Black Friday guide: How to score the best deals this year

— -- It’s Black Friday week!

This year, the best single day for deep discounts is slated to be Thanksgiving Day, especially in the electronics category. Black Friday will also offer many good deals, especially in the toys and clothing categories. Savings continue on Cyber Monday, which is expected to be the best day for deals on shoes, make-up and laptops.

Many deals, even limited inventory doorbusters are available both online and in-store. Almost all of the deals, however, have specific times when they go live. When you are researching a deal, check the times as rigorously as you check the location and price.

Deals on cell phones can be complicated, and often mandate a specific contract or activation, so do your homework before schlepping down to the store to buy a new phone this year.

It is also important to note that some deals, times and prices may change. The roundup below can be used as guidelines and for planning, but always be sure to double-check all the details before making a purchase.

Top research sites for deals

Dealnews.com: This site offers great analysis of the best prices.

Bfads.net: You can search for a specific product and see all the discounts available using this site.

Camelcamelcamel.com: This site offers historical price comparison, so you can see if it really is the lowest price, or if you should wait for the price to drop more.

Top apps for finding deals
Paribus and Earny get you refunds, automatically, if the price of an item you buy drops after your purchase.

Can't-miss Black Friday deals that start on Thursday

1. 50-inch Sharp TV 4K with built-in Roku: $179 at Best Buy, in-store only. According to Deal News, it’s the lowest ever price for this size TV.
2. 65-inch LG 4K TV: $799 at Dell Home with a $150 Dell gift card. The net price comes down to $649 on Thursday at 11 a.m. Deal News reports that the average price for a name-brand 65-inch 4K TV is approximately $970, without the gift card.
3. Nintendo Switch: $299.99 at Meijer with a voucher for $30 off your next shopping trip at Meijer. This is one of the only Nintendo Switch deals we’ve seen this year.
4. PS4 Gran Turismo Sport Virtual Reality Bundle: $299 at Walmart. The regular price is $399.
5. Buy a Samsung Galaxy S8, iPhone 8, 8 plus and X with contract on AT&T or Verizon at Walmart and you get $300 Walmart Gift Card. In-store only. This is one of the only deals that includes the iPhone X
6. Buy a Samsung Galaxy Note8, S8 or S8 Plus for Verizon or Sprint with a qualified activation and get $300 off at Best Buy, starting Thursday at 5 p.m., online and in-store
7. Fuji Instax camera with built-in printer bundle: $55 at Walmart on Thursday. It comes with a 20-pack of film (valued at $20) and a case, plus it’s $14 off the list price of the camera alone.
8. Ring Wireless Doorbell: $99 (was $199) at Home Depot on Thursday
9. Apple Watch Series 1: $179 at Target, normally $249, starting Thursday morning online and in-store at 6 p.m.
10. Macy’s has 60 percent off family pajama sets on Thursday
11. Kmart has a bunch of small kitchen appliances for under $10, including a toaster, coffee maker and mini-chopper
12. Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise Cancelling Headphones: $179 at the Dell Home store ($100 off) https://www.bfads.net/stores/dell-home/ads/black-friday
13. KitchenAid 4.5-qt. Classic Stand Mixer: $149.99 at Meijer, plus $50 off your next shopping trip at Meijer

What time stores open on Thanksgiving Day
1. Best Buy: 5 p.m.
2. Big Lots: 7 a.m.
3. Dick’s Sporting Goods: 6 p.m.
4. JCPenney: 2 p.m.
5. Kohl’s: 5 p.m.
6. Kmart: 6 a.m.
7. Macy’s: 5 p.m.
8. Sears: 6 p.m.
9. Target: 6 p.m.
10. Walmart: 6 p.m.
To see a full list of the hours that stores are open this Thanksgiving Day, visit BestBlackFriday.com.

What time stores open on Black Friday
1. Best Buy: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
2. Big Lots: 6 a.m.
3. Dick’s Sporting Goods: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4. JCPenney: Thanksgiving Day 2 p.m. to Black Friday 10 p.m.
5. Kohl’s: Thanksgiving 5 p.m. to Black Friday 1 p.m.
6. Kmart: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
7. Macy’s: 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
8. Sears: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
9. Target: 6 a.m.
10. Walmart: Thanksgiving 6 p.m. overnight into Black Friday.
To see a full list of the hours that stores are open this Black Friday, visit BestBlackFriday.com.

What time deals go live online
Bfads.net also shared this list of what time some of the top Black Friday deals go live online.

1. Walmart: Thursday, Nov. 23 at 12:01 a.m. ET.
2. Kohl's: Deals are live now, but doorbusters start Thursday, November 23 at 12:01 a.m. ET.
3. JCPenney: Deals are live now.
4. Macy’: Wednesday, Nov. 22.
5. Staples: Thanksgiving Day.
6. Target: Their site says deals begin early Thanksgiving morning.
7. Best Buy: Thanksgiving morning; but Elite Members and Elite Plus Members can start shopping for deals on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21.
8. Office Depot: Thursday, Nov. 23 at 12:01 a.m. ET.
9. Dell Home: Thursday, Nov. 23 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
10. eBay: Thursday, Nov. 23 at 5:00 a.m. ET.
11. Bon-Ton: Deals are live now.