Black Friday *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[SilkyMoonfaceandTheSaucepanMan]

I know the basics of how this works, of course. However, I've never really been in a position, mainly financially, where I can take advantage of the offers.
Now I am, and it's lockdown.

I guess it's all over the weekend, although I have seen deals throughout this week.
Do I need to get up in the middle of the night? Are their specific times each website starts? How do I ensure I get the best deal on the items that I want? Or that is actually even a good deal at all?

So many questions
I know it may seem so obvious, and that I'm probably just missing the simplicity of it all somehow.

Anyone?

I don't get it either! But feel like I am missing out.

Look at HotUkDeals - they post lots of information about how each site runs its deals - start times, best deals etc.

Simple answer is each site runs its offers how it wants. There is no central comparison site - you’ll need to do that yourself. Look at other sites to understand if reductions are worthwhile, and whether the original price quoted is realistic.

And don’t waste money buying things just because they are reduced. Write yourself a list in advance of things you want and how much you would be willing to pay.

It’s been going on for weeks. It’s not one day any more

Are you in the UK? In the US, it's a full-on experience, but it's not as orchestrated over here.

They're generally just short sales here. A lot of sites have already launched them, the rest will run the offers from Friday until Monday (Cyber Monday). There's no one time that all sales launch. Whether you need to be ready for the moment sales go live depends what you want... consoles and things with high demand often sell out fast, but there are new ones out this year, so it probably won't matter for most people.

In terms of how to get good deals... know what you're looking for and the current price, and check through a few places likely to stock it once their sales have started. If you go in with an idea of the current cost, you'll be able to work out if it's a good deal. Take into account any warranties, etc.

I wouldn't expect masses this year, to be honest. Retail sales have been poor for COVID, and a lot of stores sent back excess stock... I think good deals will be few and far between, but that's more instinct and based on what I've seen so far than insider information.

Glad it's not just me, @PolarnOPirate

I know mainly what it is what I want, so won't go mad buying just because.

I am in the UK

Are short breaks ever included in black Friday?

Another little bump. I really want to find out what I can

Some holiday firms may offer discounts on Black Friday. You’d need to check their websites, both now and on Friday.

Really there is little we can say here. Do some research of your own. This is just a time of year when some firms choose to offer discounts and some don’t.