It’s that time of year again: people are playing Christmas music while dreaming about all of the food they are going to be eating on Thanksgiving Day. Along with the excitement of the holiday season, it can also bring about anxiety for lots of people, especially in the gift giving department. The perfect time to get cheap shopping is during Black Friday. This year, the day of discounts falls on November 29. However, stores have become strange about their policies for Black Friday. To help you prepare, here is a list of some things you can do to help yourself get ready for this year’s Black Friday shopping.
- Find People to Go With
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Black Friday is so much more fun if you can find friends to go with. You want to find people who will be able to keep you awake in the early morning hours, and who can ensure you don’t overspend at Target.
- Make a List of Stores You Might Be Interested in Going To
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Having your friend ask, “Where to now?” and not having any idea is always stressful. So before going out, make a list of potential stores you could visit so that you can avoid this question. If you need ideas of places to go, look up Black Friday deals online. Pick your stores off of what is closest and what has the best deals.
- Make sure to know when stores begin and end their late night Black Friday shopping
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Black Friday has always been pictured as long lines starting at midnight, and chaotic hustle and bustle. This may be the case for some stores, but in recent years, shopping has started a lot earlier. If you’re looking to shop at Walmart, their Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving Day at 6pm typically. Last year, I went to Old Navy on Black Friday, and they started shutting off the lights at 1:30am. Before you go out, look online at your potential stores to find out what time sales begin and end. This will make sure you don’t end up in a store five minutes before closing. Sometimes stores could close at 2am and reopen at 5am. During the break, go to another store or maybe a 24 hour iHop if you can find one.
- Make a list of people you need to buy presents for
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Buying presents for friends and family during the holiday season can be stressful. You either forget someone or worry that you have gotten someone a bad gift. Before you go shopping, make a list of all of the people you need to buy presents for. If you have extra time, write down ideas for gifts. This will save you time and will prevent you from chaotically buying presents that nobody needs. Setting a spending limit is also extremely important. Your wallet will thank you later.
- Take it easy
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Black Friday shopping is supposed to be fun. Don’t stress yourself out. Take breaks. Take time to grab a bite to eat at a 24 hour fast food restaurant or a gas station. Grab coffee or hot chocolate to keep yourself warm and awake. The sales should still be going on when the stores reopen in the morning. So if you need to go back home and sleep, or sleep in a parking lot, do it! Stay safe and don’t stress yourself out! Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a successful Black Friday!