Black Friday shopping can help you score some of the best deals of the entire year. Stores throughout the country are marking down top selling items to lure you into the store to complete your holiday shopping. It is a great time to score good savings on your holiday shopping, but it helps to have your list ready to go.
Shop with a List
This tip may seem obvious, but it can save you both time and money. A list will help you create a shopping strategy. It will also help you to not buy multiple presents for the same person or get caught up in stuffing all of the great deals into your cart. Your list is the most important thing you can create to make the most of Black Friday shopping.
Choose the Stores with the Best Deals
The best deals are sold out within minutes of the store opening. With the long lines and the crowds, you should plan on only hitting one store for the morning deals. You can still hit the other stores to find good deals during the day, but you will need to carefully prioritize the deals that are available and choose the deals that will save you the most money on your holiday shopping.
Combine Deals with Sales Prices
Use your Black Friday coupons on when you shop. When you are doing your Black Friday shopping, do not forget to use any coupons or store discounts that you have built up over the year. Another option is to use your store credit card to get an extra ten percent off of your entire purchase.
Divide and Conquer
Make holiday shopping a family affair. Divide the list between yourself and your husband or sisters. If you do this, you will be able to get more deals. In fact, you may complete all of the shopping at the biggest deals store and leave just one person in line while you move on to the next store. If you opt for this be sure to carefully read limits on items per person.
Pay Attention When You Are Being Rung Up
People do make mistakes and you do not want to lose out on your holiday savings because of a mistake at the cash register. Make a note of what everything costs and pay attention as it is rung up. If the price is wrong speak up and have it corrected. It will be difficult have this corrected after you have already finalized the sale.
Dress in Layers
While you may start out your day waiting in line outside in the cold. The stores are crowded, and it can be frustrating to be carrying a bulky coat with you as you shop. Dress in layers that you can shed and leave in the car as you continue to shop throughout the day. Depending on the part of the country that you live in, you may not be facing extremely cold temperatures.
Be Sure to Eat
Black Friday shopping is usually a marathon even instead of a sprint. You need to make sure that you have something to eat for breakfast, and that you stay hydrated during the day. You can pack some light snacks for you to eat while waiting to get into the store sin the morning. After your first shopping trip, you may want to take a break to eat. This will help you stay focused throughout the rest of the day.
Don’t Forget About Online Deals
Many online stores are also offering great deals. It is important to look for promo codes you can use to get free shipping or money off of your entire order online. You can place your orders on your smart phone while you are standing in line or shop from home. Many online stores offer great deals on the Monday after Thanksgiving too.
Be Prepared for the Long Lines
It is important to be prepared for the crowds when you go Black Friday shopping. Every year there are news reports of fights and people getting hurt because of the crowds. It is important to be prepared to deal with the crowds and to expect long lines. Take your phone with you so you have something to do in a long line.
Don’t Forget Your Holiday Paper
Often the lines to get the gifts wrapped are as long as they are to buy the presents. You can save a lot of time by doing the wrapping yourself. Be sure to pick up some holiday wrapping paper and Christmas bows to wrap everything you buy during your Black Friday shopping trip.
