It’s that time of year again. As soon as you start resting your belly from Thanksgiving dinner, you’re already plotting your shopping lineup. But what’s the best way to Black Friday shop?
You probably dread the crowds, the lines, and the lack of parking spots. But it’s worth it for the great deals, right?Â
There’s no need to face the chaos head-on to get all of those deals. There are a few things you need to know before beginning so that you can Black Friday shop efficiently.
Get ahead of the chaos.
Does it seem like stores market the holiday season earlier and earlier each year? Well, you’re not crazy. Marketing for the holidays has been shifting earlier and earlier over the years.
Whether you like this shift or not, it does offer a few benefits. You are now able to properly plan ahead.​​ There’s no more running into a store not knowing what deals they offer until you see the markdowns or get to the register. Now you can plan ahead based on the deals that you want!
Make a list before you shop of what you need and do your research to find what stores are offering deals on similar items. BlackFriday.com offers a huge array of previews for the deals and steals for you to scroll through.Â
Do the work beforehand to plan, research, and strategize. You’ll be amazed at the stress that’s taken off of your shoulders when it comes time for you to shop.
Download apps, quickly!
Something that’s becoming increasingly popular is companies offering exclusive deals to their loyal customers through an app. After you’ve planned what you want to buy or browse for Black Friday, download the apps of those stores.
Apps offer deals that regular customers wouldn’t be able to access. You get to rack up points and find exclusive deals, making your Black Friday much easier.
You could also sign up for text messages to get special coupons. Black Friday shop smarter, not harder.
Check store policies.
Yeah–this sounds boring. However, it may save you a bunch in the long run.
Many stores offer price-matching deals and specific promotions that they might not directly advertise. In fact, price-matching deals are predicted to increase significantly this year, so it’s time to pay close attention.
Pro-tip: If you read the fine print to see that it’s returnable, don’t fret about that nice jacket you just found being the wrong size. You can return it a week later for your size and still get all the benefits of that great Black Friday deal.
Sign up for all the cards you can…BEFOREHAND.
One great trend in the shopping game is getting a membership card from your favorite brand. These ultimately save you tons of money through rewards and special member deals.
This can get tricky, though. Sometimes you get a certain percentage off of your purchase the day you sign up. Other times, it takes days or even weeks to get the card.Â
Do the research beforehand for the deals and requirements of the membership cards you’re interested in. Getting these cards beforehand is an easy way to save tons of money through those unique member deals on top of the regular Black Friday deals.
Stick to online shopping.
If you really aren’t feeling like elbowing your way through a sea of people to get all the deals, there’s good news for you! Online shopping isn’t just for Cyber Monday anymore. Black Friday is going virtual more and more every year.
You can use browser tools like Honey, CouponCabin, Rakuten, Ibotta, Capital One Shopping, Giving Assistant, InvisibleHand, and many more. These extensions search the web to find you the best deal possible. Black Friday couldn’t get much easier at this point.
Although, you may enjoy the rush you get going store-to-store to get those deals. It’s up to you to decide what works best for you, but the key is to decide before the day comes. Planning ahead is the key to Black Friday shop successfully.
