Having been a dedicated Black Friday shopper for years, I know that this annual day of sales can be both incredibly chaotic and extremely rewarding. This isn’t only the season of shopping for all those early holiday presents, but it’s also the perfect time to indulge in yourself and find that new cookware set you should have bought ages ago. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of finding a new toaster for $8.00 or seeing the dress you’ve been eyeing for months on a 70% markdown, but if you aren’t prepared for all the hustle and bustle that comes with Black Friday, you may find yourself out of luck and missing out on the best deals. Hopefully, these tips might clue you in on how to best maximize your time and your savings.
- Have a Plan
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I cannot stress enough the importance of having a game plan going into Black Friday. You may think you can just wander out to the stores and find what you’re looking for, but odds are, you’ve probably already missed most of the best deals. Several stores now open their Black Friday deals late on Thanksgiving, and while you shouldn’t necessarily short-change time spent with your family in lieu of getting the best-priced new area rug, you should make yourself aware of when the stores you plan to hit open. This way, you can prioritize the deals you are most excited for and make sure that you are getting there early enough to snatch up the items you want while they’re still in stock. You should also be sure to check if the stores you are interested in have special hourly sales. These can afford you to get even more discounted items you may have otherwise overlooked.
- Get a Team Together
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If you can avoid it, don’t venture out into Black Friday by yourself. Having a team of friends or family with you not only helps boost morale, but it also allows you to split up and cover more ground. If several hot deals are going on at the same time, it’s best to be able to delegate between multiple people. They’ll also be more apt to tell you if that espresso machine you’re eyeing is really a good investment or not.
- Wear Good Shoes
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If you’re going out on Black Friday, you’re going to be standing. A lot. Between waiting in lines, rushing from store to store, and spending hours in changing rooms, your feet are going to hurt. Try to find your best, most supportive pair of sneakers to wear. You can care about fashion tomorrow; Black Friday is solely about the mission.
- Don’t Forget Your Water Bottle
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I know you probably can’t wait to get in line at Starbucks to get your free tall drink, but as important as caffeinating is, staying hydrated is even more important. You’ll likely be stuck in large crowds of people with no space to sit down, and no one wants to have a fainting spell in the middle of a J.C. Penny’s. By staying hydrated, you can keep yourself from overheating.
- Look into Your Local Indie Stores
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We all know the malls are going to be overcrowded when it comes to Black Friday, but some smaller local stores will still be participating in Black Friday deals and might be overlooked by the masses. Be sure to check on their websites or Facebook pages to see if they are advertising for Black Friday.
- Scavenge Through Your Mail
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Before you go out, make sure you’ve combed thoroughly through that unsorted pile of mail that’s been sitting on your kitchen table. Somewhere in there, you’ll probably find some coupons for additional deals.
- Check Out the Online Stores Too!
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Even though Cyber Monday is a full day just for online shopping deals, some stores will run additional online promotions on Black Friday as well. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds this year, online shopping might be your best bet.
Though the deals on Black Friday can be great, your safety and comfort while shopping comes first. Be prepared and go forth and conquer those sales!