How to save time and money with Microsoft Edge on Black Friday 2021

Microsoft Edge Save Money Black Friday 2021
Microsoft Edge Save Money Black Friday 2021 (Image credit: Windows Central)

Black Friday is once again upon us, and even though it's perhaps one of the best times of the year to shop for that new computer, office supplies, house appliances, big-screen TVs, and more, you know how time-consuming and confusing it can get. However, you could use the shopping features available on the Microsoft Edge browser on your Windows 11 (or 10) device to save time, hassle, and money shopping online.

For example, you could use "Collections" to create lists, organize the products you want to buy, and you can even compare prices to make sure you are getting a worthy deal. The built-in Shopping feature can help you find coupons and promo codes to save money. And with support for extensions, you can extend the browser functionalities, allowing you to save even more time and money shopping during Black Friday 2021.

In this Windows 11 guide, we will walk you through the steps to use Microsoft Edge to work less and save money during this Black Friday shopping sales event.

How to create a Black Friday buying list using Microsoft Edge

On Microsoft Edge, you can leverage Collections to create custom wish lists to organize your Black Friday 2021 shopping and compare prices to get the best deals possible.

To start using Collections with Edge on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click the Collections button in the toolbar.Quick tip: You can also open the feature with the Ctrl + Shift + Y keyboard shortcut, or from the main Settings and more menu. If the button is missing the toolbar, navigate to the "Appearance" page (edge://settings/appearance), and then turn on the Collections button toggle switch.
  3. Click the Pin button (recommended).
  4. Click the Start new collection button.

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  1. Confirm a name for the list (such as "Black Friday 2021") and press Enter.
  2. Open any product from Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, etc.
  3. Click the Add current page option from the right pane.

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  1. Repeat steps 6 and 7 to add more items to the collection.
  2. (Optional) Drag each item to organize the list.Quick tip: You can also click Settings and more menu in the top right and select the "Sort by" submenu to sort the list.
  3. (Optional) Select the item and click the Trash button to delete it.

Once you complete these steps, you will have an organized list to shop more efficiently on Black Friday. If you want to open all the items as tabs in the browser, click Settings and more menu in the top right and select the Open all option. If you plan to get a lot of stuff, you can create lists for each category of items instead of a single list.

Insert notes

Collections also let you create notes in two different ways. You can add a note to the list, or you can add a note to the item. Although they are not required to create lists, they will come in handy to add details while shopping on Black Friday. For example, a note could include discount promo codes, original price to make sure it didn't change at the time of purchasing, or anything else.

Create note for collection

To add a note to a list, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click on the Collections button.
  3. Select the collection to add the note.
  4. Click the Add note from the top-right corner.
  5. Compose the note for the list.Quick tip: The feature comes with various styling features, including the ability to change the color of the note.

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  1. (Optional) Drag each item to organize the list.

Create note for item

To add a note to an item, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click on the Collections button.
  3. Select the collection to add the note.
  4. Right-click the item and select the Add note option.
  5. Compose the note for the item.

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After you complete these steps, the note should save automatically in the list.

Compare prices

Microsoft Edge also helps you compare prices, which can help save money if the same product is available on another website at a lower price.

To compare prices with Collections, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click on the Collections button.
  3. Select the Black Friday 2021 wish list.
  4. Click the Compare price to other retailers option in the item.

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  1. Under the "Prices from other retailers" section, select the store with the lowest price to expand the view (if available).

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  1. Click the product title to open the website to purchase the item. Alternatively, click the Add this result button to save the item in the collection.
  2. (Optional) Click the Show more sellers option to open a search result with other pricing options.

Once you complete the steps, you will be able to make a more informed decision on where to purchase the product.

How to get best Black Friday deals using Microsoft Edge

In addition, to let you create lists to organize the products you want to purchase during the sales event, Microsoft Edge can also save you money with relevant coupons and discount codes.

To save money getting Microsoft Edge discounts, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Open the product web page.
  3. If an offer is available, you'll get a price tag icon on the right side of the address bar.
  4. Click the price tag icon.
  5. Review the price history of the product on Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, etc.

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  1. Click the Coupons tab (if applicable).
  2. Hover over the coupon and click the Copy button.

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After you complete these steps, you can add the item to the cart, and during the checkout process, you should be able to paste the code to save some money.

