Your Black Friday Strategy

A Black Friday Strategy

Why do people leave the safety of work or home on the day after Thanksgiving? The promise of great savings on great products. But, how do we know we are getting the best deal? This is where having a strategy for shopping the sales is crucial.

1. Make your lists and check them twice! Know who you want to buy for and set a limit on spending. As tempting as it may be to break the limit, stick with it. You budget protects you from post-holiday, shopping hangovers.
2. Do your homework. Whether shopping online or in person, look at each store’s ads. You can go look through newspaper ads, visit stores online or try a site like EarlyBlackFriday.com They have an array of ads from retailers across the U.S. Compare prices and whether you can purchase the item online.
3. If you are having an item shipped, look for free shipping options. Be aware of deals such as, “Spend $50 and receive free shipping.” You may qualify for free shipping, but if you do not, avoid adding more to your cart just to skip shipping fees. Those offers are meant to entice you into spending more.
4. If you are physically going to the store, arrive early. Hot items are likely to be limited in stock and will sell out first.
5. Finally, hang on to your receipts. You may find the same item, later in the season, for less.

Good luck out there!

Published Nov 17, 2016.