The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday in the retail market, sets the tone for your Christmas shopping experience. We’ve all heard the horror stories of mobs and gangster-like activity during Black Friday shopping; this doesn’t have to happen to you!
If you prepare and organize your "day after Thanksgiving shopping trip," you will find your gifts, save your sanity, and save some money along the way. Utilizing these tips will make your Black Friday shopping experience enjoyable and safe.
Decide your total gross amount to spend -
Write down at the top of a piece of paper how much money (total) you can spend on Christmas gifts.
Make a list and check it twice -
Below your "total amount available to spend" you should make a list of every Christmas gift you need to purchase and a realistic amount of money you can spend on that gift. Beside the name and gift, be sure to include all information you know such as color preference, size, material preference, etc.
Check your finances -
The most stressful part of Christmas gift shopping is the financial side. You must have a budget for gifts and you must not go over budget. A good suggestion is to pay cash for everything, don’t finance gifts via credit cards. You’ll be stressed for years trying to pay it off.
Note: At this point you must decide if you have enough money to cover the list of gifts to buy. If you don’t have the financial backing to cover what you have written down, then make adjustments in your lists. Your "available funds to spend" amount should be more than the total you have budgeted for gifts.
Once you have conquered the financial aspect of Black Friday shopping let’s move on to tips for the rest of the day!
Buy a newspaper -
The Sunday before Thanksgiving is a perfect time to pick up a real print newspaper. It will be full of Thanksgiving fliers and sales announcements. Scour these! Look for the stores you frequent and see what sales and incentives they will be having on Black Friday. Check out the other various stores and see if they may have an item you need to purchase. Place the fliers or sales inserts from the stores you are going to shop in a stack to the side.
Flier/sale insert papers -
On a piece of paper write the store name and what time frame they are offering their sales. Put these in order from the earliest store opening or sale time to the latest.
Combine your gift list and your store list -
Compare your gift list to your store list and combine them into one. For example; if Target is having their Black Friday shopping from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. and Wal-Mart from midnight to 6 a.m., then you need to put Wal-Mart on the list first, then Target.
Next, under the store name, put the gift (with all the particulars) you need to purchase from that store. For example; Aunt Julie, red socks, L, $3.99. Do this with all the stores until you have your entire Christmas shopping list broken down under stores.
Note: By creating this list, and sticking to it, you can arrive at the store, go in, go directly to what you are looking for, purchase it, and move on to the next store.
Map out your day -
As my high school algebra teacher taught me, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This method is true for shopping on Black Friday survival. Map it out. Look at your list and decide what stores to go to based on their sales time and location. Write down the order you are going to shop the stores.
Get Yourself Together -
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The day-after-Thanksgiving shopping isn’t pretty, so you don’t have to be either. Be comfortable. Comfortable shoes are a must. Lay your clothes out the night before so you’ll be up and out the door quick.
Make arrangements for small children -
As bad as it may sound, small children don’t shop well. Most children get agitated, tired, and bored. Do them and yourself a favor - find a sitter, willing spouse, or grandparent.
Have Cash -
Cash? What’s that, right? Be sure to take along some cash with you. Debit/Credit Card systems are notorious for "going down" on Black Friday. Cash always works and you tend to spend less.
Security tips -
With running the risk of sounding like your mother, be sure to have the vehicle full of gas and the cell phone fully charged, prior to leaving home.
For women, leave the monster handbag at home! Keep your cash, cards, keys, and cell phone on you. Fanny packs are wonderful for shopping. Not having a huge purse deters thieves.
For men, be sure to take your cash and cards out of your wallet and place these in your front pants pockets or an inside jacket pocket. "Pick-pockets" do still exist, or you may leave your wallet lying on the counter somewhere.
Have an organized plan for the day after Thanksgiving shopping and Black Friday will be a Bright Friday for you! Be organized, be prepared, and be aware.
photo credit: ABC news
