This year's been a rocky one for shoppers. Due to a combination of tariffs and environmental factors, the cost of groceries has ballooned in cost by almost 30% in the past five years, according to the Consumer Price Index, with 3% inflation hitting this year alone. Our own price tracking report has found that grocery-cart essentials like beef, coffee, and eggs have been the biggest sticker-shockers of 2025 at various times. Tariffs are casting a shadow over the holiday shopping season. And uncertainty around government food assistance programs has recently added another layer of concern.
Our survey of 3,474 KCL app users (*see methodology) shows people are really feeling the pressure as holiday shopping gets closer. And we're seeing a clear shift in deal-hunting priorities from last year, with shoppers moving away from tech and zeroing in on essentials. Nearly half plan to spend less on the holidays this year. And when we asked what's driving that decision, one thing dominated: people's budgets.
Plus, our survey revealed a pattern we saw in our survey last year: that shoppers aren't buying into all the Black Friday sales hype.
If you’re not couponing yet, you’re missing FREE deals. Download the KCL app now .
What's on this page:
Tech is out, food and groceries are in this year.
Our survey shows a big change from last year when it comes to what shoppers are looking to buy during Black Friday and holiday sales. In 2024, tech was at the top of deal hunters' lists (essentials were in third place). This year, those priorities have swapped places, with shoppers saying they want deals on groceries and essentials more than anything else. Tech is in now third place.
And we're not just seeing this in our survey. Our followers on social media are saying the same thing:
The trend is clear. Shoppers' budgets are tight, and they need to save on essentials before they can even think about the TVs, tablets, and headphones that have usually been Black Friday's biggest draws. Tech is also losing ground to home goods this year — a more practical category that includes furniture, appliances, and vacuums. In other words, shoppers are prioritizing things that keep their households running and would cause real problems if they broke. The nice-to-haves are taking a back seat.
What Our Experts Say: If you're shopping for essentials, you'll find plenty of Black Friday deals. We suggest shopping at Amazon's Black Friday sale (and taking advantage of Subscribe & Save discounts on everything from snacks to paper towels). Plus, check out Target's Black Friday sale: They've announced they'll offer stock-up deals on essentials, and last year, we saw BOGO deals on everything from snacks to cleaning supplies.
Budget stress means spending less for almost half of shoppers this year.
With rising costs and uncertainty piling on the pressure, almost half (47%) of shoppers say they plan to spend less than they did last year. The National Retail Federation found similar results in October — the amount shoppers plan to spend during November and December has dropped slightly from 2024. It's the first decline the NRF has seen since 2022 when inflation hit record highs.
Only 14% told us they'll spend more this year, while 39% say they'll spend about the same. That suggests many households have stable finances; they're just stretched thin.
The biggest reason people are cutting back? Their budgets. Shoppers' own financial constraints are by far the top concern this holiday season.
In fact, budget stress dwarfs other concerns this year. Nothing else even comes close. Not deal FOMO, not bad deals. This means that shoppers know they may miss out on some good deals this year; the fact of the matter is, they just can't afford them.
What Our Experts Say: If your holiday budget is lower than last year, you may need to be flexible. Take advantage of holiday clearance sales. Many of them actually start before Dec. 25 and are geared at clearing out unsold merchandise at the last minute. While you can't be too picky, you'll find a variety of stocking stuffers, holiday gift sets, toys, and puzzles for up to 50% off. And if you want holiday decor, markdowns start as early as the second week of December at Hobby Lobby and Lowe's.
Stocking stuffers are another area you can save. Check out Amazon Haul (we've been seeing them offer items for as low as $0.01 lately), as well as CVS and Walgreens, where you can use coupons to get small personal care items for free.
Shoppers are skeptical about Black Friday and Cyber Monday hype.
The idea that Black Friday has the lowest prices of the year isn't ringing true for shoppers in 2025. More than one-third say they're neutral about whether Black Friday and Cyber Monday actually offer better deals than other sales throughout the year. Another 29% are confident Black Friday deals aren't better at all. Just 3% strongly believe Black Friday has the lowest prices of the year.
Our survey last year found similar skepticism, so we dug into why. We even talked to a consumer behavior expert to understand what's changed. Several factors are at play. Big sales now happen year-round — think Amazon Prime Day and Target Circle Week — so Black Friday doesn't feel as special. The shift away from in-store shopping may have also killed some of the hype and excitement that used to build around the day.
Whatever the reasons, shoppers are scrutinizing Black Friday deals. And their lower budgets this year are giving them extra reason to.
What Our Experts Say: Price history trackers like Keepa and CamelCamelCamel can help clue you in to whether a product is at its lowest price ever on Black Friday. In fact, we frequently use these tools to spot items that are at their lowest prices of the year on Black Friday.
Shoppers are planning ahead and starting early this year.
With less to spend, shoppers are being strategic this year. Almost 60% say they'll start looking early and buy when they find good deals. Only 9% plan to impulse buy, and just 7% say they'll wait until the last minute.
In other words, people are watching carefully for the right deals and spreading their spending out over time.
What Our Experts Say: Starting early is a good plan, especially because retailers are running multiple rounds of Black Friday deals, giving you lots of chances to save. Some of our favorite early sales include the following:
-
Target's Toy Coupon: You can get 25% off a single toy through Nov. 15. Use it on a big-ticket toy to maximize your savings. We also expect another toy coupon ($10 off $50) to land in December. So that's two chances to save on toys.
-
Walmart Black Friday Round 1: Did you know Walmart divides its Black Friday sale into two parts? The first part runs Nov. 14 - 16 and includes 50% off Melissa & Doug puzzles, up to 44% off select Lego sets, and more.
-
Costco Early Black Friday Deals: If you're a Costco member, you can take advantage of deals on drinks, batteries, Kleenex, and more essentials during the first wave of its Black Friday sale, which runs through Nov. 16.
Another tip: Best Buy and Target both have holiday price guarantees. If their own prices go lower during the holiday shopping season, you can get a refund of the difference. So if you want to spread out your holiday budget, you don't have to worry about getting stuck with a bad deal if the price goes lower at either of those stores. Best Buy's cutoff is Dec. 31, and Target's is Dec. 24.
How KCL Can Help Shoppers Get What They Need (And Want) From Holiday Deals
At the end of the day, it's hard to avoid spending during the holidays. The good news is, there are plenty of deals out there, and The Krazy Coupon Lady's deal hunters are working around the clock to help shoppers find the best ones:
-
Our KCL app lets you sign up for push notifications when sales go live. You can also set up alerts for types of products or specific stores.
-
We’ll be sharing our favorite Black Friday deals, vetted by professional deal hunters. Our deals also clearly list every coupon and rebate offer you need to apply to get the lowest price.
-
We're keeping an eye on groceries and tracking which price is considered good these days, so you can stock up for less and get what you need for holiday meals. Prices are going up on certain things. For example, we've noticed that the price of chocolate has gone up 15% since April. But if you check our grocery price list, you'll know where you can get chocolate chips for holiday baking at the lowest price possible.
-
Our deal hunters are constantly finding essentials and stocking stuffers you can get for free with coupons. Check our couponing freebies roundup regularly. Items like deodorant, toothpaste, and snacks are often free when you stack coupons with store rewards.
*Survey methodology: Survey of 3,474 KCL app users conducted via our app. Survey dates were Oct. 18 - 20, 2025.
You May Also Be Interested In:
