Prep for Black Friday Like a Professional Organizer
Kylie Wade, Organizing for Life CEO and Lead Organizer
We are all in the thick of it right now, so the last thing you need is one more to-do item. I get it.
But the way you approach Black Friday and holiday sales can literally make or break your budget and your home. I’m not here to tell you not to shop — I’m here to help you shop like someone who’s seen what happens on the other side of those “deal of the day” buttons.
I’m Kylie Wade, a professional organizer who shops almost daily for clients and also removes thousands of items from homes every week. I tackle the removal of the regrets from past sales, presents nobody asked for, duplicates purchased in a pinch and damaged items from neglected and cluttered spaces. I know a thing or two about holiday shopping hacks and great gifts.
As someone who is basically the prescription for retail therapy regrets, here’s how I’m approaching this holiday shopping season—and how you can, too.
Stock Up on Practical Items You Use Daily
Life is so expensive right now. What are the practical items you need? My son needs new shoes (for the second time this school year….), and socks for those growing feet. This item will be at the top of my list.
But shoes are just one example, this could be floor cleaner, vitamins, foods you can freeze, supplements and so much more! Literally last year an influencer friend of mine (should out @exercisewithextrafries) shared that their parents stocked up on floor cleaner for black Friday - so smart!
Now, the Pro Organizer in me also bans some clients from SAMS and Costco, because we don’t all have walk-in pantries (myself included). So only stock up a comfortable amount that you can easily accommodate without a massive declutter project or burdening yourself with overflowing back stock shelving for half the year.
This is inflation, not covid. Yes…we are still helping people offload all those items too. So before you purchase, ask yourself:
Do I have a shelf, bin, or cabinet where this can live?
Can I see what I have, or will it get buried?
Will I realistically use this before it expires?
If yes, go ahead and grab the practical items. Just don’t turn your house into a warehouse in the name of savings.
2. Make YOUR List Before Influencers Make It for You
Y’all I am guilty of it too. That late night scroll, the ease of a purchase via the Tiktok shop, double click for Apple pay and see you the next day (well… not if you’re in East Tennessee). You get my point.
So before the big holiday sales, pause and ask:
What do we actually need right now?
What will we probably need in the next 3–6 months?
Where are the “pain points” in our home? (kitchen cabinets, kids’ closets, paper clutter, etc.)
I keep running lists for:
Household basics
Kids’ clothes and shoes
Business needs (inventory, marketing materials, office supplies, uniform shirts)
Kitchen organizers and home systems I want to implement for clients and in my own home
These lists live in places like my Amazon lists, LTK collections, and other sites that will actually alert me when prices drop. That way, when I search things like best organizers or kitchen organizers, I’m starting from what I already know we need—not what popped up on a homepage.
If you want to go one level up, turn it into a simple spreadsheet:
Family member
Gift ideas
Budgeted amount
Actual price
Savings
Running total
You don’t HAVE to do this, especially if you use a finance tracking app where you can create a category specific to Holiday gift shopping or just normal shopping habits. It is just such a powerful and eye-opening visual.
3. VERIFY YOUR PURCHASES Are Actually ON Sale
I use a browser extension called Honey, which allows you to see a graph that represents the price history for items. Look at a full year, then assess IF you are truly getting a great deal. If you aren’t but still love the item? Be sure to add the items to your Honey “drop list” to get an alert once the sales
APP SPOTLIGHT: HONEY
Honey compares every seller they find for the item you're buying – even factoring in shipping and Prime status. If it finds a better seller, It will tell you.
Note: Honey is not affiliated with Amazon.
Automatically track the price of frequently viewed items on select sites. Once an item is added, we'll notify you if the price drops at that store.
Enabled at checkout, it will auto populate discount codes for you.
Let tools like Honey and also Rakuten make your search easier because it is doing a comparison at different stores for you. But if you don’t know exactly what style, type, size, you may be subject to buying something incorrectly, having to do a return so now you’ve got more time spent and possibly you’ve missed a sale rep purchasing the item if you didn’t get for example, of the correct size.
If it’s not actually a deal? Add it to your Honey Droplist and wait.
Then, once you do find a true deal, I use Rakuten or a credit card shopping portal to earn cash back or points. You can only stack one, so choose the one that pays you best.
This tactic has helped us earn:
Platinum Hotel Status at our favorite hotel chain
Platinum Status with American Airlines
And enough points to get a few real vacations paid for
All from things we were already going to buy.
APP SPOTLIGHT: RAKUTEN
But here’s the Professional Organizer side of that tip:
Only chase deals when you know exactly what you need. Guessing the size? Buying the wrong color? Not sure if it will fit in your pantry or cabinet? That’s how “deals” turn into clutter.
NEED TO SLOW DOWN ON SPENDING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?
I have tips for that too!
Remove saved credit card information to make online purchases more difficult
Leave things in your cart for 24 hours before purchasing
No purchases after 9pm
4. Make Sure You Are Actually Getting a Sale
A kitchen organizer bought on sale or was just a trendy late-night TikTok shop organizing purchase…. that doesn’t fit the cabinet just become additional items we remove from your home.
So this year, if you’re considering kitchen organizers, pantry bins, drawer inserts, or any of the “best organizers” you’ve seen online:
Measure first
Check your shelves
Look at the depth of your cabinets
Confirm the lid style, handle style, and color
It takes two minutes, saves you money, and prevents future decluttering sessions.
5. Shop SMALL AS MUCH AS You Can
Yes, I love a good big-box sale… but I also see firsthand how much impact small businesses have on our everyday routines and communities. We feel the shift when finances become tight and spending on service-based businesses like slow down.
This season, look for:
Local coffee shops offering bonus gift cards ($20 for $25 in value)
Restaurants running holiday promos
Maker’s markets with unique gifts
Small boutiques with curated items that won’t become clutter
Discounts on service packages
When you shop small, the things you buy tend to actually get used — not stored, forgotten, or abandoned in a closet.
Gifts like consumables (local honey, bakers, etc) or experiences rarely become future decluttering sessions.
6. Support Creators Who Help You Shop Smarter
If someone’s doing the legwork — testing products, comparing quality, negotiating discounts, and curating lists — using their affiliate link is a small way to support their work (and usually get a discount yourself).
My policy is simple:
I only include products I use, test, and trust in real homes.
These are the same items I install for clients when they hire me for kitchen organizing, pantry resets, bathroom overhauls, or full-home projects.
If you want to browse the items that actually make a difference in day-to-day living, I’ll have an updated list below.
