Every year, right after Thanksgiving, stores offer some of their best deals. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the weekend in between is a great time to finish all your holiday shopping, stock up on some much needed goods, and save a whole lot of money. But with so many great deals at just about every retail store imaginable, Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be a little overwhelming.
Here are some tips that will hopefully make your shopping experience more enjoyable and considerate towards your wallet:
- Set a Budget: The second you visit a website or walk into a store, you will be bombarded with great deals. This could easily turn into you spending much more money than you should. If you are shopping in stores, consider taking cash out ahead of time. Once the cash is gone, your shopping is done. If you're shopping on line, right down all your purchases and be sure to stop spending once you've reached your limit.
- Make a List: This will also help you stick to your budget. If you know what you want and who you are purchasing for ahead of time, it will be easier to stick to your budget.
- Shop Around and Plan Ahead: Make sure to check out all the deals before you head out to the stores. This way you'll know what stores are truly offering the best deal. When shopping online, check out competitors offers to find out who truly has the best deal.
- Read the Fine Print: Many retail stores will have different deals at different times of the day. Don't miss out on savings because you forgot that a sale ended at noon.
- Is This Really a Deal?: Because everything will be on sale starting Friday, items you normally wouldn't buy might seem like the best possible deal imaginable. So before making a purchase, consider the item's value to you. Do you feel comfortable spending x amount of money on it? Who is the item for? Will s/he derive the same amount of value from it? It's not always a deal just because it's on sale.
- Treat Yourself: Put aside a little money for yourself. After all, you're the one braving the stores. If you spot something you really like/need and you determined that it's a good deal, treat yourself.
- Be Sure to Check Out BeFrugal's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals**: This is the best place to start shopping around for deals to ensure that you are getting the most bang for your buck. (**Make sure to check back with us Friday AM when all our Black Friday deals go live!)
Do you have any tips for making the best out of Black Friday? Have you had any crazy Black Friday stories you'd like to share?