The day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday is undoubtedly one of the best times to go shopping! Everyone is in the holiday spirit and ready to go out and buy some gifts (and some stuff for themselves.) The deals are endless and the savings are amazing. However, this day of the year can also be the most stressful and unorganized. I have put together some tips to maximize your time spent in the stores and get a copious amount of stuff.
1. Be Prepared – The best way to make the most of your day is to be 100% prepared. Research the advertisements from stores you want to shop at. Most stores post their Black Friday deals online up to a week before the big day, so scope it out! Make sure you research when each store’s door buster sales start and most importantly – outline your plan of attack for the order of the stores you’re going to!
2. Know the Hours – Make sure you know exactly when the stores open. You don’t want to go to the store too late and miss some great deals!
3. Be Ready to Stand in Line – We all know that standing in line is one of the most annoying yet exciting parts of Black Friday. The anticipation of running into the store gets your adrenaline running, and you can also make some friends while chatting during your wait. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, a few layers of clothes in case it’s cold, and have a full cell phone battery to play some games!
4. Make a List – We all have those times where we go shopping for something in particular and end up leaving with a lot more than we planned. In order to avoid this, make a list! Without a list, you’re prone to making many more purchases than you hoped. Especially on Black Friday when the deals are too good, you’ve got to stay focused.
5. Keep Receipts – Thinking back to making a list – just in case you do make some purchases you doubt after getting home, keep those receipts so you can return them. A lot of stores have a lenient return policy when it comes to the amount of days you have to make the return, most of the time they extend them an extra month for the holidays. But without a receipt, you’ll be stuck with store credit at best.
6. Is it for you? – As you walk around you’ll see discounts on discounts on discounts. All of the deals are great, but are they great for you? I have done this too many times where I see 40% off and think “Wow! Awesome deal!” and buy it. However, I actually didn’t need it at all. Be wary of the practical purpose of the item and if it’s a necessity in your life.
7. Divide and Conquer– Plan to go shopping with a friend! It’s easiest to be efficient if you start at opposite ends of the mall (or store) and meet in the middle. Make the most of your time!
8. Be friendly – From working in retail and having many Black Friday experiences, I know that you should be very friendly, especially to the people working. The employees have been there since 2am and are probably overwhelmed with the volume of customers they are interacting with. Keep a smile on your face to make everyone’s day, including yours, happy and fun.
9. Online Sales – A lot of people don’t realize this, but a lot of stores actually have a lot of the same Black Friday deals online! Best Buy, in particular, still sells movies for $2 online and with free shipping! So, if you’re only interested in little things rather than the big ticket items, take a stab at looking online first and do your shopping from your pajamas at home!
10. Cyber Monday – This is the Monday after Thanksgiving and it is when everyone store and website has amazing sales online, sometimes even better than what were in the store. Just like Black Friday, be on the lookout for previews of the sales. Cyber Monday may even have you skipping Black Friday all together. The choice is yours!
Good luck collegiettes! I hope you all have a wonderful day full of shopping bargains!