How I saved $400 shopping for Christmas in the Black Friday sales

Ahead of Christmas, I strategically shopped at the Black Friday sales to save a small fortune on festive gifts.

One of the benefits of working with a talented bunch of writers and editors at Finder is the steady stream of articles that cross my path.

This year, as our team stays on top of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, I’ve been using our latest updates to cleverly plan out my Christmas spending – and I’ve saved over $400 doing it.

Here’s what I bought and where I saved:

Apple AirPods Pro

My husband has wanted these for years and Apple is notoriously shy with offering discounts, so I jumped at this opportunity to nab his Christmas present and save a quarter off the price.

RRP: $399
Black Friday sale price: $295
Saving: $104

Get your pair from Amazon now.

Nintendo Switch OLED model Splatoon 3 edition

I snapped this one a little while ago in the pre-Black Friday sales for just $379. While this particular deal is no longer available, you can still grab the regular OLED Nintendo Switch for just $478, down from $539.95.

RRP: $539.95
Black Friday sale price: $379
Saving: $160.95

Buy the Nintendo Switch OLED console now at Amazon for $478.

Minecraft and Harry Potter LEGO

My 6-year-old son is LEGO-obsessed, and thanks to Amazon’s sale – offering up to 50% off – I grabbed 2 sets. The ones I bought were the LEGO Minecraft The Skeleton Dungeon Building Kit ($49.99 down to $35) and the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Moment: Divination Class Book Classroom Building Set ($49.99 down to $25).

RRP: $49.99 each
Black Friday sale price: $35 and $25
Saving (total): $39.98

Shop a range of Lego Black Friday deals.

35mm Co instant camera

What does one buy an infinitely picky 12-year-old girl? My daughter is impossible to buy for, so when I discovered this 20% Black Friday discount, I couldn’t resist snapping this instant camera up for her. I grabbed the hot pink model too, which delivers $10 per sale to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

RRP: $99.95
Black Friday sale price: $79.95
Saving: $20

Shop here using the code BF20.

T2 Tea cup and saucer

I went on a bit of a spree at T2 buying gifts for my tea-drinking friends to make the most of the $10 shipping fee. They’re offering plenty of pretty things on sale, with a further 25% off for Black Friday. I paid just over $70 for 5 teacup sets, including postage!

RRP: $151
Black Friday sale price: $73.50
Saving: $77.50

Shop T2’s Black Friday sale.

Total savings: $402.43