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There’s a reason a lot of people wait until Black Friday to start shopping for the holidays. Not only is Black Friday known for its doorbuster deals, but you may need a few extra weeks to save money for the gifts you’re looking to buy.

While it’s pretty common to hold off on holiday shopping until Black Friday, that decision could backfire on you. Here’s why it pays to get started with your holiday shopping now instead of waiting.

1. You might find better deals earlier in November

Black Friday is known for its awesome prices. But these days, retailers tend to run holiday deals — some of which they’ll label “early Black Friday deals” — for the majority of November.

Take Costco, for example. It already has a host of holiday season markdowns available on its website and in its warehouse club stores.

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Similarly, Target already has a bunch of Black Friday markdowns available. And if you go to your favorite store or check out its website, you might already see a host of discounted items there, too.

There’s no sense in waiting until Black Friday if the items you want are already marked down substantially. And remember, you’re not guaranteed to get the best price on Black Friday anyway. So if the price of an item works for you now, go for it.

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2. If you wait, your most important purchases might sell out

There may be certain must-buy items on your holiday list, like the toys your kids want the most or the gadget your spouse has been talking about for weeks on end. If you wait until Black Friday to do your holiday shopping, you run the risk of those items selling out.

Now, the most-wanted items on your shopping list may not be on sale yet. If so, you’ll need to ask yourself whether you can afford them without a discount — and whether you’re willing to run the risk of them selling out before the holidays to save 10% or 15% on their cost.

3. If your purchases are more expensive than expected, you have time to pivot

It’s a good idea to set up a budget for the holidays so you don’t close out the season with a pile of credit card debt. But setting that budget can be tricky since retail prices can fluctuate.

That’s another reason to do your shopping before Black Friday. If you start tackling your list in the coming days and realize that the items you want are more expensive than expected, you have time to manage that situation.

That could mean picking up a side hustle to cover those higher costs or choosing replacement items that fit better into your budget. If you wait until Black Friday, you might feel more pressure to just grab those pricier items while you can and then deal with the aftermath.

It’s not so unusual to start shopping for the holidays on Black Friday. And you may not be ready to think about buying gifts just yet. But another benefit of doing your shopping early is taking one potentially stressful and time-consuming task off your plate sooner. It may be worth getting started ahead of Black Friday for that reason alone.

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Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has positions in Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Target. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.