Top 10 Black Friday Shopping Tips

Written by Danielle Leonard from The Frugal Navy Wife

Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving and has earned the reputation of being the busiest shopping day of the year. The name was adopted from an accounting term - red ink denotes a negative profit margin, where as "in the black" denotes a positive profit margin. Many retailers make or break their sales goals between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the season kicking off on the Friday after Thanksgiving, hence the name "Black Friday."

1. Check Out the Ads- Your local Thanksgiving Day newspaper will be stuffed like your Thanksgiving turkey with ads, coupons, and circulars. It will also help you organize your day to maximize savings, since many stores offer special discounts that are time specific. Example: Receive an extra 10 percent off if you shop before 11 a.m. Also keep an eye on those ads online HERE(http://bfads.net/)
2. Do Your Research Before Friday- If you are hoping to scoop up a deal on Friday on a big-ticket item, go ahead and get your research out of the way as soon as possible. A bad product is a bad deal no matter how cheap it costs. So do you research and know what brands you want and which ones to stay away from.
3. Compare Prices- Utilize price-comparison Internet shopping sites such as PriceGrabber.com to assist you in comparing product prices. Compare the "options" included with the product. Some retailers will low-ball the advertised price on a stripped down product, and then you will be charged extra for the necessary parts that will make the product perform as expected. A good example of this is often seen with super low-priced computer printers that come without the cable (cord) or printer ink.
4. Fly Solo- That may sound like no fun, and most advice on Black Friday says to pal up for the day. But unless your shopping partner is more of a personal assistant to follow you around and do your bidding, shopping with another person (or worse, a group) will only slow you down. You'll spend time chatting and browsing on another person's agenda instead of your own. If you get separated, as will surely happen, you'll spend too much time trying to track down the other person. Carpooling, on the other hand, is a great idea. But just go with the expectation that you'll split up and meet back at the car at an appointed time.
5. Beat the Crowds with Night Owl Discounts on Thanksgiving Look for Early Bird Shopper Discounts- Internet shoppers can beat the early birds by shopping online in the pre-dawn hours of Black Friday. Many retailers will be posting their Black Friday specials, which can be ordered online and picked-up at your local store. Special "Web only" deals will also be available starting as early as Thanksgiving eve. Many of the aggressive outlet malls and factory stores will be opening Thursday at midnight, with early bird promotions in hopes of capturing your dollars before the competition has opened. Last year Toys R Us did a midnight sale before other store opened and man was it crowed they sold out of so much before the other stores opened.
   
   The Early Bird Shopper will be the real winner on Black Friday. Stores offering early-day shopper specials usually run the deals from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. and with no "rain checks," which means once they run out of the products, you are out of luck. Scanning the ads and planning you trip in advance will help you get the best deals AND save on gas!!
6. Bring the Ads- Many stores offer a "lowest-price" guarantee; however you may be required to produce a copy of the exact product being advertised for less. Most local retailers will not meet Internet prices even when the product is advertised on the same company's website, but it cannot hurt to try. Print the Web page that details the product and shows the advertised price. It may give you additional bargaining power and push the sales person into waiving other charges such as assembly fees.
7. Dress Lightly, Carry a Big Calculator- Leave your coat in the car, dress in layers, have snacks in your pockets and make sure you bring some kind of mathematical device to add up your purchases. The most important thing you can do so you don't blow your Black Friday budget is keep track of what's going in your cart, either with an electronic device or notepad. That said, the other important thing to remember is that you need to set a budget limit for yourself before you set foot out your door. Don't just go and graze, like you would at an all-you-can eat buffet.
8. Ask for Gift Receipts- Gift receipts generally include a description of the item purchased but do not disclose the price paid. Including gift receipts inside the gift box will make returns or exchanges easier for the gift recipient. Without proof-of-purchase, the recipient may be turned down for returning or exchanging the item or risk receiving an exchange for the current selling price of the item.
   
   Since many retailers begin permanently slashing prices as soon as Black Friday is over, the difference between what you pay for a gift during December and what it sells for in January can be significant. Including a gift-receipt should help insure a hassle-free return experience for gift recipients.
9. Put down the TV- Is this the year you're upgrading to a big-screen HDTV? Don't do it on Black Friday. You might think you're getting some extra-special deal, but you're probably not. Retailers will be trying to move HDTVs and other major electronics all season, so this one day will not be the rock-bottom. Besides, can you imagine the kind of service you're going to get on a busy shopping day? If you're plunking down over a grand, you want to ask your questions and get the attention you need - something you won't get on Black Friday.
10. Saying "Charge It" Can Pay Off- Obviously, there is no bargain in running up high credit card bills and paying big interest rates; however, with proper spending disciplines intact, using the right charge card can be of value to consumers. Many credit card companies entice consumers with free benefits, which include extended free warranties, return protection and sale price protection.
    • Warranty Coverage - Your credit card company may offer to double or triple a manufacturer's warranty for free on a product you purchase - a good option instead of purchasing a service contract that costs money and has a shorter duration period.
    • Return Protection - A credit card company may guarantee a refund on a product up to 90 days where as the store may not. This is becoming particularly more important as retailers stiffen the allotted return days.
    • Sale Price Protection - Some of the credit card companies will offer this protection and refund you the difference if a product you buy is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame (usually 60 days).

About the Author: I have been writing since high school, I started to get more serious about it when I started writing at Associated Content and I have had over 100 articles published! I got into couponing after my son was born and I became a SAHM. I started following a lot of frugal blogs and wanted to get back into writing so after my daughter was born I created The Frugal Navy Wife and have been blogging ever since. I am a Navy wife and a mother to 2 kids 16 month apart and under 2! So stretching our money as far as we can is a must is allows for us to be able to do fun things with the kids.

Posted by Ryan on November 04, 2010     Tags: Black Friday Deals


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