The semester is sadly coming to a close, but the shopping malls are not! ‘Tis the season for great deals and good buys. For some, Black Friday shopping is an important tradition built into their Thanksgiving festivities while others consider Black Friday to be the perfect opportunity for some quality people watching.
For the frugal shopaholics out there, Her Campus has some helpful tips on how to successfully take on Black Friday and how to make it out alive!
Do Your Homework
And no I don’t mean Biology or Calculus. Go online and check out what deals your favorite stores are offering on Black Friday. Knowing the deals ahead of time is crucial to figuring out how you budget before you bust down the doors. You might find that some department stores offer different discounts at different times of the day. Black Friday is all about taking advantage of the greatest deals out there, so if your motive is to save money, a little research will pay off… literally. It’s also important to figure out how much money you are willing to spend. Vow to yourself not to spend more than you budgeted for and you won’t have to worry about feeling buyer’s remorse at the end of the day.
Plan of Attack
Come up with a game plan. Black Friday shopping tends to become a time warp, so think about where you want to go at what times in order to make the most out of your day. Shopping in large numbers can usually get pretty hectic, so if you’re shopping with your family or a group of friends, I would advise you to divide and conquer in order to save time.
Shopping in shifts is also crucial when strategically attacking Black Friday. The crowds are craziest at midnight and during the typical door buster hours. If you want to seriously knock out all of your Christmas shopping, maybe consider going for a while during the early hours. Then, come home to take a long nap, heat up some turkey day leftovers, and head back to the mall in the afternoon. We all know the crowds can get a little feisty, so taking breaks in the day will do wonders for your sanity.
Get the Apps
In a world where there is an app for literally anything and everything, you shouldn’t be surprised that there are apps out there that will come in handy when braving Black Friday. Shopular is an app that will calibrate the location setting on your iPhone or Android phone and send you notifications of deals and coupons when you enter a store. There are 40, 000 brands and locations that work with the Shopular app including Neiman Marcus, Coach, Tory Burch, and True Religion Jeans.
Zoomingo is another favorite shopping app among all tech savvy shoppers. The app lists the best deals going on in retail stores across the country as well as at name brand retail outlets. Additionally, it includes a rating system where other Zoomingo users can rate the latest discounts, so you can trust that you’re getting a good deal.
No matter what your Black Friday plans are, be sure to do it right. With a little research, a little planning and preparation you’ll certainly be ready to take on the crazy crowds and some crazier people! Don’t let the insanity of Black Friday get in the way of being thankful for this holiday, and don’t forget to cherish the time with your family before the stress of finals starts to set in.
May your Thanksgiving holiday be full of sweet smell, laughter, and of course…. a little shopping!