How to Have the Best Black Friday Ever
Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving every year where many stores offer very deep discounts on hot items. Some stores offer certain items on sale at certain times while other stores may offer discounts throughout the whole day. Follow these tips to have the best Black Friday ever!
1. Scout out the store.
Don’t just show up to a store thinking all the items you want will be sitting there waiting for you in one area. You need to have a general idea of where items are located throughout the store. Be aware that sometimes some stores will have displays in other areas of the store. For an example, last year the Target that I live by had a display of doorbuster DVD’s in the clothing area. If you can, try asking an employee if they have any idea of where certain items will be set up. If you are wanting a big ticket item, search for that item first. Before Black Friday arrives go to the store and physically see the item so you know what you will be looking for when the big day arrives.
2. Read the ads online and before the big day.
There are many great sites that put the ads for Black Friday well in advance online. Two of the most popular sites are BlackFriday.com and TheBlackFriday.com. On both of these sites you can physically see the ads. Local newspapers should also contain ads for Black Friday as well. These ads may show up in the paper before Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving, or the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t be afraid to take the ad with you when you are shopping.
3. See if certain stores will do a “price-match guarantee”.
Some stores will offer a “price-match guarantee”. That means if it is the same product and you bring the competitor’s ad, and the price is lower than the store that you are, they will give you the item for the lower price. Check to make sure the store you going to will honor the guarantee on Black Friday as there may be restrictions. Don’t be afraid to ask though because you won’t know unless you do ask.
4. Think about your morals.
Some stores this year have decided to stay open on Thanksgiving. For many this means they will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with their loved ones. If you feel this is wrong you can voice your opinion on the issue by not visiting those certain stores on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Check to see which stores will be closed on Thanksgiving and only go to those stores on Black Friday.
5. Map it all out.
If you are planning on going to several stores there are many ways on how you can map it out. If you know you want a certain item that will have a limited supply go to that store first. Another way to map it out is by the opening times. Some stores may open at 8 am while others may open at midnight. Map it out so you get to each store by the opening time. Another option, if you aren’t looking for anything in particular and just want to get whatever deal you can, try mapping it out so that you go to the furthest destination first. That way by the time you are all done you are closer to home and won’t have to worry about a long drive home. Black Friday can be quite exhausting so going the last route may work out for you better in the end.
6. Bring food, water, and snacks.
You may get sleep deprived if you are waiting in a line throughout the night. You may get tired hurrying to get a certain item before someone else does. You may get frustrated because you need something to be in your stomach. Don’t go without. Make sure you bring water and food that will replenish you. Don’t over do it with sugary drinks and snacks but stick to healthy granola bars, water, or fruit. Something that will give you energy and not make you crash.
7. Leave the little ones at home.
Black Friday can be very dangerous. Unfortunately there are many rude people out there that will shove and push just to score a great deal. Leave the children at home so they won’t get stepped on. When stores first open there’s usually a huge rush and little ones could get easily separated which could be quite dramatic for them. It’s best to just leave them at home.
8. Don’t carry too much money on hand, know your surroundings.
If you are saving a lot of money up for certain items put it all on a debit card instead of carrying a large amount of cash with you. Be safe and alert. Try parking closer to the front of the store so you don’t have to walk through the parking lot with all your items. If you are planning on going to many stores have all your purchases hidden in your car. Don’t just let anyone see that you just bought a big screen TV. Have a blanket in the car, preferably dark, that you can use to cover your items.
9. Know that you might win and you might lose.
Don’t get upset if you missed out on the doorbusters. There’s going to be plenty on sale and lots of items to choose from. If you truly were looking for a certain item and just couldn’t get to it, there still may be hope. The Monday after is known as Cyber Monday and is like Black Friday but it is held online. You may be able to get everything you wanted to get but couldn’t at Black Friday on Cyber Monday.
