Tip Of The Day: How to shop Black Friday without losing your head, all your money, and/or your will to live. Read it here now, and watch it tonight on Fox at 5.
Tip For Tomorrow: Party like it’s the Great Depression! Which sounds sad, but doesn’t have to be. Tune in tomorrow for tips on how to entertain the masses – or just your friends and family – for less than you think.
Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: As I said yesterday, Black Friday is nearly upon us. And although it sounds like a tailgate party for the Apocalypse, it is instead the single best day to shop for the entire year. The sales! The discounts! The markdowns! The maddening crowds! The decided LACK of holiday spirit! Not to mention the pushing, the shoving, the tears…
In other words, if you’re going to shop Black Friday, it’s time to slap on your game face, buckle down, get ready to rumble, and tighten up your flow. Yes, I am aware I just mixed several incongruous metaphors into one sentence. Don't judge me.
You need to do a bit of prep work and have a plan if you want to get the most out of your shopping experience this Friday. Here are a few tips to help see you through:
1. Make a list and check it twice. Figure out exactly what you need to buy for the holidays – the gifts, the decorations, etc. – before you hit the stores. Black Friday is not the day to window shop, people.
2. Do your research. Go online and see which stores carry the stuff you need, and what their prices are. If you can’t find the information on the Web, put in a little face time at the stores tonight and tomorrow. Pre-shopping the sales will help you narrow down your quest for the best and cheapest loot.
Also, research the actual sales. Most stores have posted their sale hours and discounts on their websites. And don’t forget – some stores offer different deals later on in the day, so make sure you know when the items you want will be on sale.
3. Plan your attack. Plot out which store you need to hit first, and then prioritize the rest of the places you want to go. If you’re unfamiliar with the stores’ locations, map them out online.
4. On the morning of Black Friday, get there EARLY; at least a ½ hour before the sale begins. Chances are, some crazy person (or fifty) has been waiting all night for the doors to open, so now is not the time to be late. Bring coffee, a blankie, and appropriate winter wear.
5. Bring along a shopping partner in crime. You’ll need a neutral third party to stop you from buying things just because they're on sale. Or, someone to console you if the store runs out of what you wanted, and won’t grant a rain check.
6. Last, what should you do if you don't find everything you need? Don't worry – retailers also have amazing sales in the week leading up to Christmas. Hey, sometimes it pays to procrastinate. I do it every year.
Question Of The Day: What is your best shopping tip for the holiday season?
6 Comments
I wouldn't go shopping on Black Friday if they were giving out free kittens with every purchase; I have a hard time dealing with malls on a normal day. I think I would get sucked into an anxiety spiral if I tried to do it on the business day of the year.
I used to work retail, and I *well* remember what it was like every Black Friday. Last year was the 1st time I dared venture out shopping that day. But I waited until late afternoon, and I had only 1 place to go, with an agenda. Otherwise, I would never have gone, were it not for one specific task. People can get nasty, the lines are obscene, parking means leaving your car in the next county and walking. No thanks. My best holiday shopping tips? I'm making as many gifts as I can (using re-purposed fabrics and materials whenever possible), and maybe ordering a few things online. Above all else, BARGAIN hunt, and never pay full price, *especially* nowadays.
My best xmas shopping tip? Shop all year round. I've been done with my shopping for a few weeks. I have a list of people and their likes in my head, and when I see something at a garage sale, thrift store, or on clearance somewhere, I buy it, even if it's June. I have a table in my studio where I keep all this stuff, and each time I buy something I put it on a list. As it nears the holidays, I know what I have and what I need with a quick list check. Then I save things like Michaels 40% off coupons, MyPoints gift cards I've earned, that kind of thing, and use them to buy the rest, or the stuff my kids decided just recently they must have. It also spreads out the cost over time. I also usually wrap gifts as I get them, (labeling each one with a number that corresponds to the number on the previously mentioned list, so I don't forget what is in the package) so I don't have to wrap a zillion things at once. I know I'm oddly organized like this, but it works for me, and reduces holiday stress greatly!
I love shopping on Black Friday when I have absolutely nothing to buy. I go to the mall, enjoy the walk from the north 40 where the car is parked, and then buy a delicious Fa La La La Latte and watch the people. I may browse, but I never go intending to get anything done. It's far too much good entertainment.
I agree with Emily. In fact, I agree with Emily SO much that if she were a male, I do believe I would marry her. Him? And I LOVE kittens, but you couldn't pay me enough to go shopping on Black Friday. Stores are opening at 4 A.M. For real? There is something wrong with that.
But for you wild and crazy people out there… have fun, be safe, BE NICE and don't kill each other!
Bossy's Black Friday usually consists of lots of TV, with some TV on the side. And leftovers.