How to successfully shop on Black Friday
Black Friday is fast, furious and sometimes dangerous. It’s dangerous because Black Friday is a day when stores give away great deals on certain things, but also try to trap you into buying full-priced items.
To buy what you want and still keep a few dollars in your pocket, here are two things you should do:
Prepare for Black Friday
- First, create a list of the stores you want to visit and what you want to buy—and stick to it!
- Second, if you know of a product you want to buy, research it and read reviews before you go shopping. Do not buy sale items just because they’re cheap.
- Third, create a spending limit. Decide the amount you are willing to spend and make sure you do not go over that limit.
To make sure you get the products you want, you might want to go to some stores on Thanksgiving. Most large retail stores, like Best Buy, open around 6:00 PM on Thanksgiving.
Consider the alternatives
Despite the great deals, there are reasons not to shop on Black Friday:
- You usually have to wait in long lines, sometimes in the cold, to get inside the store.
- A lot of retailers let you shop online—from the comfort of your home—and still get great sales.
- In addition, a lot of great sales happen before Thanksgiving and right after the holidays.
- You can shop at stores that have discounted prices all year round, like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, so you don’t have to wait for Black Friday.
But you really want to do it don’t you?
Even though Black Friday can be a lot of work to plan for and all the shopping can hurt your feet, it can still be fun and save you a pretty penny.
Copyright 2015 Credit Union National Association Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.