Thanksgiving is just days away and for many of you, that
means that the anticipated “Black Friday” is almost here! There are phenomenal deals to be had,
and wild memories to share, but this day can also create a lot of additional
stress and unnecessary spending if you’re not careful. Here are just a few tips for you, as
you head into this popular spending day.
1. Plan ahead – Stores are full of incredible
deals, and therefore the temptation is GREAT to walk into the store planning to
buy 1 TV and walk out with 4 IPOD’S, and Nook Color, 2 TV’s and a few
DVD’s! Just like on any day of the
year, stores are smart and will place catchy signs and “incredible deals” right
near where you’ll be (check-out line, ends of the aisles, etc) with the hopes
that you’ll see it and realize that the “deal is too good to be true!” Your best bet is to walk into the store
with a plan already in mind, and not become distracted or enticed by the stores
schemes to get you to spend your money.
Whether you want to start planning today, by visiting sites online that
list the ads that will be in Thursday’s paper (blackfriday.com), or you spend
an hour going through the ads on Thursday carefully planning out your shopping
trip(s), it will help you tremendously come Friday morning! Then, once you’re in the store stay in
charge of your spending and stay focused!
2. Set your budget, and stick to it! -- Perhaps the best idea, before you
ever open up a single sales ad, is to create your “Christmas shopping list” and
include the prices that you honestly can afford to pay for those items. Once you’ve got your list together,
then go through the ads, and if the price is more than you want to pay, then
pass on it. It’s absolutely NOT
worth going into debt in order to buy the latest Blu-Ray player or Amazon Fire
that is on a deep “Black Friday Clearance!”
3. Shop Online – One of the best strategies we have
used over the years, is to do much of our Christmas shopping online! I’ve been amazed at the deals we’ve
been able to score without having to fight the crowds at Best Buy or Target, or
even wake up super early Friday morning!
Keep the end in mind and remember that although the deals may not be
what you’re looking for on Friday, they may be even better if you just wait and
look at their website Monday morning!
4. Don’t forget the drug stores – I know this
sounds ridiculous to most of you, because when you think Black Friday, most of
you think Best Buy, Walmart, or another “Super store!” I’m here to tell you that drug stores
offer some killer deals if you’re willing to work a little bit for them! Printing off a coupon online before you
head out the door, or clutching a ”Free Money“ coupon that prints after you buy
the item for use at another time, can save you big bucks in the long run! Items we’ve scored at drug stores
include vacuums, digital picture frames, and even digital camera’s, all for
LESS than $5 each!! (Most of them
were free!) If you’re looking for
some ways to save money at drug stores, go ahead and scout out some of the
coupon websites we’ve mentioned to you before! They’ll map out your purchases for you, and even do the
math, leaving the bottom line figure for you to decide if you want the item or
not!
5. Most importantly…. have fun! -- Christmas is meant for memories to
be made, families to enjoy time together, and the birth of Jesus to be
celebrated! Don’t let crazy lines,
stellar deals, or pushy people ruin the start of this magical season! Keep your attitude in check (even if
your day starts at 2AM), and enter the most “wonderful time of the year” with a
happy heart!! You’ll be glad you
did!
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