Thanksgiving is on the way, which means that it is time to also think about Black Friday shopping! After years and years of experience, I have come up with these four tips to maximize your savings and enjoy the shopping experience more:
Know what you are going to the store for BEFORE you enter: I love to look as much as the next person, but not when there are so many people! Reserve looking for a less busy time, unless you actually enjoy the madness of Black Friday shopping. Make sure that it is worth your time and effort to enter a store full of people. The crowds can get pretty crazy, so don’t get mixed up in all of the traffic if there is nothing there that you want.
Create a Black Friday shopping budget BEFORE you set foot in a store: This is probably my best tip of this whole post. Regardless of your income, it is REALLY EASY to waste a ton of money on a bunch of stuff that you don’t really want in the heat of the moment. Just because it is on sale does NOT make it a good deal if you don’t need it! Also, resist the urge of filling up all of those closets with stuff that you impulse purchased. If you are fortunate, you are more than likely about to get a lot of presents from friends and loved ones that will take up space in your home. Do yourself a favor and keep the clutter to a minimum by not going crazy in the stores.
Do your homework ahead of the big day: Look ahead and see what is on sale at each store and make a plan for what you are going to purchase prior to going. This will save you time and money in the long run. One of the main points of Black Friday shopping is to find great deals, so do your homework. It takes a little bit of time on the front end (you will get faster with a little experience), but it will save you a ton of money and frustration in the future.
Use coupons to your advantage: Check your emails and mailboxes, because stores are sending coupons out like crazy right now! Even if you aren’t a regular couponer, this is a great time to get started. A lot of stores, like Kohl’s, will send out $10 coupons and have tons of items that only cost $10-$12. Last year, I was able to get Madeline three toys for only $2.31 through the use of coupons! Keep them if you know you are going to use them, and come up with a strategy before you ever go in.
What tips do you have from your Black Friday shopping experiences? Please let me know by adding a comment below. Thank you so much, and Happy Shopping!
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