1. Check Ads and Apps Ahead
Before ever stepping out your door to hit the stores, make sure you check ahead of time to see what is and isn’t for sale. You can check ads and apps about a weak before so that you can plan out where to go and what to get. You will save yourself a lot of time and frustration if you know who is selling what and how many stores are selling the items you plan to purchase, so you have a backup plan in case your first pick sells out.
2. Check Discounts
When planning what you are going to buy from what store, another thing to keep in mind is when to buy. Some stores have special discounts that they apply at certain times, so planning when to hit each store is important. A couple of examples of discounts that can be found in some stores are the early bird discount and the night owl discount. You should also plan some extra time at each store for the long waits in line and getting out of the parking lot.
3. Bring Ads
Even though stores are starting to do away with their price matching policy, especially on days like this, there are still a select few that will price match. This means you should have the ads for each of the stores you want item prices from so that you can show the cashier and get the best price possible for the items you are buying, but need to make sure the store will match the price first. Also, it can help you keep straight what you are getting from each store.
4. Know Store
Always make sure you know the store you are planning to shop at before you ever go. You may shop at the store all the time, but that doesn’t mean you really know the store. The store may have special policies that go into effect on Black Friday that may not matter on a normal day. You also want to know their discounts and sells before you head to the store so that you get the best deal possible. You also need to know how long their sale lasts because some stores will run some of the sale prices all weak or start the day before.
6. Beware Cheapest Set
Never buy something because it is the cheapest without double-checking it. While a great low price may be very appealing, you may not be spending your money wisely. Some stores will sell their returns at a super cheap price on Black Friday because they know it will sell, but this means you could walk out with something that may not even have all of its pieces or work properly.
7. Email Sign Up
A great way to make sure you get the complete ads of the sales that a store might offer is to sign up for the store’s emails. An email from the store may even offer special discounts for being a loyal customer. They may only release the full scale of their sales to their loyal customers, which means you can better plan ahead than other customers on what to get and get it before it sells out.
8. Prioritize Shopping List
Your shopping list is your best friend on this hectic day. Not only does it keep you focused on what you need to get, but it can help you keep straight what you need to get from what store and what price you are getting it from that store. While a list is extremely helpful, you need to make sure your list is completely correct before you leave and to prioritize what is most important to get from each item because things sell out rather quickly.
9. Shopping Friend
Even though your shopping list is your best friend on Black Friday, it never hurts to have a friend with you when you shop on this day. You can help each other get what you both need by splitting up a large store and both covering half the store. You can also have one of you wait in line to get a certain item while the other goes around and gets other things that the store is selling, which means you are not missing out on other things by being stuck in line.
10. No Kids
Never ever go to one of these sales with your kids. Keeping track of your kids and making sure they aren’t sneaking in things on a normal shopping trip can be hard enough, but on this day it is even worse. Not only do you have to make sure nothing is snuck into the cart, but you have to make sure you do not lose them in the thick crowds. Losing sight of your kids can cause more problems than just trying to find them because you never know who else might find them before you.
11. Shop Online
When in doubt, avoid the store to begin with. More and more online stores are now offering online shopping with drive up to pick up, which means you can order everything, pay for it, and have an employee bring it out to you so you do not have to leave the comfort of your own car. The one problem with this is that some stores do away with this feature on a day like this because they need every employee possible inside. If the store does do away with it, then just shop online and have it mailed to your house. A lot of stores now have online Black Friday sales that last up until the start of their Ciber Monday sales, which can last up to a week after it starts. Plus, you never have to leave the comfort of your own home or get out of your PJs.
