Shopping on Black Friday is one of my favorite ways to spend the day after Thanksgiving. I love the thrill of trying to get a good deal, and the atmosphere among the shoppers is always fantastic. People start conversations with complete strangers while standing in line at 4 AM in the morning. I love it!
I realize, though, that many people aren’t out there shopping for fun. They are shopping for some very specific items on their shopping list. For those people, I’ve come up with this list of Black Friday shopping strategies:
Divide and conquer. Black Friday definitely isn’t the day to try to do everything yourself. There’s just no way to be at Target for a 5 AM opening, to be at Wal-mart at the same time, and to be at Kohl’s at 6 AM. Instead, call your friends and family the night before. Figure out who is going to be in each store and trade shopping lists. If nothing else, sharing your shopping chores will give you and excuse to get together to share shopping stories (and divvy up the purchases).
Travel in tandem. If you’ve ever been shopping on Black Friday, you know how quickly the lines can get long. Getting to more than one store in a hurry can be hard, though, if you have to spend an hour in the checkout line at Kohl’s. We get around that inconvenience by shopping in pairs. My husband jumps in the checkout line and hangs out there. I venture out into the store to find things and bring them back to him in line. Then, I take his place and let him go find things.
Make a list and take it with you. Shopping from memory on Black Friday never works. You’ll forget something every time. After all, you start shopping before the sun’s up; are you even awake yet? Having a list can help you stay on track as you work your way through the massive crowds and keep you from picking up a bunch of extras, too.
Shop online. You can purchase some Black Friday items through the internet. Now, you’re not going to find those great doorbuster items online. You can, however, take advantage of great discounts. For instance, last year Kohl’s had some steep discounts on their Fisher Price toys. Unfortunately, our local store didn’t have the specific toy I was looking for. I was able to log onto Kohls.com and order the toy at the same discount I would have enjoyed at the store.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I did Black Friday shopping in 2007 and it was one of the worst experiences of my life! People are absolutely INSANE and for what? Stuff!
I think I will do some Black Friday shopping online this year, if there are any good deals. I still need a few more Christmas gifts.
My strategy? Stay home, sleep in. Why do you think they call it Black Friday? If you are buying door buster specials, you are buying what they want to sell you, not want you want to buy. Baaa Baaa
I personally don’t care for Black Friday. I like to make items during the year and purchase a couple of things every month. This takes the stress out of Christmas and leaves us to understand what it is really about.