Black Friday Shopping: How to Keep from Going in the Red

The holiday season is upon us. This is a special time of year when families gather to spend time with one another. Our time will be full of traditions, both old and new. Some of us will be enjoying the colder temperatures, while others will still be dealing with 80-degree weather. Regardless of where you are or who you are with, there is likely one tradition which will affect you in some way. This tradition has been labeled “Black Friday.” This is the first day after Thanksgiving, which marks the big countdown to Christmas. This is the first day after, people are rearing up to be done with all of their shopping early. Therefore, this is one of the busiest shopping days of the year! Most of the stores open extra early and will close later than normal. This also means stores are enticing shoppers to come in with extreme marked-down prices on most products. So if you are one of these avid shoppers, what does this mean to you? Also, what does this mean for your working budget? Take a look at the tips below to keep your shopping strong and you smart!

3 Tips to Keep You From Spending Too Much on Black Friday

Plan Early!

Due to the nature of Black Friday, the stores are marking strategic products down for you to purchase. This will be primarily driven towards the larger items you will likely tend to wait to buy. One of these examples is a television. Most of the electronic stores will have some kind of discount on televisions. However, this does not mean they are cheap! These sales are going to be on larger models which generally do not get sold as much during the year. Thus, the prices for them will still be in the mid-high hundreds of dollars (maybe over a thousand). If you have been saving for a TV all year, then this is your time to use the savings. However, do not look at this as a special opportunity to put everything on the credit card because it is a “Good Deal.” Having a set limit on what you are able to afford and checking all of the ads ahead of time will give you the means to control yourself. Remember buying things for Christmas is not what the holiday is about. Thus, is it worth it to be paying off Christmas through the Fourth of July?

Divide and Conquer!

One of the best methods of shopping Black Friday is to divide and conquer. This means having friends or family join you in your quest for shopping the deals. The big issues on this day are the sales, lack of sleep, adrenaline, and caffeine. All of this combined can send too much of an overload to our senses when walking (running) through the stores. Therefore, we get bombarded with thoughts and ideas of things we didn’t know we wanted, but with it being on sale, we now have to buy. Splitting up a list of gifts to buy allows all parties to get in and get out as soon as possible. It also helps you to avoid this mental hijack. I would also suggest having people pick the items they typically would not tend to browse through. For example, do not send a man to pick up a designated tool, as he is likely to want to buy more stuff while he is over there. Instead, send the person least likely to stay and browse  (they can always ask for help to find something if needed). You all are going to be tired anyway, having the ability to limit your time in stores will let you go back home to sleep faster.

Save Your Time and Don’t Go

Some believe there is a need to go in order to get the best sales. However, this is not always the case. Most of the items you will find in the store are also going to be available online on Friday as well at the same price. Save your time and effort. Order online and have it delivered in about a week to your house. If there are some doorbuster sales, check to see if any of your friends or family will be out shopping on Friday. You might be able to ask them to pick the item up for you. Another option for some is to wait for Cyber Monday. This is the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It is a day dedicated to online sales. Similar to Black Friday, products will be marked down, and in most instances provide free shipping. Black Friday can be intense for many who partake. It would be smarter to stay home and order as much as you can online.

Regardless of what you decide to do, remember to keep a budget in mind. Your hard work to this point in maintaining your money and reducing debt will all be for naught if you go overboard with this. Please also remember to stay safe out there. People will be tired, grouchy, and driving. Try to enjoy yourself!