Tips for Making Your Black Friday Bright

Millions of people wait all year for Black Friday shopping to come around. This is the season with great deals on TV’s, tablets, laptops, clothes, shoes, accessories, and so much more. But just think: How can you really maximize your time shopping, especially before or after eating all that turkey on Thanksgiving Day?

The answer is to shop smart. Many stores are opening and starting their sales as early as 5 am-8 am on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. And while you might be tempted to just sleep in that morning, you’ll be missing a lot of serious opportunities to save, as this year’s Black Friday sales are estimated to range from 10%-60% off.

So here are some handy tips and strategies for making your Black Friday shopping excursion a success.

1. Online deals

One great place to start is to get an idea of what’s planned in terms of sales. The site Best Black Friday (https://bestblackfriday.com/) enables you to review sales flyers for all the major stores.

Next, use your smartphone to find the best deals for the items you want. You can download apps like Shopkick, Slickdeals, Flip, and Shopular to compare prices between stores.

Another option would be to go online to stores you most commonly shop at and sign up for their mailing list to receive emails that will keep you updated on the latest deals and provide you with a discount on your first purchase.

2. Tips for your shopping day

If you want the best deals, you can’t set your body to hibernation mode on either Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. Don’t think you can sleep in past 8 am or 9 am either morning and expect to still get that tablet you want marked down 60%. So plan ahead and go to bed early. True deal die-hards make an event out of spending all or part of the night in the shopping lot of the store with the best deal for that “gotta have” item. You may even want to make an event of it with friends or family, grabbing warm clothes and blankets and a thermos of hot chocolate before you settle in your spot in line.

Recognize that Black Friday deals are serious sports to certain people, some of whom have no problem resorting to theft or even violence to get what they want. (Consider the annual videos and news stories of fights breaking out in Walmart stores every Black Friday.) So never leave your shopping cart unattended; that’s a quick and easy way to let others to steal popular items.

Finally, bring snacks and stay hydrated. There’s no telling how long you’re going to be stuck in the lines at some of the more popular stores.

3. Budget

Always set a budget for yourself before doing your Black Friday shopping, particularly if you’re someone who is unable to pass up a “good deal.” Otherwise, you may find that November’s shopping spree may turn into January’s debt problem.

So if you’re watching your spending and really want to focus on grabbing great deals, always keep a set price in mind for what you’re planning to spend in a specific store. And if you know overspending is an issue for you, consider only paying with cash or a debit card. That way, you’re less likely to overspend.

4. Make a list

Before you think about going anywhere for Black Friday shopping, know exactly what you’re looking for. Not having a game plan will take you longer to search the store, meaning you could miss out on some good deals.You might make a list of the items you want and sort it by store. This way you won’t have to memorize what you need when you get in the store and you’ll be more likely to be in and out of the store in record time.

5. Time your stores

Do your research and know when your favorite stores are opening since it would be a shame to waste precious time sitting in the parking lot waiting for the doors to open because you got the hours wrong. Making a list of stores, their opening times, and any doorbuster deals  will allow you to prioritize which stores to visit when. Remember that true doorbuster deals often have extremely limited quantities and not all stores offer rain checks if a Black Friday item is sold out.