We all know that Black Friday is a great time to score some awesome deals. With that said, you do need to have a game plan in mind. Without a game plan, you’re going to miss a lot of great deals. Whether you check out store maps or have a shopping partner, you can prepare for Black Friday.
Create a Spreadsheet
If you want to be truly organized, create a spreadsheet that lists the items you’re looking for and the stores you’re shopping at. For example, your column titles might read: Items Needed, Walmart, Target, etc. You can then easily keep up with prices at each store.
Think About What You NEED
A big mistake people make is to get caught up in the sales. This usually leads to buying items you don’t really need. Write the items you want on your spreadsheet and focus solely on those items. Write down the prices in your spreadsheet so you know who has the best price.
You can also create a highlighting system to show who has the best price and then the next best price in case the first store sells out.
Find the Sales
There are many websites devoted to bringing shoppers Black Friday ads ASAP (including "Cents"able Momma). These sites make it so easy to discover what items are going to be on sale and who has the best prices.
You can check out all the Black Friday ad scans as they are released between now and Thanksgiving on "Cents"able Momma.
Look for Store Maps
Some stores, such as Walmart, have maps that show you where items will be located. You need to look at these maps. While you would think all clothing items would be in clothing or all electronics in the electronics section, it doesn’t always work that way. You might find video games and movies in the front of the store or sweatpants in the home goods section. When you know exactly where the items will be, you’ll be able to get to them quickly.
Have a Shopping Partner
Even if you’re just going to one store, you want to have a shopping partner. One person can hit one side of the store and another person can hit the other. Or, one person can stand in line for a huge deal while the other grabs the smaller deals.
Plan to Start Early
Black Friday sales no longer start on Friday. Many stores begin sales on Thanksgiving. This means that you will be shopping after dinner and into the next day. You will lose sleep, but it will be well worth it.
Many of the stores start their Black Friday sales online even earlier (as early as the Sunday before Thanksgiving). You can often snag the exact same deals online as you would if you braved the crowds during the Black Friday sales in-store.
Black Friday shopping can lead to great deals, but you need to have a great game plan. More importantly, you need to focus on items you actually need rather than those impulse items.
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