Black Friday 2026 Deal Tracker Spreadsheet: Formulas to Spot Real Deals
Black Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November, the day after US Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday follows on Monday 30 November. Many stores now start their "Black Friday" prices days or even weeks earlier, and some discounts are measured against a price nobody paid. A small spreadsheet cuts through that: list what you want, record the normal price and the recent low, and let a few formulas tell you whether a deal is real. Everything below works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Step 1: Set up the columns
One row per item per store, so the same headphones at three shops take three rows. The example numbers are made up to show how the formulas behave.
| Column | Header | Example (row 2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Item | Headphones | Use exactly the same name for the same product at every store |
| B | Store | Store A | |
| C | Regular price | 199 | The normal full price |
| D | 30-day low | 149 | Lowest price you saw in the weeks before the sale (from your own notes or a price-history tool) |
| E | Sale price | 129 | Black Friday or Cyber Monday price |
| F | Shipping | 0 | Delivery cost, or 0 |
| K | Buy? | Yes | Drop-down: Yes / No / Maybe |
The 30-day low column is the one that matters. Start writing prices down now, in early November, or use a price-history tool for the stores that support one. A sale price that is no better than last month's price is not much of a deal, whatever the banner says.
Step 2: Add the formulas
Put these in row 2 and fill them down:
| Cell | What it shows | Formula | Example result |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 | Total cost | =E2+F2 | 129 |
| H2 | Percent off regular price | =1-E2/C2 | 35% (format as %) |
| I2 | Difference vs 30-day low | =E2-D2 | -20 |
| J2 | Verdict | =IF(E2<=D2,"Real deal","Was cheaper recently") | Real deal |
Here is how a few rows look once filled in:
| Item | Store | Regular | 30-day low | Sale | Shipping | Total | % off | vs low | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headphones | Store A | 199 | 149 | 129 | 0 | 129 | 35% | -20 | Real deal |
| Headphones | Store B | 199 | 149 | 139 | 5.99 | 144.99 | 30% | -10 | Real deal |
| Air fryer | Store A | 120 | 79 | 89 | 0 | 89 | 26% | 10 | Was cheaper recently |
| Air fryer | Store C | 120 | 79 | 79 | 0 | 79 | 34% | 0 | Real deal |
The air fryer at Store A is "26% off", but it sold for 79 a few weeks ago, so the verdict column warns you. Store C's price matches that low, so it is the better buy.
Step 3: Find the cheapest store for each item
List each item once in column M (starting at M2), then find its lowest total in N2:
=MINIFS(G$2:G$100,A$2:A$100,M2)
To show which store has that price, in O2:
Excel: =INDEX(FILTER(B$2:B$100,(A$2:A$100=M2)*(G$2:G$100=N2)),1) Google Sheets: =INDEX(FILTER(B$2:B$100,A$2:A$100=M2,G$2:G$100=N2),1)
If FILTER is new to you, our FILTER function guide explains how it works. To colour the cheapest row for each item automatically, select A2:K100, add a conditional formatting rule with a custom formula and use:
=$G2=MINIFS($G$2:$G$100,$A$2:$A$100,$A2)
Our guide to highlighting a row based on a cell value walks through where that rule goes in each app.
Step 4: Keep the total on budget
Put your budget in Q1, then:
Planned spend: =SUMIFS(G2:G100,K2:K100,"Yes") Left to spend: =Q1-SUMIFS(G2:G100,K2:K100,"Yes") Saved vs regular price: =SUMIFS(C2:C100,K2:K100,"Yes")-SUMIFS(E2:E100,K2:K100,"Yes")
If "Left to spend" goes negative, switch a Maybe to No before checkout, not after. These numbers also drop straight into a Christmas budget tracker if you are buying gifts.
Step 5: Count down to the sales
Days to Black Friday: =DATE(2026,11,27)-TODAY() Days to Cyber Monday: =DATE(2026,11,30)-TODAY()
Want a version that works for any year? Black Friday is always the day after the fourth Thursday of November. With the year in B1:
=DATE(B1,11,1)+MOD(5-WEEKDAY(DATE(B1,11,1)),7)+22
For 2026 that returns 27 November; for 2027 it returns 26 November.
Tips for a calmer Black Friday
- Decide your list and your maximum price per item before the sales start, then only buy what clears both.
- Include shipping and any return costs in the total; a cheaper price with paid delivery can cost more.
- Check percentages yourself with the discount formulas: a "40% off" claim is only as good as the regular price behind it.
- Keep your receipts and return deadlines in two extra columns, so you know how long you have if something disappoints.