Black Friday Shopping Tips & Advice

Have you ever stood in the freezing cold in a line about 1/2 mile long outside a local Target at 3:30 AM the day after Thanksgiving? I have and BOY! That Black Friday was so much fun, just me and PennyMom, freezing our backsides off with a bunch of other crazy people trying to get a deal.

Black Friday can be fun or a complete disaster. As with most anything else in life, the results of your shopping trip will rely on two things:

Your preparation, and
Your attitude.

If you are going to stand in line before the sun has touched the sky on a Black Friday, be sure you know where you are going, what you are buying, and what it is really worth. There is nothing worse than realizing you have spent too much on an item AND lost sleep too. So, check the sales ads at BlackFriday.com (available NOW), plan your attack, and be a wise shopper. Jessie at Moola Saving Mom says, “Stores are great at making you THINK it’s a hot deal until you realize that the manufacturer’s suggested retail price is not the regular selling price anyway! OR, the item is not rated well and they are selling it cheap because …well it is cheap!”

Once you have your list ready, put on a happy face. Make up your mind that this is going to be fun but also remind yourself that there is not a deal worth lying or dying for. Be safe and courteous while expecting almost everyone else to be rude.

Of course, if you are the type who would rather stay home, take some advice from Sarah at Sidetracked Sarah: “We’ve found that if you’re a late night owl, you can stay up until 2 a.m. and sometimes get the same deals online that you can get in the stores.”

Ask the readers

I asked our Facebook friends for their best tips and here are some of the responses:

Know your stores, best location for civilized shoppers, store layout, ad comparison and know the one thing you have to get to consider it successful. For example, it is worth it for me to drive to a nearby towns Walmart so it isn’t so crazy.
~ Karen L.

My advice is: DON’T DO IT! Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Sorry couldn’t resist. Its been a long busy day and I needed to let a little funny out. But seriously, your better off shopping throughout the year when you find clearance items and/or high quality used things at very cheap prices than dealing with the mobs out and about for the few little deals you might find. Black Friday is a waste of time! If you must shop do it online since most places have the same deals on line as they do in the store.
~ Janee C.

Know what you’re getting & the store layout. Also, if it’s not a “big ticket item” that will sell out fast go later in the morning or day. Sometimes I’ll head out around 9 or 10 (sometimes later too) and there’s a lull because all the crazy early birds are done by then; and I’m still able to get what I came for.
~ Jessica E.

Shop for household goods, not just presents or the new hot item. Got great deals on area rugs and stick-vacs this way! I have shopped year round clearance, like some have suggested, and I still get better deals on black Friday. Set limits and stick to your list. Have fun and don’t get too crazy!
~ Sela Y.

Have a friend go for you. No joke, I have one that does that for me!
~ Ruth C.

Its a fun girls morning with my mom and daughter. We enjoy getting the bargains, not really go for the first in line cause we need the hot item. We always end around 9:30 by going out for breakfast. After so many years of doing we have a routine and certain things we know we will buy.
~ Stacey L.

I have shopped Black Friday for years. I enjoy visiting with other moms and dads as we wait for the shopping to begin. Black Friday requires a great attitude…with the understanding that no item is worth an argument with a prefect stranger or someone you know. Good manners go a long way. Often you will find yourself working with a prefect stranger to where you grab something for them and they grab something for you. Go with someone or a group of friends who enjoy it….no party poopers. Don’t push a cart, you get around a store quicker without one….my 19 yr old son stands in an off area and watches my cart for my friends and me. We divide the store into areas….it is with the understanding that we are there to have fun, get bargains, and help each other. Realize the different between a true bargain……..don’t buy junk, buy quality.
~ Susan F.

Relax… pick your battles… and have a good lunch date afterward.
~ Cathy B.