With Black Friday quickly approaching, Americans are counting down the hours until the crazy shopping pandemonium begins. For some people this day is justanother excuse to hit the mall and go shopping, for others it is a sport. Even though Black Friday is just one day, it requires a lot of preparation before you can brace the madness. So if you want to do Black Friday shopping properly you need to be prepared. Here is your guide to surviving Black Friday.
1. Have a Plan
Before you leave your house make sure you have a game plan, this is not something you want to take on blind. You need to strategize and do research on the stores at the mall in order to maximize the deals you receive. Every year on Thanksgiving my mom and I get a newspaper just to look at the Black Friday ads. We look at all of the ads before we go out shopping to make sure we are scoping out the best deals and finding the ones that are worth going to. It is really easy to get caught up in the chaos of shopping, so planning ahead will minimize any unnecessary purchases.
2. Budget
As much as we do not want to do it, budgeting is something that needs to be done especially if you want to partake in the Black Friday festivities. Make sure you plan out how much you can spend before you head out shopping so you are not spending more than you have. Be realistic and only spend what you have, it is really easy to go overboard during a time like this. Only spend money on things you actually need, its easy to get caught up in the excitement of all the sales.
3. Bring Snacks
Believe it or not, shopping burns a lot of energy making you tired and hungry. Instead of stopping at the food court, bring in your own snacks to save some money and beat the lines.
4. Stay Caffinated
Make a cup of coffee or stop by your local Starbucks before heading out to shop. You are going to need to stay energized if you want to shop all night long. Avoid incredibly sugary drinks because they will cause you to crash harder.
5. Have Fun
We have all seen the videos and stories of people doing bizarre things just to get a Black Friday deal, but do not be that person. Black Friday has some incredible deals that are really hard to pass up, but be respectful of the employees and fellow shoppers. Everyone deserves to have a good, fun Black Friday experience so do not ruin it for others. No one deserves to be pushed over and trampled for a sale item, so when shopping be considerate of others. Remember, the most important thing here is to have fun. Its just one day of shopping so enjoy the most of it.
Now once you have your game plan, hit the mall and have fun. But if you’re not into Black Friday shopping, wrap yourself up in a blanket at home, enjoy eating some Thanksgiving leftovers, and wait patiently for Cyber Monday to roll around.