Everybody likes a good sale. College students are no exception. Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and it can be easy to go overboard when so many different money-saving deals are shoved in your face from every direction. But when everything is on sale, nothing is. So, how can you find the line between spoiling yourself and splurging on things you are 100% going to regret later? Here are some simple things to keep in mind while planning your biggest shopping haul of the year.
1. Spend the Whole Week Shopping
This may seem contradictory, but it can definitely be worthwhile. This cannot be emphasized enough: do not only save your shopping for Black Friday. Black Friday ads are already being pumped out online, in stores, and even in the morning paper. Start shopping at the beginning of the week, making lists of the things you’re interested in and where to find them. Many companies also start their sales at the beginning of the week, meaning some items might be sold out before Black Friday. Giving yourself a head start lets you relax a little on the actual day. Plus, it might be a great way to spend more time with your mom.
2. Is this thing going to Be In Your Life for a Long Time?
One of the best ways to save money is to consider the longevity of the things you spend your money on. Yes, that cute armchair would fit right into the corner of your room, and it matches your pink rug. But what happens after the semester is over? Will it fit in your room back home, or will you need a storage unit for next year? If you’ve already been through move-out week at GCU, you may know that couches, futons, and armchairs are stacked outside the trash bins at the end of the year. Many more people are trying to sell their furniture on Facebook marketplace. Look for things that will last you a long time, and if you know you’ll only use them for the rest of the school year, look for brands or items with a high resale value.
3. WOuld You COnsider buying it if it wasn’t on Sale?
Yes, things look appealing when they’re 85% off, but would you even look at them twice if they were regularly priced? There are a lot of things that can fall under this category. If we’re being honest, many of them are also from online shopping platforms. Places like SHEIN thrive off of selling the most pointless things imaginable, from fried chicken necklaces to drunk garden gnome decorations for your lawn, and then putting them on sale to look more appealing. This trend is exacerbated on Black Friday, not just by fast fashion brands. Many people let the ‘reduced price’ sticker beside the item seduce them into liking the product. Do not fall into this trap. In other words, make sure you like the product, not just the price tag.
4. Take Advantage of Rebates
Many people lose money via rebates each year, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid them. On the contrary, learning how they work and using them to your advantage can save you a lot of money. If you don’t know, rebates work by letting the customer pay a certain price (such as $15) in-store. Later, the customer goes online, enters information from their receipt, and receives a set amount of that money in return (such as $10). This means you technically only spent $5 on the item, which is a great deal. Many companies advertise rebates because they count on people who simply forget to claim them or decide it’s too much of a hassle, letting the company keep the extra money. As a customer, it seems like a roundabout way of getting a lower price on something, but don’t let that scare you away from using rebates to your advantage.
5. Compare Prices
Even during Black Friday, some stores have better deals than others. Just because Sephora has a GREAT deal on a product doesn’t mean that it’s the BEST deal on that product. Compare it to Ulta, the product’s brand, or even Walmart. If you’re looking for shoes, don’t limit yourself to the first ad you see of cute cowgirl boots. Branch out and do your research. After all, it’s your hard-earned money that’s at stake. There is no excuse for wasting it, especially during the biggest sale of the entire year.