With Thanksgiving break just a few days away, some people are thinking about turkey and stuffing and family while others, like myself, are counting down the days ‘til the biggest shopping day of the year. Here are a few tips on how to survive the madness that is Black Friday
Step 1:
Have a plan.
If you’re going out on Black Friday, you need to mentally prepare yourself. The lines will be long, the people will be feisty, and the struggle will be real.
Step 2:
Do your homework…
to ensure you’re getting the best possible deals. During the week, check out the products you want online and shop around for the best price. Some places will have even better online deals, so make sure to check out Black Friday Sites like BlackFriday.com and Slick Deals to search through ad scans from major stores ahead of time!
And…
Check out the app store…
because, did you know it’s full of apps made just for Black Friday? There are tons of apps available to help you with pricing. Black Friday 2014 and Slickdeals Black Friday are free apps, but there are plenty more you can check out just by typing in “Black Friday” in the app store! Something really cool about the Slickdeals Black Friday app is that it lets you create a shopping list from all the Black Friday ads you view. So cool!
Step 3:
Assemble a group…
of friends and family to share the mayhem with. Sure, shopping by yourself is sometimes a nice, relaxing thing to do, but Black Friday is the definition of chaos. You’ll need a posse that day to sift through that crowd, and having your mom and best friend with you will make your in-line waiting time pass a lot more quickly than if you were alone. Bonus points for taking your grandma who probably doesn’t get out much and would love to spend the extra time with you!
Shout out to my shopping buddies, Jordan and Julia!
P.S. We will be taking our pups Barney and Bailey to PetSmart, they have Black Friday deals too!
Step 4:
Go to breakfast…
with your shopping crew before you tackle the masses. There are plenty of 24-hour dining options like Denny’s and IHOP, but don’t forget about your local diner! They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not grab some to gear your body up for a full day of shopping ‘til you drop?
Step 5:
Be Safe…
because it can get crazy on Black Friday! Those stories you hear about people getting trampled are no joke: shoppers go nuts on this day. Try your best to stay aware of your surroundings, and if you start to feel like your safety is at risk, GET OUT. If you get injured and have to go to the hospital, you won’t get to enjoy the merchandise anyway! Even this shopper knows that no deal is worth dying for. Really.
Step 6 (if you’re not too wiped out by then):
Make one last trip…
to the mall. After you hit the big box stores like Sam’s Club, Target and Wal-Mart, head over to your local mall for more shopping! Mall stores usually have early Black Friday deals too, but around 2 p.m. it starts clearing out, and some of those deals keep on going! Last year Arden B. was having a sale for buy one dress, get one free. Seriously. FREE DRESSES. Needless to say, my sister and I went nuts and basically bought the entire store, but how could we pass up on such an amazing deal?!
Last but not least…
remember the reason for the season!