How to make a Black Friday wish list (that actually saves you money)

Black Friday is designed to make you buy things you weren't planning to buy. Doorbusters, countdown timers, "only 3 left," a new deal every hour. It's a lot of pressure packed into one weekend.

The best defense is surprisingly simple: decide what you want before the sales start. That's what a Black Friday wish list is for. Black Friday is November 27 this year, which means right now is the perfect time to start one.

Why start in October?

Because in October, nobody's shouting at you yet.

When you make your list early, you're deciding what you want with a calm head. When you wait until the week of, the ads decide for you. You end up browsing "top deals," and suddenly you're buying a waffle maker you didn't know existed an hour ago.

An October list also gives everything on it a few weeks to sit. That waiting time is where the magic happens.

Step 1: Write down what's actually on your mind

Start with things you've been thinking about for a while, not things you just saw:

• Something you've been meaning to replace, like worn-out boots or a slow laptop
• Something you've wanted for months and keep coming back to
• Gifts you already plan to buy for other people

Write down the exact item if you can, with a link. "A new coat" is easy to blow up into five coats. "This coat, in green" is much harder to argue with.

Want it step by step? Here's your Black Friday game plan: three dates and one short list.

Step 2: Let it sit

Don't buy anything yet. Just leave the list alone for a few weeks.

Some things on it will start to feel less exciting. That's not failure, that's the list working. By late November you'll have a shorter list of things you still really want, which is exactly the point of the 30-day rule.

Step 3: Set your budget now

Pick a number before the sales start, while you're still calm. Black Friday is very good at making "I'm saving so much!" feel like a reason to spend more.

If it helps, split your budget across your list ahead of time, so you know roughly what each thing is worth to you.

Step 4: Check the regular price today

This one is easy to skip and really useful. Write down what each item costs right now, or take a screenshot.

Some "sale" prices on Black Friday aren't much of a deal, and a few stores raise prices in the weeks before so the discount looks bigger. If you know the normal price, you'll know whether the deal is real.

Step 5: On the day, only buy what's on your list

This is where it all pays off. Open your list, check your items, and buy the ones that are on sale and still feel right.

Then close the tab. Everything else on the site, the "you might also like" and the "deal of the hour," isn't on your list, so it isn't for you today. If you need a reminder of how those tactics work, there's more in 7 things that help stop impulse buying online.

What if something on your list isn't on sale?

That's okay. You have two good options:

• Still want it at full price? Buy it whenever you like. You've waited, you know you want it, and that's what matters.
• Only wanted it on sale? Keep it on your list. There's always another sale, and you lose nothing by waiting.

What you don't need to do is buy something else just because it's on sale and your thing isn't.

After Black Friday

Give anything you bought a few days, then check in. Do you still love it? Most stores have a return window, so if something isn't right, that's your chance.

And look at what's left on your list. Things you passed on are money you didn't spend, and things you still want can carry on waiting for the next sale.

The short version

• Start your list in October, before the ads do.
• Only add things you've wanted for a while, with exact links.
• Let it sit for a few weeks and cross off what you've stopped caring about.
• Set your budget and note the regular prices now.
• On the day, buy only what's on your list, then close the tab.

If you'd like a quiet place to keep your list, that's what Favelist is for. Save something with a one-month cooldown in late October and it'll be ready to decide on right around Black Friday.