3 Reasons to Start Holiday Shopping Before Black Friday

This could change your whole holiday shopping experience.

We're just a few weeks away from the biggest shopping day of the year. Like many people, in year's past, I've waited until Black Friday to start buying gifts and I'm often left scrambling throughout December to find suitable presents.

But this year, I'm trying to get an early start on my holiday shopping, and you might want to consider it, too. Here are three reasons why.

1. Many companies are offering deals already

Companies no longer wait until Black Friday to start offering holiday deals. Some get started as early as October in an effort to draw in even more customers throughout the holiday season.

Start scoping out the deals available already, and make a list of the items you want to buy. Even if they're not on sale right now, doing the research ahead of time will help you learn where you can buy the items and what they normally sell for so you can identify good deals when they start cropping up later in the month.

2. Some companies suspend price matching over the holiday season

Price matching is where a company agrees to charge you its competitor's price if you can find the same item available for a lower cost elsewhere. There are often rules that deals have to meet, including being a regular-priced item and not a sale item. Some companies also don't allow price matching over the holiday season.

You don't have to buy all your gifts in one place, but doing so can save on shipping costs. So it's nice to have the price-matching option if you're trying to limit the number of retailers you buy from.

Check the store's policies to learn about its price matching program and how this might change around the holidays. You can usually find this information on the company's website or by contacting the retailer.

Do your comparison shopping early and, if you see an opportunity to price match, try to do this as soon as possible before companies take away this option for the rest of the year.

3. Store inventories aren't depleted yet

Some in-demand items can sell out quickly, especially once the big holiday sales start. If you have your heart set on a specific item, you may have a better chance of getting it if you shop early rather than waiting until everyone else is buying gifts, too.

If you aren't ready to buy yet, you can at least make a list of the retailers that sell the product and the prices they charge. This way, if it's sold out with one company, you can turn to another to buy it. However, this may not work with certain items that are only available from a single retailer.

Ultimately, the goal for most holiday shoppers is to get the most items possible at a price that's easiest on their bank account. Shopping before all the Black Friday sales might seem a little counterintuitive, but you never know what you might find. Set aside a little time to see what's out there. If you don't find anything good right now, you can always wait a few weeks and try again.