Thursday, October 25, 2012

BLACK FRIDAY IS IN THE AIR! SEE HOW I PREPARE FOR THE SINGLE MOST AMAZING SHOPPING DAY!






Let the Madness begin!!




Black Friday is not for the faint of heart; you have to like it in order to do it!  You may be a shopper, but if you're claustrophobic or not into big crowds you just need to stay home.  Being prepared is crucial and the only way to come out ahead.  Black Friday is already a great deal, but throw some coupon expertise into the mix and you have the single most amazing shopping trip of the year!  I like to call it “Black Friday Coupon Style”

Getting prepared for my Black Friday shopping trip is like getting ready for a sporting event.  You have to have a plan, a list, a shopping buddy and you have to get prepared mentally and physically.  I even have a “Black Friday” playlist on my iPod to help get me pumped.  It includes music like Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme Song) and Eye of the Tiger.  (I know you are laughing right now, so does my husband)!

Here is a breakdown of how I get prepared:

The Week Before
I start searching for the deals on the internet; I like to call it “virtual window shopping”.  I download a Black Friday App on my phone which allows me to view stores ads ahead of time and save a virtual shopping list that is easier to keep track of then a paper and pen.  I also keep watch on the Official Black Friday website www.bfads.com to see what deals are coming up.  I also take the time to make an Excel Worksheet of everyone I am buying for and what I am buying them.  This helps me stay on track and not over buy!  I always get excited to see the ads from Target, Walmart and BestBuy.  These 3 are great to be at because they carry such a variety of items that prevent you from having to waste drive time going to stores that specialize in specific products (like only a clothing store).

Making my shopping/wish list
I go through my local ads and internet sites three times before my list is finalized.  First time: I circle all my wants and needs.  Second time:  I Go over my Christmas list to determine what I need for each person and see what kind of deals I found in the ads.  Finally, the Third time:  After I have made a general list I prioritize it and get it set it in stone.  I know I am just not going to be able to get all the deals that I would like to, so it is very important that I have a prioritized list so I get the big deals and work my way down the list.  I find that if I have a list that's ordered by the most needed to the least, I’m able to shop more efficiently and without doing much thinking.  (This is good so early in the morning)!

Make a game plan
Once I have figured out what I need and where it's on sale, I have to map out my shopping day.  I Base it around what stores open first, what I want the most and what deals are the greatest.  I never shop alone!  It is very important that you have at least one shopping buddy if not a few; you all can take turns standing in line while the others grab the goods.  This is very important since standing in line is where the majority of your time is spent.  I also check with the coffee shops around the stores to see which one is going to be open the earliest so I can make a coffee stop on the way!

The Day Before
This is the only day of the year that a Thursday paper is like a Sunday paper.  The paper will be full of all the store ads full of hot deals and doorbuster sales that are going to be offered.  I double check these ads and make any last minute adjustments I need to make to my Game Plan.  This is why I do not host Thanksgiving EVER, getting my Black Friday shopping trip put together is much more important than making a dry turkey that nobody likes!  I leave that work to my mom!!  J

Set a budget
I am an Extreme Couponer, so impulse buys are not acceptable.   I don’t buy unless it is on sale, and of course prefer to have a coupon for it.  So I make sure I know how much the things I want to buy cost and what my total out of pocket can be if I am able to get everything I am after.  I do set aside some “funny money” for those small unadvertised deals that make good stocking stuffers. 

Game Day (Black Friday)
2:30 a.m. – Leave the house (make sure I have plenty of protein bars in my purse for snacks, that I got free couponing of course)
3:00 a.m. - Stop buy the Coffee Shop for a little caffeine fix
3:30 a.m. – Stand in line waiting for the store to open
4:00 a.m. – LET THE MAD DASH BEGIN!
1:00 p.m. – I am home eating a turkey sandwich from leftover Thanksgiving
2:00 p.m. – Taking a Nap!!


Wanna know what is going to be on sale?  Take a look at retail store ads early!







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