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How to Shop on Black Friday

Nov 24, 2014 | Personal Finance

The holidays are special moments where we get a brief break from our busy lives to spend time with our loved ones, exchange gifts and reflect on why we are so thankful. With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, it also means we have to endure the cold weather and the vicious crowds of people vying for the holiday deals.

How will you manage to shop on Black Friday and survive this delightful, yet anxiety-filled time of the year? Don’t worry! We’ve come to your rescue. Here are some ideas on how to shop and get the most of the Black Friday sales.

Family First

First and foremost—don’t forget to put your family first. Spending time with loved ones during the holidays is most important. Even the best shopping deals aren’t worth sacrificing time with them.

Research, Research, Research!!

With stores starting their sales early, there’s no reason you can’t find great deals. It’s important to know whether the deals you get before Friday are going to be better than shopping that day itself. According to a press release, Walmart started their Black Friday sale last week! Yes, as of November 21st .THEY ARE MATCHING COMPETITORS’ OFFERS!!  

Research how much the stores are slashing prices too compared to the retail value. Comparing prices with other stores would be helpful as well.

Braving the Crowd

If you decide to brave the crowd this year, make sure you have a plan of attack. The people, lines and tension are always insane this time of year. So, you won’t be able to walk away with everything you want, but putting a plan into action is worth a shot.

Try going with a few people, that way you can go to different sections of the store and grab items for each other. Map out what section of the store you want to go to first. Once you have your most desired items, head to the other departments in the store. Read here and here for more Black Friday shopping tips.

Online Shopping

Try searching online for major discounts. This might be the best way to stay away from the crowds and waking up (or staying up late for all you night owls) super early to be the first in line. Search for E-doorbusters so you can stay in bed or run other less stressful errands. For more—look at this site for some advice.

Cyber Mondays

They are predicting that Cyber Monday will be better than Black Friday. If you didn’t get what you wanted in the stores, because they were sold out, don’t worry – all is not lost.

According to Deal News, this is the best time to buy toys, clothing, shoes, and beauty deals (Bath & Body Works anyone?).

So have fun and be safe whatever you choose to do. 🙂

The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. You should consult a credit counseling professional concerning the information provided and what should work best in your financial situation. And any action on your part in response to the information provided is at your discretion.

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