10 Black Friday Sale Secrets

10 Black Friday Sale Secrets

For years my family and I have purchased most, if not all, of our holiday presents on Black Friday—the busiest shopping day of the year.  (Oh, by the way, if you’re one of those people who have money falling out of your ears, you won’t be interested in this post.)

There are tricks to getting the goods and not getting killed and/or maimed in the shopping crowds. Here’s a few of ours.

1.  Get a look at the ads early. Don’t expect to read them Thanksgiving night. That will be way too late. I go to this website.

2. You need blankets, an old lawn chair, and a thermos full of a hot drink. You’ll also need a friend or a relative. The worst part of the shopping is that the lines at the register are miles long. One of you  needs to grab a cart and get in line while the other gets the goods and dumps them in the cart. You’ll have plenty of time, at least 2 hours.

 3.  Many retailers have the same items online as they do in the stores. Some of them open their online sales hours before they open the stores. Last year I did 80% of my shopping before midnight on Thanksgiving. Check what time zone your retail store headquarters uses. They’ll go by midnight in their time zone. 

4. Buy computers at office supply stores. You won’t have a chance of getting one at the big retailers. If you’re at an Office Depot or such three hours before their opening, you’ll be one of the first three or four people in line and sure to get what you need. I’ve gotten $200 laptops five years in a row. 

5. If you’re at a big retail store for a large item (like a television) you’ll need a partner. One year my husband took three of our children with him, sat the children on the TV boxes, and instructed them to scream “STRANGER DANGER” if anyone got near them. No one wants to be arrested as a pervert so it worked great. He had time to find the bigger cart, and we had 3 new televisions.

 6. Wear a watch. Some stores have time limits on their sales and if you’re not at the register before the buzzer, you won’t get the sale prices. 

7.  Make a list of what you want from each store or you will forget. (Also there are such DEALS you’ll spend more than you intended to and break the bank.) Take a folder or envelope for the receipts.

 8.  Put some power bars and water in the car. You’ll need something while driving between stores.

 9.  Place all of your purchases in the trunk. There’s no sense getting your window busted out and losing your presents. 

10. . Make sticky labels with names on them before the shopping (I use mailing labels.) As soon as you get home, before you rest, mark all of your purchases with their recipient. You won’t remember later because you’ll be exhausted.