9 Helpful Tips To Save This Black Friday Shopping
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In 2021, the Black Friday shopping season will be in full swing. Perhaps you are a veteran of previous seasons, or this is your first time? Either way, we have put together a few tips to help you survive the madness and come out with some great deals!
Black Friday is November 26, 2021, just in case you are curious!
As you know, the way we shop during the holiday season has changed since the pandemic started.
Black Friday is not known as an instore madness that, through recent years, took over Thanksgiving Day.
Instead, it has pushed many retailers, such as Walmart and Target, to close down during the Thanksgiving season and kept most of their sales online or store pick up. This closure might lead many other retailers to do the same and closed their doors on Thanksgiving Day.
Like last year, you can expect holiday deals to start early as Amazon pre-Black Friday sale launched October 4, which will lead other retailers to follow suit again.
Start Shopping Early
When it comes to maximizing your saving during Black Friday, start early. We already know that Amazon started early, and many retailers will follow suit.
If you are not aware, shipping ports, delivery, and worker shortage will be affecting everyone during the holiday season.
Starting early allows time for your items to be shifted on time and not wait until the last minute when it is guaranteed that your delivery will be affected.
Cargo is backup, and this will affect items being delivered or even in the store, so keep that in mind.
Look at what is trending!
Start planning as soon as the store’s Black Friday ads or any mention of hot items on sale comes out. Many of them are leaked online, and you can check them out early. Every region in the USA has a different ad, so I recommend waiting until your local store ad is out.
The reason why is because the items might be different, and the prices might be different, so always err on the side of caution and check your local ad as soon as it is available.
Make a plan
We mentioned shopping early, and this should include planning early. As you know that delivery and job shortages will be affecting everyone this holiday season, planning should be a top priority.
Start creating your plan of which store(s) you are going to shop for that day where you are visiting or shopping online.
Keep it real that if you are shopping in the store, you might not be able to get to them all.
Create a shopping list weeks before and a budget so you can be organized on what you want to get and not overspend your money.
Use a different browser (Cookies are not your friends)
When it comes to shopping online, browser cookies are not your friend. Shopping online has many benefits for the customers as well as the retailer.
Browsing patterns are tracked via cookies and help them determine how much you spend, what items you like and bought, and how much they can charge you! Use an incognito browser mode to avoid price adjustments and score lower prices.
Sign up for the Email List
You want to get codes and keep track of the sales, then access promo codes, deals, and coupons by subscribing to your favorite retailer’s email list.
Get Social!
During the holiday season, retailers’ social media will provide you with information on deals, coupons, and codes as well, so make sure you follow your favorite retailer on your favorite social media.
Make a list
Always make a list to ensure you are on track, stay on budget, or overspend.
Avoid Overbuying
Let’s face it, the sales might be good, but are they? The hot items of the seasons might not be on sale.
Not everything that is on sale at a store is a good deal. Overbuying will happen if you think you are getting a great price.
Always stick to your plan and buy what you planned. You already did your research, so you know you are getting the best deal. Don’t buy things just because you think the sale price is reasonable if you don’t know.
Use rebate apps
Your smartphone is full of rebate apps that pay you when you shop! Below are a few of our favorite apps that pay us when we shop:
- Ibotta
- Checkout 51
- Shopkick
- Fetch Rewards (use code DK24W to earn 2,000 points)
Conclusion
You will survive Black Friday shopping, and you will enjoy thanks to these helpful tips. Enjoy the chaos, stay warm, and expect the unexpected during this Black Friday day.
Great list, trying to decide if I’m brave enough to get out there!
Last year, it didn’t happen. I was tired and honestly found the what I wanted online. The next day the stores were empty and I found a few things without the crowd.
Good tips. I absolutely avoid the stores on Black Thursday/Friday. I actually heard that the biggest storewide sales are on Cyber Monday, so you are more likely to that exactly what you want on sale. And don’t forget to shop local – Small Biz Saturday!
Yes! Small Biz Saturday!! Thank Karen!
Great tips! I can’t wait to shop- although I’ll probably only go on Friday!
I’m with you on Friday or even EARLY Friday less stressful.
CVS, RiteAid, Wags – that’s my Black Friday – and coupons, too 😀
CVS for us!
Great tips! I usually don’t participate in the madness but I might this year 🙂
http://neatly-packaged.com/
I worked during this madness, it was crazy and it made the day go fast. 🙂
Great tips. I despise the fact that black friday has slowly worked it’s way to thanksgiving day, but I’ve accepted it. I plan on spending my time on my computer vs. out in the store, but there are a couple things I want to grab thursday night before I get too fed up with the crowds!
After working so many years Black Friday I am not a crowd lover. I love it when it comes to that time and the online deals start popping.
These are great tips! I don’t think I’m gonna be participating in the madness this year. Way too cold (and I need more sleep)! 😛
Good for you! Sleep is good. I miss it sometime. Thank you!
