10 Tips for Surviving Black Friday

10 Tips for Surviving Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday shopping is a tradition for some, and to be avoided by others. For those of you wishing to score some great deals on Christmas gifts this holiday these tips can help to make your Black Friday experience less stressful.

1.       Plan your Day in Advance.

Grab your holiday shopping list and compare the list to sales going on in the stores. Write down where the item is on sale and what it is on sale for. Then prioritize. There are only so many hours in the day, and each store has different time frames on their sales so make sure you hit the big items on your list first. Be realistic about your schedule. Traffic and long lines need to be taken into account so give yourself more time than you think you need.  Also, have a back up. If that big screen TV you wanted to get on sale for your husband is all sold out, what are you going to get instead?

2.       Set a budget.

Black Friday is all about dangling enticing deals to get you into the store so retailers can try to persuade you to buy something more profitable for them. Make sure you set your budget and stick to it. Impulse buying can lead to purchasing items you didn’t really need. That isn’t to say you have to stick strictly to your list. Often times you can find some great deals that would also make great gifts for people on your shopping list.

3.       Get a list of clothing sizes.

If you plan on giving the practical gift of clothes for Christmas, then make sure you have all of the necessary sizes ahead of time. Save them on your phone or jot it down on a piece of paper and put it in your purse. Just make sure you put it somewhere you can easily grab it. If you have a Mary Poppins purse that seems to hold a never-ending amount of goodies, I suggest sticking the info in your phone. 

4.       Bring some backup.

It’s always a great idea to get a group of people together to split up the shopping. For example, bring your teenagers, sisters, brothers, etc… and make an outing of the day, do some shopping then head out to lunch. Having good company will make the day a lot less stressful. Another bonus, you can split the shopping list up. Break up into groups of two and grab different items in the same store, or hit a few different stores then meet up at the arranged lunch spot. 

5.       Pack light

Let’s face it you are going to be fighting some serious crowds. Do you really want to navigate packed aisle ways with bulky coats, bottles of water and snacks, and all of the shopping bags from previous scores? If you anticipate standing outside in the cold for a while, I suggest throwing on some thermals underneath a nice warm sweater. Leave snacks and water in the car. When you go to hit another location you can grab a drink and a snack. Once you get an armful of bags have someone run to the car to drop them off (make sure you remember where you parked. A picture may be helpful).

6.       Shop Local.

The big box stores like Walmart, Target, Best Buy etc… may have some attractive deals, but they also bring in a larger crowd. If fighting over products isn't your thing check out smaller stores and local businesses and see what sales they have. There will be fewer crowds to contend with and you get to support local businesses in your area. Often times the smaller businesses will skip the gimmicks and have the same sale all day long, meaning you don't have to leave Thanksgiving Dinner to stand outside in the freezing cold.Keep in mind that many of these stores have a smaller advertising budget so getting information on their sales may be harder. Best thing to do is to get on the mailing list of your favorite local shops, or give them a call and ask what their sales will be. If they have a Facebook page, be sure to like the page and check out what deals they post on there.  And don’t forget about Small business Saturday. You can get some really great deals by shopping on this lower key day.

7.       Shop in grouped locations.

Traffic is going to be crazy on black Friday no matter where you go. Try to plan out your day by hitting stores closer together first so you are not wasting most of the day driving. Add an extra 10-15 minutes onto the normal drive time in between stores to take the increased traffic into account.

If your plan of attack is to hit a shopping center or mall, keep in mind parking will be hard to find. Navigating a mall parking lot on Black Friday can be a scary experience. Be extra careful in these crowded lots--Black Friday is notorious for parking lot accidents. My suggestion is to park in the back where less people are fighting for a spot. Sure you may have to walk farther to get to the store, but trust me it’s worth the headache.

8.       Check the Return Policies.

Sometimes stores will change their normal return policies for Black Friday items. Some stores will only allow a return for in store credit, may charge a restocking fee, or having a very short return window. Make sure you know what they are so you are not left frustrated if you need to return something.

9.       Hit Outlet Stores.

If you are a name brand shopper (or plan on shopping for someone who is), hit their outlet stores. They already offer brand name clothes at a discount. Pile on Black Friday deals and you have some great savings. Get even more great deals by shopping the clearance racks.

10.   Shop online.

Many of the bigger retailers are putting their black Friday sales online. This allows you to avoid the traffic and still get great deals. Check out their shipping offers. Do they offer free shipping? If so how much do you have to spend? Is there a pickup in store option? And let’s not forget about Cyber Monday. Many stores participate in Cyber Monday and offer huge discounts on products listed on their website.

Saving is great, but Thanksgiving is about spending time with your family. With a weekend full of discounts and deals you really don’t have to rush through the turkey dinner to stand in line at the big box store just to save $100 on a TV. There are tons of ways to save on your holiday shopping without going overboard. And remember to stop by Walker’s! We will be open at 7am-7pm on Black Friday, with the same great sale going on all day! Sign up for our emailing list or like us on Facebook to learn about what sales we will have going on throughout the entire weekend!