Black Friday is upon us. Are you ready? Holiday shopping and Black Friday shopping don't have to be stressful with these "10 Tips for Black Friday Shopping Made Easy". In order to have a successful Black Friday you need to do the upfront work and planning now.
- Make your gift recipient list. Who are you buying for? Do you draw names for some extended family? Do you buy only for the kids? Don't forget about all the babysitters, teachers and coaches.
- Set a budget. How much can you realistically spend this year? No one wants to be drowning in debt because of Holiday gifts. Allocate that budget across your list.
- Ideas for each person on your list. This is the fun part. Think about what to get each person on your list.
- Figure out retail price and current price of all your gift ideas. Are some items already on sale? Stores have already started rolling out lots of holiday deals.
- Look at Black Friday ads. Are there better prices on Black Friday? How much savings on the items are there? If something only costs $.50 more now on sale than Black Friday, is it really worth fighting the crowds? Black Friday ads are all available here.
- Check when Black Friday ads start both in store and online. Many stores are starting their sales on Thanksgiving Day this year in store and almost all of them will have the same deals online that they offer in store.
- Check For Coupons. Are there any available online or in store coupons you can stack with the Black Friday prices? Check the savings.com database as well as this printable coupon roundup.
- Map out stores. Plan your route based upon what items are available at what times. Also be sure to look at which items have the largest savings. You don't want to be at one store saving $2 when you could be at another saving $50.
- Go with friends. Black Friday shopping is best as a group event. You can split up in store to cover more ground. Share your lists and help each other. For example, maybe one person goes to electronics while the other hits the toy section. If the lines are already long, one person might get in line right away while the other quickly get the items.
- Have Fun. Only hit the store if it will be fun for you and you enjoy shopping with your friends and family. When I go with my mom, sister and best friend we always stop for breakfast after a few hours of shopping. Lots of deals will be online or on sale at other times so if you would rather shop Black Friday in the comfort of your pajamas at home you can do that too!
To learn more to save this Holiday shopping season be sure to check if there are any Holiday Savings Workshops brought to you by a Savings.com DealPro near you.
Melissa Buckles is the founder of BargainShoppermom.com where she loves to help others learn how to save money and live well. She sometimes isn't frugal but she rarely pays full price. She is also a Savings.com DealPro and teaches Savings Nation workshops that help people learn how to save up to 50% off their grocery bills.
