When Black Friday comes around, I’m the type of person who likes to shop online in my pajamas because I don’t want to fight the crowds. Plus, I think that there are a lot of great deals online during the Black Friday weekend. For those of you who love to shop Black Friday either in the stores or online, here are 5 Tips How to Shop Black Friday Deals.
1. Create a List
Before you even look at the Black Friday sales ads, create a shopping list of all the items you want to give as Christmas gifts. Prioritize the items by importance, and write down how much you are willing to spend for each item. If you don’t have a list, you’ll end up spending more than what want or what your budget allows.
2. Research Online
Once you have your list, go online to various stores to research and find out what the items are priced at. You’ll then want to check out the Black Friday sales flyers, many of which you can find online on sites such as BlackFriday.com, and compare those prices to see if they are priced the same or lower than what you’ve researched. I additionally always compare the prices with Amazon.com
Be sure to sign up to receive your favorite retailers’ newsletters so you know what types of sales they’ll be offering on Black Friday. And as you do this research, make notes about each offer including store opening times, when the sales begin, and prices, as well as early bird sales and doorbusters. You’ll then be able to figure out which stores you want to visit.
3. Plan Your Trip
If you don’t time your shopping trip right, the items on your list that you really want could be gone before you walk into the store. Know which stores you want to visit on Black Friday and what items you want to purchase at each store before going there. Plan your trip based on when a store opens, if the item is a priority on your list, the lowest prices, and the possibility of shortages on an item. And if possible, plan to go to stores that are next to each other so you don’t have to backtrack and miss out on the doorbuster deals.
Before Black Friday arrives, visit the stores you plan to shop at and walk through the store to see where the Black Friday merchandise will be located. Also, check the aisles where the merchandise usually is located. And be sure to go first to the stores that will offer you the biggest potential savings on the items you need. Only spend your time waiting in the store to get those items that will help you save the most money.
If you go with a family member or friend, you can work as a team and split up to get more of the items on your lists. Start on separate ends of the same store and meet in the middle after picking up as many items as you can on your lists.
Familiarize yourself with each store’s price matching, coupons and store policies ahead of time. Many stores have special price matching policies specifically for Black Friday. And be sure to take the Black Friday ads with you to the store just in case the cashier questions a price that rings up incorrectly.
4. Shop Smart During the Black Friday Shopping Trip
While you’re shopping on Black Friday, stick with your list and don’t be tempted to buy things you really don’t need. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and throw extra items in your cart, but doing so can have a negative impact your budget. Stay in control and be wary of impulse buys.
5. Consider Shopping Online
When it comes to deals, consider the value of your time over money to determine if it’s worth it to wait in the long Black Friday lines or camp overnight. Shopping online can be an alternative rather than going to the store. And by knowing which stores have the best price will help you determine if it’s worth a trip to the store or if it would be better to shop online. If shopping online, be sure to know what day and time the items you want will go on sale and be available to purchase them at that time. And to save even more money on my online purchases, I shop online using a cash back site such as TopCashBack or Ebates. I’ve used both of these cash back sites and like them. Plus, if you sign up with either TopCashBack or Ebates, you’ll receive $10!
Sometimes you can get better deals online even when you factor in shipping costs. Plus, you’ll save time and gas when shopping online. And you might just want to skip Black Friday and shop on Cyber Monday because there are always some awesome deals that day.
By having a strategic plan on how to shop the Black Friday deals, you’ll be able to focus on the items you need while saving the most money. What tips do you have for shopping Black Friday?
You might also like to read 7 Tips to Save Money Now for Christmas. Since Christmas is next month, you might not be able to save as much now, but use these tips to get a head start on your Christmas next year.
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