Are Black Friday Deals Real? How to Check Before You Buy
Short answer: do not judge a deal by the percentage on the banner. Judge it by what you pay compared with the lowest price of the previous 30 days, and by whether it was on your list at all. Three steps: set a cap and a list of what you actually need before the sales start, check the price before the discount, and wait 24 hours on anything you feel like grabbing on impulse. The rest of this guide expands those three sentences.
Black Friday rarely wrecks a budget because everything is expensive. It does it because for a few days every shop says “now or never” and you buy things that were on no list. In 2026 it falls on 27 November, so there is time to prepare calmly, without invented “average savings” and without scare tactics.
How to check if a deal is real
1. Know the 30-day lowest price rule. Under the EU’s Omnibus Directive, which national laws across the EU have applied since 2022-2023, a shop that announces a price reduction has to show the lowest price it charged in the 30 days before the reduction. The percentage is meant to be measured against that price, not against any “original price” the shop picks. For goods sold for less than 30 days, the rules allow a shorter period, and for successive markdowns the details depend on national law, so read the small print next to the price.
Two caveats. First, the rule does not stop a shop from raising prices before a sale: it only requires the comparison to be honest. Second, a “manufacturer’s recommended price” or “regular price” is not the same as a notice of a reduction, so a crossed-out figure like that proves nothing. If you suspect a shop is breaking the rules, you can report it to your national consumer authority.
2. Check your own price history. If you have bought the product before and scanned the receipt, AI Budget Assistant can show what you paid and at which shop. This works for things you buy and scan yourself, not for prices in online shops, because the app only knows your own receipts. For a washing machine you have never bought there is no history, and you are left with the rule in step 1 and your own notes.
3. Screenshot the price a week or two ahead. The simplest price history is the one you save yourself. From the end of October, which is 30 days before Black Friday, note the prices of three or four items on your list.
4. Calculate the real discount. The number on the banner does not matter. This does: (lowest price in the last 30 days − sale price) ÷ lowest price in the last 30 days.
The most common traps
Countdown timers and “only 2 left”. Time pressure is there to make you buy before you do the sum. A genuine deal will still be there tomorrow.
“Up to 70% off”. That describes one product among many. It says nothing about the item on your list.
Bundles and freebies. “Buy two, pay less” is cheaper only if you truly need both. A freebie you did not want is not a saving.
Free trials. Many Black Friday offers come with a free period that quietly turns into a paid subscription. Write down the date charging starts straight away.
“0%” instalments. Spreading a payment does not change how much you spend, only when you feel it.
A pre-Black-Friday checklist
- Write down what you actually need. Things you were going to buy in the next few months anyway. Anything off the list is an impulse.
- Set a cap. One amount for the whole sale, ideally set aside in advance rather than “we’ll see”.
- Watch prices early. Note the prices of list items in late October and November.
- Apply the 24-hour rule to impulse buys. Add to cart, close the tab, come back tomorrow. If you still want it and it fits the cap, buy it.
- Count gifts against your Christmas budget. What you buy for others on Black Friday is not extra spending, it is a line from your Christmas budget. Subtract it from that pot instead of counting it twice.
- Review your subscriptions. Cancel the ones you do not use before a shop offers you new ones.
- Do not leave card details saved “for later”. Fewer one-click reflex purchases.
- Review afterwards. Compare what you spent with your cap and write down what you learned for next year.
Worked example (illustration)
This is an example only. The figures are made up so the arithmetic is easy to follow; they do not come from any survey.
A shop advertises headphones: “40% off, was $200, now $120”. You check the lowest price of the previous 30 days and it was $150. The real reduction is ($150 − $120) ÷ $150 = 20%, not 40%. It may still be a fine price, but you are deciding on a $30 saving, not an $80 one. And if the headphones were not on your list, the cheapest option is spending $0.
How to run it in AI Budget Assistant
Everything above can be done on paper. In the app, a few things are simply easier.
A shopping list with prices. Put only what you planned on the list and enter the price you are willing to pay next to each item (the “+ Price” button). The total shows what the whole basket will cost before you reach the checkout.
A category budget on a custom period. You can create a budget for a period you choose, for example 20 November to 2 December, with a limit on one category. Every recorded expense draws it down, so you can see what is left.
Your own price history. For products you buy and scan, the app shows a price chart and the shop where you paid the least. The Inflation Shield points out durable items worth buying ahead of time, based on the trend in your own receipts. It is trend statistics, not AI and not a prediction, and the estimated saving is a conservative estimate.
Subscription manager. Add a free trial as a subscription with the date charging begins, and the app reminds you three days before. If you cancel, delete the entry.
You can find the app at ai-budget.pl and on Google Play; it works without a payment card. For more on spending sensibly, see how to save money and the guide to tracking subscriptions.
FAQ: Black Friday deals
Are Black Friday deals real? It varies, and there is no single answer for every shop. Instead of guessing, compare the sale price with the lowest price of the previous 30 days, which the shop is required to show, and with what you usually pay.
What is the 30-day lowest price rule? It comes from the EU’s Omnibus Directive and applies in national law across the EU. When a shop announces a price cut it must show the lowest price from the 30 days before, and the percentage is measured against that price. For goods sold for less than 30 days a shorter period applies.
How do I check whether the price was lower before? Look for the 30-day lowest price next to the product, screenshot the price a few weeks before the sale, and compare it with your own receipts. In the app you can see what you paid for products you have scanned.
Does the app track prices in online shops? No. AI Budget Assistant only knows the prices on your own receipts. It does not monitor online shops and does not judge whether a deal is honest.
How do I avoid impulse buys? Write a list, set a cap and use the 24-hour rule: add to cart, close the tab and come back the next day. Buy off-list items only if you still want them after a day and they fit the cap.
How do I avoid the free-trial trap? Note the date charging starts straight away and cancel before it if you do not need the service. In the app you can add the trial as a subscription and get a reminder three days ahead.
Do gifts bought on Black Friday count toward my Christmas budget? Yes, it is the same money. Subtract them from your gift pot so you do not spend twice on the same thing.