As college students, we all know the stress that comes with the high cost of tuition and budgeting. Thankfully, there are opportunities like Black Friday to help soften the blow of these high costs. I will be including some of my favorite Black Friday deals and some of my favorite couponing tricks!
- Sweat Sets: Keep a lookout for the Comfrt sweat sets. They almost always have a 15% off coupon that will stack on top of preexisting deals. The regular retail price for most of the sweatshirts is $120; however, they typically have markdowns on certain colors, and they will be even cheaper if you pre-order them. I pre-ordered four sets in June and got them just in time for the cold months. I paid $46.24 for each set, $26.52 for the hoodie, and $19.72 for the sweatpants. For the quality of the item, it was a really nice deal.
- CVS: In my opinion, CVS is a wonderful untapped resource. Typical retail prices are not as forgiving as other locations; however, if you do it right, you can pay a fraction of the price. Get a free ExtraCare account that will give you rewards and coupons. I like to get most of my toiletries here because there are always coupons that pair with rewards. For instance, there was recently a toothpaste coupon that would save 20% on each tube and give you 63% of your purchase back in credit. Making a five-dollar tube of toothpaste costs only $1.35.
- Noise Cancelling Headphones: I personally am a big fan of Sony’s noise-cancelling headphones, but they can be really expensive. Amazon has a deal for the Sony WH-CH720N headphones; they are initially $179.99, but they are marked down by 45% and are selling for $99.00. While that price is not perfect, it is still very handy for drowning out noisy roommates.
- iPad: Sales on Apple products are few and far between, but if you’re looking for an iPad for notetaking, I would recommend the standard model iPad and ordering an Apple pencil dupe from Amazon. I had one a few years ago, and it was honestly great. It was from the company Mixoo on Amazon, the charge would last three days, and it replaced my Apple Pencil that died.
- Rain Coats: It has not taken long at Stevens to learn that Hoboken is not an umbrella-friendly place. More often than not, I’ve seen people get soaked as they try to fix their inside-out umbrella. Macy’s has some good deals on raincoats for both men and women. Most of the raincoats are marked down anywhere from 40-65% with the best belonging to Levi’s and Dockers.
- Marshall’s and such: When it comes to clothes, do not discount stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or JCPenny. They tend to have really nice clothing and coat selections; you just need to find them in person. In addition to this, if you know someone who has a BJ’s, Sam’s, or Costco membership, be sure to go and take a look at some coats there.
Overall, couponing is not only for Black Friday, so if there is something you want to buy, sign up with an email, keep a look out for incoming coupons, and markdowns on the item. If you really want it, it will be worth the little bit of extra work, and the money saved will make it that much better. Happy shopping!
