It’s time to start planning your Black Friday adventure!
My hubby and I will be doing our Black Friday shopping Thanksgiving evening like we did the past few years. Having been out before the sun rises early on Black Friday morning previous years, I was amazed to find how small the crowds were just a few hours earlier. We actually walked right up to the register in both Target and Kohl’s…when does that ever happen for Black Friday?!
To get started, the first things you need to do are figure out a budget, do your research, and make a shopping plan.
How much can you comfortably afford to spend? What gifts are you looking for? Is the Black Friday door buster deal really the best value if it’s not a quality item?
To check prices and see what time stores will be opening take a look at the store’s Black Friday ad before heading out. Be sure to grab newspapers on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday as there will be ads and coupons for stores both days.
Here are the ads for my favorite Black Friday stores 🙂
Black Friday Ads
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
COMING SOON!
Next you’ll want to figure out which items you want and organize them by priority since you most likely won’t be lucky enough to snag them all. Start your shopping trip by going to the stores that open the earliest (or begin their sales online) first so you have the best chance to get all the items on your list.
Another option is to divide and conquer…you hit one store while your shopping buddy hits another with everyone’s list in hand.
Again this year many retailers will be open Thanksgiving Day too. My plan usually entails shopping the drugstore sales early Thanksgiving morning before our families get together. Those sales typically include both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday so that way I can check them off the list and can concentrate on the department stores, mall, and other retailers on Black Friday.
To me Thanksgiving is for family no matter how good the deals are so, after my early morning run to the drug stores, you won’t find me out during the day on Thanksgiving. However, as I mentioned above, my hubby and I have had success going out about 10 pm Thanksgiving night. We had our family time and then I enjoyed just staying up late to grab some great deals instead of going to bed for a few hours and then getting up super early. I’ll be shopping online most of the day Black Friday and possibly heading out later in the day if something pops up that I just have to have.
If you do plan on being part of the Black Friday crowd there are a few tips to make those long lines bearable. Grab a coffee, pack some snacks, and even bring along a book to read while you wait in lines that wrap around the store.
Or better yet, use the time to tackle more deals! Have your smartphone or tablet charged and shop the online deals while waiting in line for the in-store only deals. Now that’s multi-tasking and some super saving!
A few other quick ways to save…
- Join us in the Saving by Design Deals Group where I’m always sharing the best deals I come across…especially now leading up to Black Friday 😉 Come shop, chat, and share your deals with me and the other great members in the group!
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- There are tons of awesome deals throughout the holidays at Amazon! Deals disappear as fast as they pop up so there’s no time to leave items sit in your cart. Save on the shipping for all those purchases with Amazon Prime! Not a member? Now’s the perfect time to try out an Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial!
- Target is another one of my favorite stores! Get FREE shipping on all orders + save an extra 5% on all your purchases with a Target REDcard! You can choose from a credit card or debit card which links right to your bank account and you use just as you would your typical band debit card. Download the Target Cartwheel App for extra savings too!
- Score FREE shipping by shipping to your local store when possible! Target, Kmart, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, and Toys R Us are just a few of the many stores that offer this option 😉
- Almost all stores are offering Black Friday deals online. If you plan to do your holiday shopping online, don’t forget to grab the cash back! Sign up for Ebates now and then be sure to make your purchases through their links to score cash back at over 1,500 stores! You can find out more about how Ebates works here 😉
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