Black Friday Survival 101

Can you believe it?  It’s already Christmas! 

I know, I know maybe I am getting just a tad bit ahead of myself.  Maybe we should get past Thanksgiving first. 

A few more days and we will be in full on shopping mode.  Tis the season, right? 

What!  You’re not going shopping?  You are not one of the millions of brave souls that will be partaking in the Black Friday madness?  MEEE neither!

Open, Open, Open….at the crack of dawn...for….a few bucks?  I guess you can argue to say that sometimes depending on what you are after that it is more than a few bucks but even so.   How much is your time worth?

I’ll be honest this will only be the second year, in many years past, that I will not be one of those crazy people.  And I am not making fun of them by any means because as I just noted, I “was” one of those crazy people.  And then I put it all in perspective. 

A couple years ago I was after a coveted item, if I remember right it was a digital frame that was on sale at Target for  $59 or something like that.  I literally waited in line for well over an hour before I decided that I really didn’t want it and left it in between the toothpaste and mouthwash.  I proceeded to wait another hour or so, line zig-zagging, aisle to aisle, feet and back aching, bladder about ready to burst, to purchase my other items that were by no means hot sellers however they were on sale.  But in the end when I looked at my receipt (failed to do the math as I was standing in line) I literally only saved like $15.00.  And for what, 2 hours of my time and items that I could have waited to purchase later that day or the next week for that matter.

With that being said I threw in the shopping bag so to speak last year and didn’t do the Black Friday sales.  I gave my daughter a list of a few items, the cash and let her lose.  Short of shopping on line, this my friends was the easiest shopping that I had ever done. I am not sure why I hadn’t thought about doing it this way before.  I got the deals, steals AND slept in my warm comfy bed past 4am.  LOL.  I think I rolled out of bed blurry eyed, hair in disarray when I heard the front door open and the bags rustling.  How awesome is that?  

If you are going to brave the masses on Friday to save a few bucks let me share with you a few tips that I have learned through the years:

1)      The first store you want to go to is the store that has the “most” coveted item and the biggest dollar savings.

2)      Always wear comfy shoes.  You will be standing for long periods of time.  Tennis shoes are preferable since they grip the linoleum better.  And you will need to dash and grab so the faster you are the better.

3)      Coffee is your friend however DON’T drink too much because then you will need to go to the bathroom AND it will be at the most inopportune time.

4)      DO NOT USE A CART unless the items are to big to carry.  Might I suggest a laundry basket, one you bring yourself or one you can get from the store you are shopping at and then buy it.   

5)      Take CASH.  This will help you stay on budget AND speed up your check out process so you can move onto the next store faster.

6)      Take a snack in your purse.  This is going to be a long day and there is no time for sit down eating.  Fiber is best.  It will fill you up, plug you up from the coffee and give you a bit of energy.

7)       Make friends with the people in front of you and behind you, it will make your several hours in line much more tolerable AND they might just save your spot if you do have to go to the bathroom.

8)  Elbows can be classified as deadly weapons so when you see one coming at you, duck and cover.  No item is worth a black eye or bruised ribs.

9)  Make sure your cell phone and/or iPad is fully charged so if you need to call for back up, you can.  Also, many stores have Wi Fi so playing games or hanging out on Facebook are also good ways to pass the time in line

10)And last but not least, have fun.  This is only one day, you have many more days to shop and I am certain that there will be more sales before than.  If you don't get that ONE item, it is not the end of the world.  Really, I promise.

Happy Black Friday!

What's on your must have list this year?

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