7 Tips for Shopping on Black Friday

I have shopped on Black Friday out in the stores two times now. One year I went out at 4am to try to score doorbusters at Walmart. I never care to repeat that experience again! Last year I headed out about 10am. I had a list of items I wanted and the stores I needed to go to. I made it through 5 stores and got everything on my list in just over an hour! I was organized and focused to get the job done. Because I did not have big ticket items on my list, there were plenty of items left at 10am.

Here are a few tips for shopping on Black Friday:

Be prepared. Scout out preview ads and make a list ahead of time. Checkout the Black Friday page here in How to Have it All for links to the Black Friday ads.
Have a plan in place. Determine which items are most important on your list and go for those items first.
Bring a shopping partner but leave the kids at home. You need to use the buddy system to score the best deals and cover the store well.
Try to leave the cart behind. When I shopped a couple of years ago I made the mistake of grabbing a cart. Trying to get through a mob of people in an isle with a cart is a tough thing to do. That’s where the buddy system really comes in handy!
Some stores will price match but you need to have the ad handy. Also, for price matching at most stores the price needs to be in the ad- not a percentage off.
Bring your patience with you! There will be long lines.
Don’t let the good prices entice you to buy more. As you wait in line, you will probably see many other items that were not on your list. Even though it’s a good price, remember to stick to your list! You won’t save money if you over buy.

My biggest tip for shopping Black Friday would be to stay home and take advantage of deals online! Many of the stores are offering doorbuster prices online too. I have also noticed that the online stores are also starting sales now- well in advance of Black Friday. If you are shopping online this season, make sure to look for coupon codes in my coupon code database!

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Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.