Frugal Friends Podcast

Episode: Black Friday 2025 is OFFICIALLY A SCAM (Can you call these deals?)

Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

Jen and Jill dive into the truth about Black Friday in 2025, exploring how the iconic shopping day has evolved—and not for the better. They break down why most Black Friday "deals" are often a scam, highlighting manipulated pricing, psychological marketing traps, and the power of nostalgia. Through stories, statistics, and candid conversation, they arm listeners with practical tips to resist spending traps and approach sales season with intention and clarity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Black Friday Has Changed

• Early Black Fridays were all about excitement, real bargains, and in-store adventure.
  • Nostalgic stories: both hosts remember waking up early, strategizing with family, or simply enjoying the energy of the occasion.
  • “Black Friday used to mean deals so good you’d wake up at 4am to fist fight for a TV. Now you’re losing sleep just to save six bucks on a blender that's been marked up all month.” — Jen (01:39)
• The experience was a cultural event, complete with gamified in-store promotions (e.g., Old Navy’s purse game for prizes).

2. Black Friday is Now “Black November”

• The shopping period and “doorbusters” start earlier, with online deals saturating November.
• Online spending continues to outpace in-store shopping:
  • 2024 saw $10.8 billion spent online on Black Friday—a 10.2% increase YoY; 87.3 million Americans shopped online vs. 81.7 million in-store. — Jill (07:37)
• The hosts point out that much of the urgency and “event” element is now lost in remote, extended sales periods.

3. The Psychology of "Deals" and Why We Overspend

• Many so-called “sales” are recycled discounts or fake price drops. Retailers often inflate prices in October to offer “deep discounts” in November.

  • “Our brains love saving money by buying stuff more than we love saving money by not buying something.” — Jen (10:38)

• Anecdotes and videos prove that Black Friday pricing can even be higher than normal prices days before.

  • Example: A “deal” on a video game raising its Black Friday price above what it was days prior. — TikTok clip (22:35)

• Social media haul videos and influencer culture stoke FOMO and normalize overspending, even when no real deals occur.

  “I did tons of Black Friday shopping, naturally none of it was on sale. Like literally none of it was really on sale.” — Social Media Clip, Female Influencer (14:03)

4. Retailers' Marketing Tricks & Manipulated Savings

• Data-driven sales cycles: Most big-ticket items go on sale every 5-7 weeks. Brands build discounting into their regular pricing (18:16, 31:29).
• Companies count on luring you in with a single “deal,” then upselling full-priced or marked-up items.
  • “Wall Street Journal found that Wayfair uses deals to draw in shoppers...around 70% of the revenue generated is from non-promoted [full-price] items.” — Jill (33:18)
• Psychological barriers have eroded—shopping from home is easier and less risky, but often leads to increased overspending.

5. Consumer Trends: More Spending, More Debt, Less Value

• Despite economic challenges, spending continues to climb—outpacing inflation.
  • “General inflation rate rose about 2.9%. What we are consuming...is outpacing inflation. So how did we get here?” — Jen (08:50)
• Mobile purchases dominate: Over 54% of Black Friday online purchases in 2024 came via mobile devices, up from 51% in 2023 (27:33).
• “Buy Now, Pay Later” options encourage higher spending and mask the true cost of purchases.

6. How to Outsmart the Black Friday Machine

Practical Tips:

• Recognize sales as marketing: The “black” in Black Friday refers to retailers getting out of the red, not consumers saving money (12:18).
• Track price histories: Use tools like CamelCamelCamel, Honey, or Capital One Shopping to see true historic pricing, especially on Amazon.
  • “See what the prices have been over the last year. You can anticipate a little bit of inflation for a lot of things.” — Jen (34:13)
• Have a shopping list & stick to it: Only buy what you planned for, not what’s pitched as a “deal.”
  • “What else are you tacking in? That’s where that shopping list...and sticking to that shopping list is so important...” — Jill (33:18)
• Create friction: Delete shopping apps or shop in-store with a clear plan—physical barriers can limit impulse buying.
  • “If you’re gonna spend on Black Friday, you’re better off deleting the apps on your phone and going in store and creating more barriers.” — Jen (30:59)
• Use cashback tools: Leverage platforms like Rakuten for additional savings, but with intention (49:08).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Black Friday nostalgia:
  “For me, I thought Black Friday was an Olympic sport. It truly was.” — Jen (03:45)
  “I want this to be an elevated, not one issue way like the CBS reports. I just think it’s so fun. I mean, I’m originally from Philly...some of that, like, high intensity, like, we’re gonna fight people today, they had to grease the poles.” — Jill (20:18)
• On fake sales:
  “They care so little about us. They are making so much money that...they're gonna shop anyway. Let’s just mark it up. We'll just say it’s Black Friday and we will change nothing and we will increase the price.” — Jen (24:03)
• On overcoming sales pressure:
  “Checking...price histories...see if it’s something that is a legitimate, like legitimately drops to its lowest price during Black Friday and then think about, do I need it?” — Jen (34:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Black Friday nostalgia and evolution: 01:39–07:30
• Online shopping trends and sales data: 07:35–10:38
• The “deal” psychology and real-life examples: 10:38–14:59
• Influencer hauls and social pressure: 13:52–14:42
• Retailers’ tricks & evidence of price manipulation: 22:13–25:41
• Buy Now, Pay Later & increased spending: 27:41–28:24
• How to really save / price tracking: 31:29–36:12
• Listener’s frugal win (Bill of the Week): 37:15–40:24
• De-influencing lightning round (what hosts actually bought last Black Friday): 42:32–46:46
• Cashback resources and hacks: 49:08–51:15

Actionable Takeaways

• Don’t trust the hype: Most Black Friday deals are recycled or artificial.
• Be intentional: Build a list, do your price research, use tools like CamelCamelCamel and Rakuten.
• Create barriers to impulse buying: Remove apps, shop physically when you can, and unsubscribe from sale emails/social.
• Know your motivations: Are you buying for need, or because a sale is telling you to buy?
• Connect with community: Share resources creatively (see Bill of the Week story, 37:15) and source items via Buy Nothing or secondhand options.

Resources Mentioned

• CamelCamelCamel for Amazon price tracking
• Honey and Capital One Shopping for broader price history
• Rakuten for extra cash back
• Buy Nothing groups and local secondhand/creative reuse craft stores

Final Thoughts

Jen and Jill drive home the message that Black Friday, as marketed today, is less about helping you save and more about prompting unnecessary consumption. With a mix of nostalgia, humor, and frank advice, they encourage listeners to be intentional, skeptical, and values-driven in their shopping habits—especially during sales seasons designed to benefit retailers more than consumers.

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