Hey, it’s Black Friday! Personally, I’ve been pretty anti- this annual shopping holiday for a while, but that doesn’t mean that it’s completely bereft of redeeming factors. For example, while what I’m mostly opposed to is the frenzy that happens at physical store locations, there are some decent deals you can take advantage of from home.
Furthermore, in contrast to some deals that might actually cause you to buy things you don’t need, Black Friday along with Cyber Monday do occasionally come with money-saving offers on practical purchases and useful tools. In fact, as I looked through my email inbox, I realized that a number of the products and services I’ve previously reviewed are among those promoting special deals.
With that in mind, here’s a quick round-up of some Black Friday (and beyond) deals that have come to my attention and could be worth yours.
Blinkist
- The Black Friday Offer: 75% Off a Blinkist yearly subscription after a 7-day free trial
- The Regular Price: Blinkist annual subscriptions are normally $99.99
- My Thoughts: Blinkist is a platform I first tried thanks to an Amex Offer. What it offers is highlights from numerous e-books and audiobooks, allowing you to preview titles or just get the best takeaways from them. Similarly, the service also has bite-sized podcast excerpts and more. Now, for a limited time, the cost is being cut to $24.99 for one year with their Black Friday offer — which popped up at the bottom of the screen for me but didn’t have much info.
I should note that this deal still includes a 7-day free trial, during which you can cancel your subscription to avoid being charged the annual fee, so that’s a nice option if you’re curious what it’s all about. Ultimately, if you’re someone who enjoys non-fiction books but don’t have a ton of time to read them or want to explore them more before buying, Blinkist could be the solution — and half off for a year is a solid deal.
Teachable
- The Black Friday Offer: 35% off all Annual Plans or 25% off Monthly Plans for your first three months
- The Regular Price: Basic annual plans cost $348 normally while Pro annual plans are $1,188. Monthly is $39 for Basic and $119 for Pro.
- My Thoughts: If you’re being technical, I haven’t exactly reviewed Teachable. However, I did participate in their Creator Challenge. In any case, if you’re unfamiliar, Teachable is a platform where you can host and sell your own courses. Thus, if you’ve been looking to launch a course of your own, now could be a great time to pony up for an annual plan — although, unlike last year, this year’s deal also applies to the monthly option. With this deal, an annual Basic subscription comes in at $226.20, while a Pro sub is $772.20. Meanwhile, you can also do Basic monthly for $29.25 (for your first three months) or Pro for $89.25 (again, for your first three months). So, if selling a course is on your New Year’s to-do list, this upfront investment could well be worth it.
Goldbelly
- The Black Friday Offer: 20% off sitewide with code JINGLEBELLY through November 29th (Excludes shipping, use unlimited times)
- The Regular Price: Again, there are various Goldbelly coupon codes and offer throughout the year, but 20% off is pretty good.
- My Thoughts: Goldbelly is an awesome service and could make for a great gift if you know someone who’s craving a regional delicacy they no longer live near. The only downside of the platform is the price — and, while the 20% off helps, you’ll still likely be spending a significant amount for anything you buy. That said, if you do some searching, you can probably find a decent deal on a special meal for yourself or a loved on.
Skyroam
- The Black Friday Offer: $20 off Solis Lite and 50% off data plans purchased with the hotpot + 40% off 20 Global Daypasses or 30% off 10 Global Daypasses
- The Regular Price: A Skyroam Solis Lite is typically $139, 20 Global Daypasses are $180 and 10 Global Daypasses
- My Thoughts: Even if you don’t have an international trip planned, purchasing hotspot data ahead of time could be a good deal. Last year, Skyroam featured their Pay-Per-GB data in their Black Friday sale but, this time around, they’ve shifted to their Global Daypasses instead. Alternatively, if you don’t already have a hotspot, their back-in-stock Skyroam Solis Lite is $20 off and you’ll be able to get 50% off a data plan at the time you purchase your hotspot.
I do feel compelled to note that the Lite was previously already $119, but I’ll give them a pass here due to inflation and supply chain issues that actually kept new hotspots off the Skyroam site for some time. Anyway, if you plan on traveling for the holidays or in the new year, this is definitely an investment in having portable WiFi on future travels. Alternatively, a hotspot and data could be a great gift for the world traveler in your life.
