- Aroosh Kumar ’22
Black Friday is coming soon and everyone wants something to take home! However, not everyone knows how to play their cards right when it comes to having an efficient and worthwhile day.
First things first, make a plan of what you want to buy. This is very important, as you can have several items in mind but without a solid checklist to look at and know what to go after, shopping can quickly become hectic and the things you are looking for will be gone. Having a plan of what you want to buy also enables you to set a budget, so you know where your money is going. As tempting as splurging on Black Friday is, it is important to remember that there is a limit to how much money you should spend in a single night. Be realistic about how much money you can allocate to a single day. Know what you need and what you want – then make a budget.
After you get a sense of what you want to buy and the amount of money you want to spend, a little research won’t hurt. It is helpful to find out about your favorite store’s policies on returns, savings, discounts, etc. Finding the best in-store deals will pay off dividends and you may even find a cheap pair of those shoes that you have always wanted.
Once your planning and research are complete, invite a friend to go with you. This way, you can divide and conquer. Two minds are better than one, and when you have similar interests, finding cheap clothes becomes all the more easy.
Now that you have your gameplan set, it’s time to execute it. Decide on leaving very early in the morning, or late at night. The earlier you leave, the higher your chance of finding your desired items is. There will most likely be fewer people, too. As an incentive, some stores will have early bird deals for early customers.
Certain shops will overprice items that you can find elsewhere for a cheaper cost. Unfortunately, people can be unaware of this, resulting in both extra and unnecessary expenses. However, price matching tools such as ShopSavvy, BuyVia, and Shopular can help you with this issue. These apps can also get you coupons and discounts.
Although online shopping and apps can be handy at times, keep in mind that there are a lot of dangerous websites out there, too. People can become so involved in getting the best deals that they fail to see scammers. Low prices are the perfect bait for unsuspecting and greedy shoppers. A very low price can also tell you that there is potential for low quality in what you are buying. Beware of these things.
Black Friday is the best time of the year for shoppers all around the country. However, without knowing what you are doing, you could easily miss out on deals or spend a lot more money than you intended.
Photo provided by Clear Channel Outdoor Blog
