32 Noobie-Recommended Black Friday Deals

Last night I spent nearly an hour going through all of the Black Friday ads in our Sunday paper to hand pick my favorites. I wrote these favorites down on a list and now I’m happy to share that list with you.

What makes items on this list my favorite? It has to be a product I like at a price you can’t normally get. Every product on this list is something I would own myself. That doesn’t mean I do own all of these because that’s not really practical (I don’t need 3 tablets and 2 gaming consoles).

One last thing. I can’t guarantee that what I list here is the absolute best deal available anywhere. But these are the best deals I found from the resources I had available and I wouldn’t feel a bit bad jumping on any one of these deals.

Walmart Deals

Free $30 Gift Card when you buy iPad Mini 16GB with Wi-Fi for $199
The original (not the latest) iPad Mini at a can’t beat price with an extra in-store gift card.

$99 Xbox 360 4GB
It’s the Xbox 360 version without the hard drive but you can’t beat the price.

50% off Xbox Live 3-mos. POSA Card
An Xbox Live subscription is a must-have for serious Xbox gamers. Why not save some money on the normal price?

$50 Gift Card when you buy PlayStation 4 for $399
Typical deal where they can’t discount the price but they will give you an in-store gift card for your next visit.

$100 Gift Card when you buy iPad Air 16GB with Wi-Fi for $397
It’s the older (original) iPad Air model but you can save some money and get $100 toward your next visit. Use it to buy a case or other accessories.

Best Buy Deals

Save $75 on all iPad mini 3 (sale price starting at $324.99)
The price isn’t really a sale price but it feels like it when you get $75 to spend on your next visit.

$399.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 – 16G (Reg. $499.99)
If Apple and the iPad is not your thing, this is a great deal on an Android tablet.

Save $100-$150 on Surface Pro 3 128GB or larger
Surface Pro 3s are expensive. If you really want one, jump on any chance you can to save a few bucks.

Verizon Wireless Deals

$49.99 mophie powerstation (4000mAh) (reg. $79.99)
Great portable charger to charge up your smartphone when there are no outlets available.

Buy a Belkin NetCam HD+ for $129.99 and get a Belkin WeMo Insight Switch Free
This is the normal price for the NetCam but you can’t the Insight Switch (which I own and love) thrown in for free. The Insight Switch is $50 by itself.

$49.99 Altec Lansing TheJacket Bluetooth Speaker (reg. $99.99)
Just tested this speaker. It’s waterproof so it’s perfect for near the pool or lake, and you can’t beat half price!

$49.99 Tracks Headphones by SOL REPUBLIC (reg. $99.99)
My absolute favorite headphones (yes, I own these). Never seen them at this good of a price.

Get $100 or more when you trade in your old smartphone and purchase a Droid Turbo by Motorola
(new 2-year or Edge activation / upgrade required, trade in for a VZW gift card. Trade-in must be in good working condition)
Best battery on any phone I tested. If you are in the market for a new Android phone, this is a great option.

Target Deals

$49.99 Sony Wi-Fi Blu-ray Player (Save $70)
If you don’t have at least one Blu-ray player in your house, you should. Sony is a great brand name and this is a great price.

Free $140 Gift Card when you buy iPad Air 2 16GB Wi-Fi for $499
Newest model. Nothing fancy about the base price but you do get the $140 Target gift card.

Free $50 Gift Card when you buy GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition for $249.99 (Save $50)
I tested this camera and loved it. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast (or know one), this is the great price and you get the gift card.

$179 Xbox 360 4GB Kinect bundle with 3 games – Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures and Forza Horizon, and 1-month Xbox Live subscription (Reg. $249.99)
Not the cheapest price for an Xbox 360 4GB (see Walmart) but this is a bundle that comes with Kinect, 3 games and a 1-month Xbox Live subscription.

Meijer Deals

Save $50 off your next shopping trip when you buy one Xbox 360 4GB Hardware System for $129.99 (Save $50)
Walmart has the better up-front price ($99) but if you want a gift card, Meijer has the better deal.

$10 off Xbox Live 3 or 12 Month Subscription Cards
If someone in your house plays on the Xbox 360 or Xbox one, they will probably want an Xbox Live subscription.

Amazon Fire TV $74 (Save $25)
This is a better deal than Amazon offers. How’d they pull that one off?

Save $50 on your next shopping trip when you buy one Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10.1″ 16GB for $249 (Save $100.99)
If iPad’s not your thing and Android is, this is a nice full-sized tablet at a great price.

Amazon Deals

All Kindle models are discounted
Kindle $49 (Reg. $79)
Kindle Paperwhite $99 (Reg. $119)
Fire HD6 $79 (Reg. $99)
Fire HD7 $109 (Reg. $139)

If you’ve been thinking about a Kindle or Kindle Fire tablet, they are all on sale on Amazon today.

Sam’s Club Deals

$39.86 Roku HDMI Streaming Stick
This is the tiny Roku (USB thumb stick sized) that plugs right into your HDMI port. If you need a way to play Netflix, Hulu and more, this is a great deal.

$14.88 APC Surge 2 Pack
2 surge protector (power extenders) for under $15

Office Depot Deals

20% off when you buy $50 in iTunes Gift Cards
If you or anyone you know owns an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad, these are like gold.

$3.99 Lexar TwistTurn USB Drive 8GB (60% off)
Makes for a nice stocking stuffer!

$4.99 Lexar Class 10 SDHC or microSDHC Memory Card 8GB (75% off)
Perfect for your digital camera. Class 10 means it’s fast. Just make sure your camera supports SDHC and not just SD.

Staples Deals

$49.99 Brother HLL-2320d mono laser printer (Reg. $119.99)
Not my favorite Brother printer because it is USB only which means no wired or wireless connection, but if you don’t need that and just want a nice, quality laser printer, this fits the bill perfectly.

Other Online Deals

CrashPlan – 30% off CrashPlan for Home plans through 12/2
This is the software I used to back up all of my computers. I would jump all over this 30% off deal before it expires. View this offer

Buy.Gazelle.com – $10 off any device with a value of $200 or more with coupon code THANKSGIVING. Exp. 12/24
If you’re looking for a used smartphone or tablet, this is a great place to look and why not save an additional $10? View this offer

EasyCanvas – Thanksgiving Special; Get a 18×24 Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print for $34.99, regularly $103. Plus Free Shipping at EasyCanvasPrints.com. Exp. 11/28
Turn your favorite print into a canvas. I have a few of these and they look great. View this offer

Fanatics.com – Cyber Savings Event: 30% off on orders over $60 at Fanatics.com. Exp. 12/1
Easy way to get that football or basketball jersey for the sports fanatic in your life. View this offer