Holiday shopping can be overwhelming and throw Black Friday in the mix and you can have chaos. Use these tips to prep for Black Friday shopping and make shopping fast, easy, and have fun too!

1. Create List- Start off with a list of everyone you need to get for. Don’t forget teachers, coaches, hair stylists, mailman, etc.
2. Write what you want to get them or write ideas for gifts by each name
3. Start checking for Black Friday ads now. They started getting leaked in October so you will be able to check many out now that’s it’s so close to Thanksgiving.
4. When you see something that matches a gift and receiver- write down the store and the price. You may wind up with more than one store with the same item. You can cut one of the stores out by being able to get more than one item at one store.
5. Don’t Miss Out- Stores now have great deals the entire week of Thanksgiving so make sure to keep an eye out or you may miss a great deal if you wait until Black Friday.
6. Check the deals online- Amazon can offer items at the same price as the Black Friday deal a major retailer has so many of the major retailers have brought their Black Friday deals online.
7. Follow the stores you want to shop on social
8. Carry the ads with you. You have your list but you may need to refer back to the ad. You also may see something else not on your list and you can easily check the other ads.
9. Use line time to your advantage. We all have smart phones, while standing in line check online to make sure you can’t get a better for what’s in your cart.
10. Returns and Gift receipts- Be aware of the return policy. I have purchased gifts on Black Friday and found that we still only had 30 days to return or exchange it. Don’t forget the gift receipt.
11. Stay hydrated. Carry a bottle of water and dress properly. If you’re at an outside mall your body temp can extremely change in the store. You don’t want to get over heated and pass out. Carry a tote or backpack that you can place your coat in while shopping.
12. Make sure you know the times each store will open. Some stores open on Thanksgiving but save some deals for Black Friday.
13. Create your travel plan. You may be going to different towns or cities depending where the stores are. Map out your route according to when the stores open and the importance of the items.
14. Have a B Plan- Many deals run out quickly if you’re not one of the first people there. There will be no need to get upset if you have a plan B
15. Create a network for those special items that will be hard to find. Ask friends and family to look for the items or have a group text going during the Black Friday excursion.

Most of all have fun, don’t over spend, and be a courteous customer. Most of the people working on Black Friday had to leave their family to deal with tired stressed people. I always like to thank them and give them a smile.

 

Do you have a tip to share?? I’m sure there are many more!

For more holiday shopping ideas, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:

• Simon Pearce Glass Blowing by Confessions of an Overworked Mom
• La Madeleine Country French Cafe by Life with Lisa
• Getting Ready to Ignore Black Friday by Rajean Blomquist
• 3 Easy Tips to Black Friday Shopping by Controlled Confusion
• Tips to Prep for Black Friday Shopping by Tools 2 Tiaras

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