So I was reading through all these holiday shopping guides and honestly the advice is pretty consistent if you dig past the noise. Basically Black Friday and cyber weekend 2023 taught us some real lessons about when to actually pull the trigger on stuff.

TVs are still the move during this period - like that's not changing. Retailers know people want deals on big electronics so you'll actually see the best prices then. Same with kitchen gadgets and small appliances. One guide tracked a KitchenAid mixer that dropped to like $220 from $330 on Cyber Monday, so yeah that's worth waiting for.

But here's the thing - toys and holiday decor? Wait a few weeks after. Retailers get desperate in December when they need shelf space and that's when prices really drop. Winter clothes are getting better deals during cyber weekend too apparently because stores overestimated demand.

Skip tools and sporting goods though. Tools especially don't get the same discount treatment compared to other categories. Better to grab those around Father's Day in June honestly.

One thing that stood out - a lot of people are using buy now pay later options which is cool if you actually stick to the payment schedule. But the report said like half of shoppers ended up with credit card debt they're still paying off months later. So maybe just use cash or debit if you're already carrying balances.

The whole vibe seems to be do your research, check price history before you buy, and don't let the pressure make you spend more than you planned. Has anyone actually stuck to a shopping budget during the holidays or is that just a fantasy