Shopping on Black Friday can be really fun, as long as you follow our Top Five Tips For Surviving Black Friday.
If you’re a professional Black Friday shopper, chances are you have a plan based on last year. And the year before. And the one before that.
For the rest of you, let me share: I’ve been Black Friday shopping more times than I can count. Even the year that there was nothing on my list, I ended up stumbling over a Wii for someone else. I just like the thrill of it.
Over the years, though, Black Friday has changed. It’s less about getting to the mall as soon as your turkey is done and more about being strategic about what you’re buying.
So, with that in mind, we updated our Top Five Tips For Surviving Black Friday.
Top Five Tips For Surviving Black Friday
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General Black Friday Tips
Know your price points.
This is my “in general” shopping tip too, not just for Black Friday, but: Know your price points. In general, I don’t want to pay more than $.25 on a roll of toilet paper, more than $.50 on a roll of paper towels, or more than $1.50 per 10 oz. of coffee. Those are sales I always look for. And if I see the item “on sale” for more, I pass.
You need to think that way on Black Friday too. Because not every deal is really that great of a deal. Stores offering 10% off your total aren’t ones you need to shop at because, very often, that store will have a better sale.
If you know you can get a great air fryer for $100, don’t buy one for $129 just because it’s in stock. Shop around. You’ll find what you’re looking for. Just be patient and stick to your price points.
Don’t forget about loyalty programs.
There are a bunch of stores that have great loyalty programs that get even better for Black Friday. Kohl’s, for example, is giving shoppers $15 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent. So if you’re debating between buying something on Amazon and something at Kohl’s that are the same price, definitely buy it at Kohl’s.
And then there’s Costco, which gives you 2% of your total purchases back as a refund if you’re part of the executive program. So, if you’re shopping all the Costco Black Friday deals (which we did this year to get Pete a new laptop), you can get money back for just doing your shopping.
Yes, these programs can be used in conjunction with Black Friday sales, so you don’t have to choose one or the other.
Use cash back sites.
If you’re shopping online, don’t forget about cash back sites. Those sites will give you a percentage of your purchase price back as cash in your loyalty account. And, you can still take advantage of a store’s Black Friday sales even if you’re shopping through a cash back site. So, it doesn’t change your savings, but it does give you more money back in your pocket.
We’ve found the best cash back at TopCashBack, and that’s the one we always use, although there are other cash back sites out there. I use TopCashBack even when I’m making small purchases because I’d rather have that penny or two in my pocket than not have it.
In Store Black Friday Shopping Tips
Wear comfortable shoes.
Yes, heels are cute, and I’m sure DSW has a new pair or two you’ll end up buying on Black Friday. But, while you’re shopping, stick to comfortable shoes. Flats, sneakers, you get the idea.
You’ll be running from store to checkout line to car to the next store, and there’s no way you’re winning that race in stilettos.
Plus, it’s going to be a long day of shopping. So you want to be comfortable. If that means wearing leggings and sneakers, wear that.
Bring A Buddy.
The buddy system is something you’ve grown up with. You probably don’t ever go in a public restroom alone, so why would you try to tackle Black Friday shopping solo?
If there’s something you want and your friend doesn’t need any items from that store, have her hop on line and you run to get the item. Checkout will be so much quicker that way.
This works better if you know what you’re getting and don’t need a second opinion on color (but if you do: go with black), size (but if you do: one size up in a top is much more flattering if the item is fitting just right), or version (but if you do: unrated for the husband not the kids).
Bonus Black Friday Tip:
My little reminder: The chance of you picking up everything on your list is slim. Maybe you can find everything if you went to the stores on Wednesday and hid it all. But even that’s not a guarantee because it seems all Black Friday deals seem to have started the Monday before Thanksgiving, which is making shopping on Black Friday a little different.
Realistically, though, if you’re heading out with Santa’s list on Black Friday, you’ll probably miss something. Someone else will beat you to the last video game or the sweater you were hemming and hawing about will be gone by the time you run back. That’s okay.
Just go in knowing you’re going to try your best to get everything, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up if you miss that super cheap camping lantern.
Black Friday Deals On Drugstore Divas:
We used to post a ton of Black Friday deals on the blog every year. We’d sit here all day, find the hottest sales, and make a blog post.
We still post the best Black Friday deals. But instead of posting them on the blog, we post them over on our Facebook and Twitter pages. So be sure to follow us over there so you don’t miss out on any of the Black Friday fun.
Which of these Top Five Tips For Surviving Black Friday helped you the most? Let us know in the comments.