These are awesome tips! Black Friday scares the crap out of me. haha
Ha ha ha! I have stories of crazy black Fridays through the years, but I won’t scare you. Thank you. 🙂
Oh My Do I Need These!! I had my very first Black Friday experience last year and I was totally unprepared. I never even considered to start prepping ahead of time. Now I Know!! Thanks so much for these helpful tips!
Thank you Tiffany. Good luck!
great tips! esp on the coffee front haha. I always feel so exhausted after, but the “rush” of BF feels like being in a casino where you feel wide awake when you’re in it and then you don’t know what time it is and when you finish, you’re like passed the f out lol.
Sooo true.. this made me laugh! Thank Tianna.
haha I’m glad 🙂 If you have a free moment, give my blog a visit at http://StorybookApothecary.com ♥ otherwise stay safe on BF!
I love Black Friday shopping, but I simply haven’t been able to get on board with Thursday shopping. All I can think about is how many cashiers aren’t spending Thanksgiving with their families because of everyone’s obsession with sales.
I worked retail many years. Even before the event was moved to Thursday, set up was Thanksgiving. Even when we had natural disasters, people simply love to shop. 🙁 Last year was the first year I was home (not working) I didn’t go anywhere on Thanksgiving.
These are really great tips! This will be my first time doing Black Friday Shopping, so hopefully I survive! I will definitely be consuming lots of coffee!
Ha ha!! Coffee, coffee!! Good luck!
There are never any real big ticket items worth fighting the crowds for, but i know plenty of people who do their Black Friday shopping every year. I’ll pass it along 🙂
Thank you Laura. 🙂
These are some awesome tips. Thanks for sharing them with us!
Thank you for stopping by, Kimberly.
I haven’t gone shopping on Black Friday in years – instead I get on my computer and shop in my PJs. But if I do decide to hit the mall these are great tips!
Thank you Amanda. Online shopping is simply the best in my opinion. 🙂
I have never shopped on Black Friday, definitely not my cup of tea so I will take step number 9 and stay home and let everyone else get those great deals at the stores!
Love your style Tara! Thank you.
Planning to survive it the best way … shopping online. And plan to be completely finished by end of Cyber Monday!
I hear ya! So you got this planned. Start online Thursday and have it done by Cyber Monday. I love it.
I live in Canada so we don’t really have problems with Black Friday Shopping but I’m sure your tips are going to be pretty helpful. I also love to shop online.
Thank you Caroline!
Awesome tips! So glad that one of them was to stay home because I was starting to get anxious up to that point! Lol. Also glad to hear the stores were dead. Maybe I’ll actually get some Black Friday shopping done this year!
I say shop Friday skip Thursday.
Love your tips, haven’t experienced Black Friday but I heard lots about it.
Thank you Shaney! Black Friday used to be a bit more insane than before thanks to online shopping.
This is great! I’m still debating if I will do Black Friday shopping or not, but the deals that are to be had are so amazing.
If you don’t want to go out, check online!
There is no Black Friday in Ecuador. But I try to stay away from shops before Christmas anyways. It’s just too crazy for me.
When I was growing up in Puerto Rico we didn’t have Black Friday. Fast forward now and they do. I think the stores get worst as Christmas approaches.
Oh these are usual I am gonna share wit my mom. i not doing black friday since I am 7 months pregnant.
Thank You Lauren! Congratulations!
Great tips! I have family that will be in town over the holidays so we will most likely be shopping on Black Friday. As for Black Thursday, I will be stuffing my face with turkey and filled with thankfulness that I am not out shopping amid the madness! 😛
-Grace Treherne – The Becoming Mom Blog (http://www.trehernemommy.wordpress.com)
The way I feel right now, shopping tomorrow will be out of the question. Friday…. Friday… LOL
Lol! You’re so right … shopping on Black Friday after all the crowds have gone is awesome!
Indeed. I enjoyed it last year with my aunts and friend. Got what I wanted and stress free!
Great tips! I’m not a Black Friday shopper but I know lots of people who are!
Thank you Emma. Thank you for commenting.
These are really good tips. I, however, avoid it all and take part in cyber Monday.
Thank you, Wow! So far today I haven’t found anything online. Can you believe that? Have a great day and thank you for commenting.
Great tips! I don’t shop on Black Friday for several reasons 1) I live in a big city and every year there’s at least one person who gets killed 2) The deals aren’t worth the madness 3) since having kids I value sleep more than anything else. My husband, however, is a different story…
YES!! Listen Philadelphia is not joke and neither is smaller cities. Since I stay home and by 8pm kids are sleep and we have extended family over the cousins and our husband we head out to our small Walmart to see what’s left. Normally I am looking for stuff we need for the house. Now if I’m tired we head to the store early Friday morning and it was dead. One thing that drove me nuts when I manage a store was having kids at that time of night and with the crowd. It drove me nuts. It wasn’t safe for kids. Thank you for stopping by Sarah!