In less than one week the madness begins. "Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving, is generally perceived as the busiest shopping day of the year. With the current economy, experts predict that you'll be able to get incredible bargains not only on that particular day, but all through this Christmas season. Where do you go to get your best buys? You can wait in line at the various stores, or you can buy online. Here are some tips that'll let you take advantage of those incredible prices.
Check out the ads. You can buy your local paper, but with many stores offering special deals even before Black Friday, you might want to check out the on-line postings. There are Web sites dedicated to showing all the Black Friday ads from dozens of vendors. Some of these sites include
BlackFridayAds.com ,
TheBlackFriday.com ,
BlackFriday.info , and
Black Friday 2008 . Many of these sites show not only the ads for the day after Thanksgiving, but list daily pre-Black Friday offerings as well. Then there are sites like
DealNews.com that provide this type of service all year long. Many of these sites will let you sign up to receive e-mail notifying you of the latest deals, and most are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders. Finally, many sites offer special member pricing and giveaways to those who sign up. You might find that special gift at an incredible price a few days early, save yourself some shopping time, and even win a free gift card or shopping spree in the bargain. (I can see the shopaholics starting to drool...)
Make your game plan in advance. Know what you're buying and where. Plan your shopping route accordingly. If you can, split up your shopping needs among friends and family members, so that one person goes to one store for multiple purchases. Don't deviate from what's on your list, because that's where the retailers are able to get you. Impulse buying is the quickest way to ruin your budget.
Prepare for the long haul. If you plan to wait in line three hours before a store opens, wear appropriate clothing. Maybe you need to bring a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate, or a sport bottle of water. Don't worry about being a fashionista; dress comfortably, especially when it comes to footware. Bring along your MP3 player loaded up with your favorite songs; you'll be waiting in lines a lot, so you may as well be entertained.
Remember the incidentals. Have your car gassed up, all fluid levels topped off, and your tires properly inflated. Make sure you charge your cell phone the night before. Update your cell phone address book as needed with current numbers of family and friends, so you can call while you're on-site to verify things like clothing sizes, movie titles, etc.
Keep yourself safe. Don't park in a remote corner of the parking lot; be sure there are plenty of cars around you and that security is visible. Don't carry wads of cash and multiple credit cards; keep minimal cash and only one or two cards. Ladies, avoid that bulky shoulder bag with all your worldly possessions; take a small hand-held bag and keep it tucked away out of sight if you can. Men, wallets belong in your front pocket this trip. If you visit multiple stores, be sure you have a place in your vehicle to store your purchases where they won't be visible. If you purchase an item that is too large to fit in a trunk and will be obviously visible from your car, plan on making a quick trip home to drop it off before continuing your shopping, or make that store the last place you visit. Remember that this is one of the busiest times of year for would-be thieves, so keep an eye out for anyone that acts suspiciously. If you're concerned, don't hesitate to notify security or call the police. Better safe than sorry.
Expect the unexpected. Be prepared for heavy traffic, especially in front of shopping malls; long lines; busy stores; and impatient people. Watch out for those folks who feel it's their right to cut off traffic so they can get to their destination. Saving money on your purchases won't help if you have to pay for repairs to your car (or your body) due to an accident. If the item you want is sold out, be prepared to ask for a raincheck or have an alternative item selected ahead of time.
So have fun hunting for those incredible Black Friday deals. Now you'll have to pardon me while I attempt to hunt down this amazing offer of a 32G USB Flash Drive for only $30. If I can just remember where I saw the ad...!!
