

This is one of the most vital parts of this Black Friday guide.

It doesn’t matter whether you are treating yourself or buying gifts in time for Christmas, the last thing you want is to leave yourself short of cash for the week after Black Friday.  

As prices go up all around us during the cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever to know where your money is going.  

Set a strict budget for what you are prepared to spend this Black Friday and don’t go over it.

It is just one day of the year and is not worth getting into financial difficulties for.  

7. Be Realistic 

You’ll see loads of amazing bargains and offers being promoted in the run up to Black Friday but be aware that your expectation might not quite be matched.  

The reality can often be quite different, so set some realistic expectations after you’ve set a budget.  

You might not get everything you want from your list, or buy everyone a gift in one day, and that is perfectly fine.

Ease the stress by lowering your expectations. 

8. Be Mindful  

Our last tip is to be mindful this Black Friday, staff come under extreme pressure during these types of sales.  

Retail work is difficult and stressful, so be mindful, don’t be rude, and always ask for things politely and with a smile.  

You might not realise it, but it could go a long way with retail staff working under pressure for the shopping holiday.  

You should also be mindful that the delivery times for your shopping could be longer than usual with the shopping extravaganza and the lead up to Christmas.

Plus, remember to ask or find out about the returns policy for any items you buy just incase.  

Have fun with whatever you decide to do this Black Friday!

Remember, it might appear that there’s loads of pressure to buy things right now whilst an item is in a sale, but this isn’t the case.  

Whilst you may be able to get some amazing treats for you or secure some early Christmas gifts for friends and family, don’t worry if you can’t get what you want.  

If you’re sat comfortably in your student apartment thinking about whether or not to shop, we hope our Black Friday guide 2022 has given you food for thought.  

As you can see, if you stay ahead of the game, plan ahead, and set realistic targets and budgets, there’s no reason why you can’t have a really successful Black Friday this year! 

Read next: Top 8 Energy Saving Tips For Students This Winter.