InCharge cables
- The Black Friday Offer: Up to 70% off + a free InCharge Mini with purchase
- The Regular Price: The InCharge XL 300cm goes for $39, the InCharge X is $29, and the InCharge Mini (which is free with purchase here) is also $29
- My Thoughts: I first met Rolling Square (the makers of InCharge cables) at CES this year and was excited by their “tech minimalism” tagline. I ordered a few of their multi-use cables and have brought them with me on several trips since. What I love is that, with just one cable, I can charge nearly every device I have. Sure, this hasn’t saved me a ton of room in my backpack as cords aren’t very big, but the peace of mind I get from these clever cables is real. A couple of notes here. First, I’d recommend the InCharge X line over the InCharge 6 if you plan on heavy use. That said, the deal on the InCharge 6 Max is better as the 60% off brings it down to $9.60. So, if you’re just looking for casual use, this may be a good option. Meanwhile, the InCharge XLs are only 20% off… but you do get a free InCharge Mini. On that note, once you complete your purchase, you’ll get an email from InCharge allowing you to choose from four options: USB A to USB C, USB C to USB C, USB A to Lightning, or USB C to Lightning. You’ll need to make your selection within 12 hours or it will apparently be chosen at random for you. How do I know all of this? Yup — I purchased another InCharge XL for myself to use around the house and selected the USB C to USB C Mini just because.
Allbirds
- The Black Friday Offer: Up to 50% off on select styles
- The Regular Price: Wool Runner Mizzles fetch $125 normally while the hi-top Wool Runner-Up Mizzles are $145
- My Thoughts: When I first wrote about Allbirds, they didn’t seem to have any discounts or sales. That certainly changed since as the company has rapidly expanded its number of offerings. It also opened its “ReRun” shop where it sells returned shoes. Anyway, in the case of this Black Friday deal, there are a few good picks but it will depend on your preference.
Personally, I found a pair of Emerald-colored Wool Runner-Up Mizzles for $84, which I think is a pretty good deal. Of course, you’ll need to like the color (I sure do) as the other option for this model, Savanna Night, is only marked down to $129. Sizes are also limited so I’d hurry to the Allbirds site to take a look if you’re interested.
Cometeer
- The Black Friday Offer: A total of $60 off your first four boxes ($25 off your first, $15 off the second, $10 off the third, and $10 off the fourth)
- The Regular Price: $64 for 32 capsules + $9.99 shipping (although shipping is also apparently free on your first box)
- My Thoughts: I’ve come to really enjoy Cometeer since I’ve been subscribing to them, seeing them as a happy medium between making a regular K-cup and going to a coffee shop. They’re also a lot easier to prepare than a pour-over. As for this Black Friday deal, it does quickly point out that Cometeer is a subscription — although you can cancel any time as well as push back orders if you need to (I do it all the time). Still, saving a bit on each order is definitely nice and will bring your total cost per cup below the normal $2.31. By the way, should you miss this deal, you can still get $25 off your first box by using my referral link.
QuikFlip
- The Black Friday Offer: 25% off storewide
- The Regular Price: Hero Hoodie Classic goes for $59.95 normally while the DryFlip rain jackets regularly start at $79.95
- My Thoughts: I truly love my QuikFlip hoodie and use it all the time — especially when traveling or spending the day out somewhere. It’s also amazingly fun to confuse my friends when they realize that I’ve suddenly shed my sweatshirt and donned a backpack. With the discount, the Black Friday price on a Hero Hoodie Classic comes to $45 and it seems that economy shipping is free. Personally, I think this is a pretty good deal and am even considering picking up an extra one for myself.
Bose
- The Black Friday Offer: There are a few but the one I’m focusing on is $119 Refurbished Bose Sleepbuds II.
- The Regular Price: Sleepbuds II typically cost $250 (yeah… I know) while refurbished ones apparently fetch $169.
- My Thoughts: I fully admit that paying $250 for a piece of tech that does so little is pretty crazy. Yet, my Sleepbuds have since become a travel essential for me, helping me block out the annoying noises often heard in hotel rooms — including road noise, loud neighbors, and more. At home, I also enjoy using them on stormy nights. But, considering that they only play a selection of white noises and nothing else, that $250 price tag is hard to justify. That’s why those interested may want to consider this deal that will allow you buy them for $119 instead. Granted, these are refurbished, but I can’t imagine that being too much of a dealbreaker. Basically, if you think you could benefit from this specialized product, I’d jump on this deal.
Hopefully one or more of these deals will be of use to you — but, if not, that’s great too! Either way, I hope you have a great Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and holiday season overall.