It’s that time of year! Time to stuff our bellies and then shop ‘til we drop! Black Friday is one of the busiest days of the year to snag the best deals for Christmas. Although it can be exciting, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. Lots of crowds, lots of long lines, lots of coffee to keep you up from waking up so early!
So, let’s prep this year so you can have THE best Black Friday Ever:
Get the Thanksgiving Paper
Yup! The paper is basically going to be your treasure map to greatness. Think of Frodo traveling to Middle Earth (any LOTR fans out there?). You’ll be using your thanksgiving paper as a guide to reach the center of all Christmas discounts. You paper is going to be FILLED with coupons, deal listings and inserts for the top items in several stores!
Make a Plan
Sounds a little crazy, but this will save you from heavy traffic and long lines. Find the best back roads and routes to get to your favorite stores! Even map out the best places to travel in the mall. Mark what stores you would like to hit and go in that order.
Breakfast Food and Coffee
If you’re going to be an early bird, you are going to need some food and coffee to help energize your day! Even if you aren’t much of a morning eater, pack some trail mix, a small box of donuts, a bottle of orange juice. Most fast food and lunch spots will be heavily crowded by other Black Friday shoppers, so even pack yourself a sandwich for lunch! That is if you’re out all day.
Stick to Your Budget
This is VERY important! It is a great idea to write down exactly how much you will spend this year and stay within that budget. Yes, you will see tons of items that you “think” you should buy...like those tiny, mini juice blenders...but you don’t really need it. This will help you stay focused with that you came to shop for and it will prevent you from shopping all day!
Dress for Success
What you wear will help you in the long run. If you plan on purchasing clothes for yourself, or for your shopping buddy - wear clothes that are easy to take on and off while in the dressing room. This will help minimize your “trying on clothes” time, and maximize time to get in the long check out line!
Have Fun
Remember, it’s the holiday’s people. Although these items are nice, just stop to think about how thankful you are for what you have and the blessings you’ve had this year! Smile and take some fun photos during your Black Friday shopping so you can collect more holiday memories!
