Save on holiday shopping with these tips to find deals

Just about everything is more expensive this year due to inflation. However, the deals and discounts are out there.

With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday around the corner, there are more opportunities to save.

"This year what we're seeing on Black Friday, we're seeing just the lowest of the year on a lot of key items, especially when it comes to TVs and tech," RetailMeNot shopping expert Kristin McGrath said. "And those sales are kicking off earlier than ever. ... So really, the time to shop and start shopping is now."

Here's where you can expect to see the biggest discounts this holiday season.

• Smart home gadgets and small appliances
• Computers, laptops and tablets
• Earbuds and headphones
• Smartwatches and fitness trackers
• Massage guns
• Video games and gaming consoles

"Those consoles, those newer consoles, the Xbox series X, has historically not really gotten discounts and now we're seeing it $50 off at some retailers," McGrath said. "And target's even throwing in a $75 gift card when you buy it."

"We're also seeing some of the lowest prices ever on AirPods and AirPods Pro. There's a really good Air Pod deal when the Walmart sale kicks off on Wednesday," she added.

You may see last-minute deals after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but those can be hard to predict, so it's best to do your shopping now.

If you're concerned a discount seems a lot better than it actually is, there's a tool for that. You can check the price history with trackers like CamelCamelCamel, Honey and many others.

"If you start thinking about Black Friday on Black Friday, you're a little late to the game; these sales have been live for, you know, several days at this point. Some things might already be sold out," McGrath said. "So, you know, definitely do your research. Don't just run in ready to make impulse purchases."

Black Friday deals aren't the only way to cut costs. There are more ways and tools to save.

With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday around the corner, there are more opportunities to save on holiday shopping.

"Select a coupon site or look for coupons and cashback opportunities," Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge said. "Look at your memberships and see what you can get there. Like for example, if you're an AARP member, you can get up to 30% off a vendor, like FTD on flowers and gift baskets and chocolates."

"What's really nice though, is a lot of retailers do offer price protection. So, if you purchase something now and you see a lower price later, you can request a refund for the difference," Bodge added.

Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom, Kohl's and Macy's all have price protection policies. Just make sure you read the fine print beforehand.

Next, holiday shop with a plan to avoid making last-minute decisions.

"So make a list, some gift ideas for each recipient, a budget for each recipient that you think you can handle this season," Bodge said.

"Something that people often fall into is that they buy a lot for themselves during the holiday. And that's certainly okay, but not if you're going over budget by doing so," Bodage said. "I always recommend to add yourself to your list."

A lot of the focus will be on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But you can find great deals on Small Business Saturday, too, helping your local community in the process.

"Yes, you could go say to Amazon and you could find a toy and there's going to be lots of stuff on Amazon," Small Biz Silver Lining CEO Carissa Reiniger said. "But, if you go to a local small business or take an extra 10 minutes and search for the website of a small business, you're probably going to find something a lot more interesting, a lot more niche, a lot more connected to something that could be special."

A new Google feature makes shopping local even easier. When using Google Search or Google Maps to look for products, just select the "small business" filter. That'll direct you to local stores and online shops that identify as small businesses.

Join us every weekday morning on Eyewitness News at 5 a.m. for our new segment, ABC7 On Your Side. John Gregory has you covered on money-saving tips, including tricks to save on your bills, smart negotiating tactics, plus where you can score free stuff!