Here’s the deal
Plan your day to get the most of Black Friday shopping
The deals. The adrenaline. The exhaustion. Black Friday’s a day like no other. And if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right. Make a game plan.
First of all, make yourself a budget. I know, I know — this is the boring part. But you’ll thank yourself later. Whether it’s planned down to the dime or just a general guideline, whether it’s to spend in cash or put on a credit card, save yourself the panic of realizing you’ve overspent — or the torture of impulse buys you’ll definitely regret later — by laying out how much you can afford to plunk down.
Then, make a list of what you need (a necklace for your best friend, a TV for your family, a cashmere sweater for — of course — you). Even if you don’t know what some items will be yet but you know who you have to get something for, it’s still helpful to write down their name with a question mark next to it. That way if you come across a terrific deal on something fabulous, you can assign it to them.
At the same time you’re making your list, look for the best deals out there, and compare prices (ads for sales are everywhere before the big day, from easy online searches to local newspapers).
Now here’s the completely pro bonus move: Take your list of items to buy for people, and cross-reference it with the stores you’ve found having the biggest sales. Then cross-reference that with your budget to make sure it’s all within your price range.
When that’s all set, go ahead and make your defini- tive schedule for Black Friday: which stores you are going to, along with what you’ll buy at each and what to spend at each store.
Now for the gear: Plan to wear lightweight clothes and leave your coat in the car (sweaters are great, but not big, bulky winter puffers that take up too much space in your cart and make it impossible to walk down aisles without knocking things off of shelves). Pull out your comfiest shoes, and get ready to give them a workout.
Pack snacks. A couple bottles of water for the car and one for your handbag, along with some fruit and a sandwich. You can always grab a coffee and a granola bar in between stores of course, but this way you know you’ll be eating something yummy and healthy that won’t slow you down on the schedule.
Now, remember those people for whom you didn’t have any assigned gifts yet? If nothing strikes you as perfect for them, I highly recommend saving them for the next day — that is, Small Business Saturday. I love heading into the local, independently owned shops all over town and finding unique and cool things that have been personally curated and are often so unexpected and charming.
And now for the most important part: Don’t be afraid to pull the plug halfway through the day if you hit your energy wall or accidentally exhaust your budget. After all, there’s always Cyber Monday to get anything you missed.
Got all that? Now: Ready, set, shop!