Black Friday Strategy

You know, despite the fact that I'm still a poor college student, I look forward to Black Friday every single year.  I've become a little more obsessive about my spending habits each year and it's been especially noticeable this year, where I held off on buying certain items I wanted in anticipation for Black Friday.  No, I'm not just talking about things I saw this past week; I've been holding off on purchasing certain items for about two months in anticipation of this day.

What makes Black Friday so special?  Sure, it's that one massive consumer holiday of the year where everything in every store seems to be on sale.  Stores draw us in with their big ads and their fancy commercials to try and keep their employees as busy as possible on that day (oh, there's that whole "making money" thing too).  We consumers walk into stores and make a beeline for that one thing we've been waiting for, sometimes to find it sold out.  Whether we get that particular item or not, we then become susceptible to our impulses, and impulse shopping reigns.  Everyone else is buying stuff, so you might as well get it while you're out, right?

Eh.. hold on a sec.  Today I'm going to present to you my ideas for encountering Black Friday as a smart and considerate shopper.  Hopefully, these ideas will help you to save a little money and to find a little more enjoyment out of the hectic environment that is Black Friday.

1) First and foremost, don't forget about Thanksgiving.  Particularly with all of these stores that are opening on Thanksgiving night, if you have a particular item you're looking to get on Black Friday, your entire Thursday evening might be spent dreaming of that moment when you carry that item out of the store.  Be sure to enjoy the true holiday first, giving thanks for all of the blessings in your life (and trust me, anyone reading this has a lot to be thankful for) and letting all of your worries (like Black Friday) go as you hopefully get to celebrate with loved ones.

2) Use the internet to pre-shop.  One of the great blessings of the information age is that we can use our computers and phones to access information in a few blinks of the eye.  Check out websites like http://blackfriday.com/ to pre-shop a little bit, looking through the ads of your favorite stores to see if there are any particular deals that you're looking for.  This effort is actually pretty critical to avoiding impulse shopping, as having a clear focus while going into a manic shopping day can help to control your impulses and to decrease any "maniacal" purchases.  However, this alone won't cut it, you'll need to do a bit more...

3) Have a backup plan.  Let's say that you're interested in buying a new TV on Black Friday.  You know that if you go to your local Wal-Mart at 10pm on Thanksgiving, you have a shot of getting a great deal on that TV you want.  However, you get there, and the line has already extended around the building, and the likelihood that you get what you're looking for?  Slim.  You've been standing in line for awhile now though, and you might as well look and see what else is there, right?  I think it'd be more efficient if you used some of your pre-shopping time to look up 2-4 options for a particular item you want, whether it be a TV or something else.  Do a little more research into each brand, looking up reviews on Amazon or another site to see what people say.  Make sure that your options all carry the features you want.  If all of your options are gone when you get to the store, evaluate what else might be there in your price range but be VERY careful about purchasing any of those items.  There's a reason they're the ones that are still there.

4) Use the internet to post-shop.  Cyber Monday is starting to become a pretty big day in itself, particularly for sites like Amazon who do a significant chunk of their business online (or in Amazon's case, almost all of it).  If you miss something on Black Friday, be patient, as it could pop up on the store's website on Cyber Monday.  Bear in mind, as well, that online stores like Amazon will have deals on Black Friday, so it's worth taking some time to check out what's available.

5) Have fun!  Black Friday shouldn't be stressful, as if you miss on your item that day, it's certainly not the end of the world.  Find joy in the day that gets people off their butts, working off some of those Thanksgiving calories and looking for great deals, just like you are.  Black Friday has its evils, but part of what it represents is the blessings we get to have in this great nation.  Getting the chance to shop on Black Friday is an opportunity that so few people in the world get to have, and we shouldn't waste this opportunity by letting ourselves get frustrated or stressed.

Enjoy this week, give thanks for all of the blessings in your life, and happy shopping!