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Friday, November 26. In case you haven’t heard, that’s Black Friday.

I have two pieces of advice to offer.

If you’re in dire need of something from Home Affairs and you’re wanting a day with shorter than usual queues, Black Friday might be that day.

You could miss out on a few specials but my guess is that you’ll save yourself some Home Affairs heartache.

Also, you can usually do your Black Friday online shopping in the days before (here’s a list of when many major international retailers kick things off) or on your phone as you wait in line.

My second piece of advice centres around the fact that South African retailers often don’t serve up the massive savings we see in the US.

Rather than gawk with envy at the discounts abroad, South Africans can still order goodies from retailers that don’t ship to South Africa through Postbox Courier.

You’re provided with a free overseas shipping address, and you can ask for free quotes on the costs associated with having any purchases sent to South Africa before you go forward.

Once you’ve given the all-clear your purchases will arrive at your door in three to five working days, shipped over as a single delivery.

No customs hassles and no hidden costs, as well as no chasing unscrupulous companies when your goods never touch down.

Insert the obligatory ‘What I ordered from Wish versus what arrived’ meme.

Buying from trusted retailers also ensures you don’t end up being taken advantage of over this period, when cybercrime notoriously spikes.