Thanksgiving break is rapidly approaching, which means in the commercial world it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas. One of the biggest traditions to kick off the holiday spirit is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, or as I like to call it, the Super Bowl of Christmas gift shopping. But Super Bowl is perhaps too light of a term; Battle Royale might suit it better, since Black Friday is infamous for raking in crazy crowds of pajama-clad moms desperately seeking a discounted price on their family’s next plasma screen TV and families tag-teaming to fight for the last Tickle Me Elmo toy. Chaos doesn’t even begin to describe the scene at most malls every Black Friday, but don’t let that intimidate you. Though hectic, Black Friday still has some great deals to offer, and can be a great experience; you just need to come prepared. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the holiday madness:
- Buddy Up: Even if you’re the type who likes to shop alone, you need to make Black Friday an exception and bring at least one other person. There’s strength in numbers, especially when you’ll need all the strength you can get to weave through throngs of people in your local department stores. Now I’m not saying something as crazy as this will happen when you get there, but it doesn’t hurt to have some backup in your bargain quest.
- Be an Early Bird: Stores like Target open as early as 4 am on Black Friday, which means that you can’t let your post-Turkey Day chowdown sleepiness get to you. If you’re someone who can’t function without a full night’s sleep, Black Friday might not be an option for you, unless you hit the hay immediately after your Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday so you can get a decent 8 hours. If you don’t mind a little sleep deprivation, I’d recommend getting a few hours of sleep and setting an alarm to wake up at 3 am on Friday to give yourself enough time to get ready and adjust to being awake at such an ungodly hour (which I consider any hour before sunrise).
- Do Your Research: With so many stores offering deals on Black Friday, it can seem hard to pick and choose which ones to invest in. That’s why I’d recommend scouting out their weekly ads ahead of time to figure out where you can get the most bang for your buck. But keep an eye out for gimmicks; for example, BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) is a classic retail move especially during holiday shopping season, but sometimes it isn’t as much of a steal as it seems. A lot of retailers with BOGO deals on Black Friday apply them to items of differing prices, which means that you’ll be charged for the more expensive item out of the two, so make sure that you’re paying attention to the markdowns on the tags before you dive in.
- Make a Game Plan: As I said before, Black Friday is like the Super Bowl, and a football team would never step out onto the field to play the most important game of the year without a solid playbook, so neither should you. Make a rough list of items you want to buy before you head out, so you know exactly what you want, and make sure you’re familiar with the layout of a few stores so you know where to find it. If you’re going with friends or family members, divide and conquer: assign each person a task or specific item to get, and everything will run smoother.
- Most Importantly, Have Fun! Above all else, you should remember to relax. It’s not the end of the world if you just missed your chance to get 80% off that cooking set you were going to buy for your mom. There are still plenty of great holiday sales post-Black Friday that offer similar saving opportunities. But it isn’t all about the sales, it’s about the experience. Black Friday is really fun to be a part of, and if you prepare ahead of time then there’s no need to stress; instead, you can be entertained by the people who are stressing!