Black Friday is coming up, or the unofficial start to the holiday season and arguably the most popular shopping day of the year. All of this in mind, it is obvious that chaos is bound to come with it. Here are some ways to shop smarter rather than harder, as well as ways to reduce your risk of getting trampled in a crowd of people hungry for the doorbusters.
1. Make a list, check it twice.
This isn't your mother's grocery list. This is a detailed list of what you are buying, when and where the sale is, how much you are spending, and any other specifics in order to get the most out of the best deals of the season.
2. Map out your trip.
Knowing your local stores and where you are going is extremely important. You have to have a clear, mapped-out vision of your retail destinations, as well as an order in which you are visiting each store.
3. Know the times.
Black Friday is known for ridiculous times, but recently, openings and closings have been changed because workers want to spend Thanksgiving with their families, as they should. Know what time your store destinations are opening and closing to avoid missing out.
4. Bring your squad.
Like any great experience, Black Friday is a whole lot of fun, but it's even better with your best friends by your side. Work with each other to find the best deals, and even put your purchases into a single transaction to reach the harder-to-reach "$100 off of $300 spent" deals.
5. Do your research.
Nationwide retail chains have huge deals that seem too good to be true, and they might be. Check with your local retail store to make sure that the "only in participating stores" applies. Below are multiple links that popular retail chains across the nation have posted regarding their doorbuster deals for the shopping holiday.
https://www.walmart.com/cp/black-friday/1076614
https://weeklyad.target.com/promotions?code=Target...
http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/e/black-friday.html
https://www.macys.com/social/black-friday/
https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/black-friday-deal...