Also, note that the information available will depend on the item you are viewing. For example, the Coupons features can also show historical data to know whether the price has increased or reduced in the last several weeks. However, this information is not always available.

Enable Shopping in Edge

To enable Shopping in Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click on the Settings and more (ellipsis) button and select the Settings option.
  3. Click on Privacy, search, and services.
  4. Under the "Services" section, turn on the Save time and money with Shopping in Microsoft Edge toggle switch.

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Once you complete the steps, you should now start getting shopping alerts while browsing the web.

Find deals from New tab

Microsoft Edge also includes a new "Deals" tool for the new tab, making it easier to find good discounts during Black Friday 2020.

To use the new tab page and Bing to find deals, use the steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click the New tab (+) button.
  3. Click the Page settings (gear) button from the top-right corner.
  4. Click the Custom option.
  5. Turn on the Quick links option (if applicable).

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  1. On the New tab page, click the Plus (+) button.
  2. Under the "Suggestions" section, click the Deals option.

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After adding the button, you'll see a list of deals for that specific day when hovering over it. You also get access to the top offers from the most popular brands and weekly ads from top retailers. If you click the Deals button, it'll open the shopping hub website with many deals across retailers.

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If you usually shop in the same retailers, the Bing hub also has a section that includes popular coupon codes to save some money during the holiday season and beyond.

The page even includes a "Gifts" category you can use to find virtually anything for any situation.

Product information and price tracking

If you are skeptical about a product, you can use the Microsoft Bing shopping hub to view additional details, ratings from top reviewers, and price history on a single view, which can help you make a more informed decision.

You can access this feature by searching for a product on the Bing shopping page and selecting the item from the result. Clicking the Track price toggle switch at the bottom of the page to save the item and track its pricing over time.

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Once you create the tracker, the item will be saved on your Microsoft account, where you can always review at a later day to complete the purchase.

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If you use "Collections" on Microsoft Edge, you can also save the page to your wish list for quicker access and to avoid confusion between lists.

How to leverage extensions to save money using Microsoft Edge

You can also use extensions on Microsoft Edge to save even more time and money shopping in Black Friday 2021, throughout the holidays, and beyond.

For example, if you plan to shop on Amazon, the Amazon Assistant, The Camelizer, and Keepa are great extensions to avoid bad deals during the holiday season.

Amazon Assistant

Similar to the Microsoft Edge Shopping feature, the Amazon Assistant can show you relevant offers as you browse for the product on other non-Amazon sites. For instance, if you are viewing a laptop on Best Buy, the extension will show you the same item (if available) with price history and other details. If the price is lower on Amazon, you can click the item to buy it from the online retailer.

To install the Amazon Assistant, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Open the Edge Add-ons store to install the Amazon Assistant.
  3. Click the Get button.

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  1. Click the Add extension button.
  2. (Optional) Click the extension button.
  3. Sign in with your Amazon account.

Once you complete the steps, the assistant will show you details and a link to buy the product directly from Amazon.

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Keepa

Keepa is a service that tracks the price history of Amazon products and embeds the data on the product page.

If you plan to do your yearly shopping spree during Black Friday 2021, you can leverage Keepa to make an informed decision with the Amazon product. If the price doesn't feel right, you can also save the product in the service, and when it drops to the desired amount, you will get a notification to grab it immediately.

To install the Keepa extension, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Open the Edge Add-ons store to install Keepa.
  3. Click the Get button.

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  1. Click the Add extension button.

Once you complete the steps, you can browse any product on Amazon, and the extension will embed the price history for the item at the bottom of the description to help you make a more informed decision on the purchase.

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You can also see this guide to learn everything you need to know to use Keepa to shop on Amazon.

The Camelizer

The Camelizer is another extension that can help you save money on Amazon products. The extension works by connecting to the CamelCamelCamel online service to show you the price history of Amazon products. The service is free and similar to Keepa, provides historical price information for products sold and fulfilled by Amazon and third-party sellers to understand if you're getting a worthy deal.

You can also sign up with the service to create a list and get alerts as soon as the product reaches a reasonable price.

To install The Camelizer extension, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Open the Edge Add-ons store to install The Camelizer.
  3. Click the Get button.
  4. Click the Add extension button.

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After you complete the steps, when browsing a product on Amazon, you can click the extension button to view the price history to understand whether you're getting a good deal or not.

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More Windows resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.