University of Houston professor of retail and consumer sciences Barbara Stewart said it's always a trade-off between time and money.
"We need to do our homework. We need to know what we want. And, knowing the standard price is important when we're talking about whether a deal really is a deal or whether it's just an offer that they're trying to bring your attention to as a consumer," said Stewart.
She said some stores were aggressive with pre-Black Friday sales because of the shorter shopping season since Thanksgiving fell so late on the calendar.
WalletHub determined that 18 percent of items offer no savings compared with their pre-Black Friday prices.
"That means that more than 80 percent of the deals offered, do offer some benefit to the consumer and therefore may be worth pursuing," said Stewart.
She said it's all about doing your homework and knowing what a true deal is for you.
She added there could be free delivery charges which is a big factor for some shoppers.
Top 10 Deals (Additional Discount for Waiting Until Black Friday)
- Lifetime Dual Entry Shed ($800)
- ThinkPad T470 Laptop ($450)
- Radiant Cedar Infrared Corner Sauna ($728)
- JBL 3.1 Channel Soundbar ($251)
- iBUYPOWER Desktop OD 095IV2 ($600)
- Traeger Pro Series 34 Grill ($700)
- Xbox One X 1TB Star Wars Bundle ($144)
- LG 6.3 cu. ft. Electric Range ($601)
- Walton 56 in. 3-in-1 TV Stand ($441)
- Windsor Design Workbench ($465)
Top 5 Product Categories
- Jewelry (70%)
- Books, Movies & Music (44%)
- Apparel & Accessories (39%)
- Consumer Packaged Goods (37%)
- Toys (33%)
Worst 5 Product Categories
6. Appliances (32%)
7. Video Games (Software Only) (30%)
8. Computers & Phones (27%)
9. Furniture (26%)
10. Consumer Electronics (25%)