By Lauren Mason of Sterilite Corporation
With stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday shopping has become a tradition in most families. For a lot of people, after enjoying a relaxing Thanksgiving dinner, the next order of business is hitting the Black Friday sales. The lines are crazy, and the crowds are overwhelming, but there are some pretty great deals to be found. With that being said, I do have some tips for all of you daring shoppers out there! Black Friday is thrilling and the savings can be out of this world, but you do need to be strategical.
Here are 5 things to remember before you hit the Black Friday sales this year:
1) Organize Ahead of Time
Black Friday is only one week away so start organizing all of your coupons now! Look through last week’s mail pile and keep a special eye out for all of the flyers in this Sunday’s paper. It is helpful to keep all of these discounts in one place until you are ready to sort through them. Try using our Short Weave Basket and toss anything of interest in here as in comes in the mail.
As the big day gets closer, start sorting through your coupons to see where the best deals are. Pay special attention to the big ticket items and which stores have the lowest price. When you are ready to hit the stores, put all of your coupons into our Small Divided Box. There is nothing worse than getting to the register and having to rummage through your bag to find the right coupon. Especially when you have a long line of impatient Black Friday shoppers waiting behind you!
2) Have a Game Plan
Make a full list of each store you plan to visit and the time you need to be at said store to receive the deals you are looking for. Typically shopping doesn’t take that long, if you know what you need. However, waiting in line to check out is what can take forever. I would budget an hour into your overall schedule for waiting in line. Then you can take a closer look at whether or not it is feasible to reach all the stores you want in the amount of time you have.
3) Consider Bringing Cash Only
If you are on a set budget, it might be best to only bring cash. And bring just enough for the items you plan on purchasing. When you see so many good deals and are having fun shopping, it is easy to grab items you were not planning to buy and don’t even need. To prevent overspending and later regret, consider bringing just enough cash for what is on your list.
4) Who to Shop With
Unless your kids are older and want to help with the shopping, there’s no reason to bring children along for Black Friday. With the crowds and people rushing around it is not the safest environment and honestly might be overwhelming for a kid. However, it is helpful to have a shopping buddy. It helps you cover more ground in case you need to split up for deals and it gives you someone to hang out with while waiting in the slow moving lines.
5) Do you REALLY need that?
Just because something is a bargain, it does not mean you need it. Oftentimes, we can get caught up in the rush and excitement of the Black Friday sales, and end up purchasing items that we don’t even need. You may see a pair of shoes that are marked down from $200 to $50 – great saving, right? Sure, but only if you need a new pair of shoes. Otherwise, you have just thrown away $50 that you could have saved!
If you are not a Black Friday shopper, and prefer to shop from the comfort of your own home in your pjs, be sure to take advantage of the Cyber Monday sales!
Have Fun, Be Safe, and Happy Shopping!