Black Friday Shopping Tips

                                                                      
 

 

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and officially starts the Christmas holiday shopping season.  It is the day when many companies slash prices to lure customers into stores hoping to boost their sales during the last two months of the year. 

Black Friday has now been modified and some stores are implementing Pre-Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day sales.  Other stores start their sales at midnight on Thanksgiving Day.

According to data analyzed by the Wall Street Journal the best deals occur before or after Black Friday. The best deals can be found before Black Friday through the end of October. The same gifts can be purchased throughout the year for a lower price. 

The best bargains are for electronics and large items such as tv's and computers which can be purchased online.  Some companies are offering pre-black Friday sales and in some cases prices are better than black Friday sales.  Several websites, like Amazon, DealNews, RetailMeNot and DealDump, create online shopping bargains all in one place so shoppers can find them easily. Also look for black Friday sales on Twitter and Facebook.  Here are 15 reasons to shop online on black Friday instead of going to the stores.

1. Do research.  Buy your local Sunday or Wednesday newspaper or watch your local news to hear about store sales and specials.
2. Make a list.  Make a list of what you are going to buy and from what store.  You can get overwhelmed by all the sales and end up spending money you don't have. Don't go into debt just because you see something on sale.
3. Other stores.  Don't shop at stores that don't have black Friday sales or stores that are not on your list.
4. Pay with cash.  Don't buy items with credit cards.  Purchase items with cash, check or debit cards.  Make sure you don't go over your limit with your debit card and end up overdrawing your account.
5. Raincheck.  If an item is out of stock ask for a rain check and be sure that you can get the item for the same price.  Find out if new stock of the item will arrive before Christmas.
6. Store gimmicks. If the store says "Limited Supply" it usually means there are 4-6 items in stock. If an item is out of stock be sure to get a rain check and go after the New Year to buy the item at the discounted price.
7. Save gas.  You can shop in your pajamas instead of waiting in line at 6:00am or in the cold.
8. Free shipping.  Many companies offer free shopping starting on Black Friday through the holiday season.
9. Stock.  There are more items in stock online that in the actual stores.
10. Easier.  You can take your time and in some cases chat with online representatives to answer questions.
11. Stress.  Shopping online is less stressful than running through the stores, fighting for parking spaces, fighting over items on sale and waiting in long lines.
12. Safer.  Shopping online is much safer and you don't have to worry about getting elbowed or trampled over while shopping.
13. Security.  Don’t shop with companies you never heard of or with sites that don't have a https or shttp on the payment page, a mailing address and contact phone number. 
14. Set a budget.  The holidays should be more focused on spending time with family and friends and not about buying a gift.  If you have to buy a gift for a parent and child consider just buying a gift for the child.  Let the parent know you are cutting back this year and really can't afford a gift right now. 
15. Emotions. Don’t let peer pressure or guilt from family, friends or co-workers cause you to go into debt this holiday season.

  

Black Friday shopping has resulted in violence such as: fist fights, trampling, smashed glass doors, shootings, pushing of employees, calling the police, and even death.  If you insist on going to a store, ask yourself, if buying an item that may or may not really be a bargain worth getting injured for.  I will be shopping online. 

35 Things to Do Instead of Shopping on Black Friday

I saw an article by Adbusters.org that encouraged people to avoid shopping on Black Friday and have called it “Buy Nothing Day”.  A video in support of this initiative was banned by MTV and other networks.  “Buy Nothing Day” is an international day of protest in North America on Black Friday and on November 24 internationally. It was started in September 1992 in Mexico and adopted in North America in 1997.   It is now celebrated in 65 nations. Adbusters.org renamed “Buy Nothing Day” to “Occupy Xmas”.  Instead of going to large stores they encourage consumers to support local and small businesses or make your own gifts.

I am not against helping the economy. I am against consumers following prey to the gimmicks, marked up prices and false advertisements to lure people to the stores to go into debt causing people to fight, trample others, argue, act rude and lose sight of the meaning of the holidays. If you have the cash to purchase gifts by all means do so.  If you don’t this is where the problem lies.  Going into debt:  doesn’t help the economy if you don’t pay off your debt, prevents you from paying another bill and doesn’t enhance your life.  

I was intrigued by the article and realized I was one of few Americans who would not be at the store on Black Friday.  I started thinking how different would the country be if we did not participate in Black Friday and used that time and energy for others things. We could eliminate hunger and poverty in the U.S., we could ensure all those without food had a meal every day, we could buy from local and small businesses which employ over 50% of employees in the U.S., we could pay down personal debt which would help businesses earn revenue and more. Here are 35 things to do instead of going shopping on Black Friday.

1. Hide your credit card and debit card so you don’t make any purchases today
2. Clean your house
3. Do volunteer work
4. Spend time with your family and friends
5. Donate your time and money to a charity
6. Develop a new idea to start a business
7. Take time out for yourself to relax
8. Exercise
9. Organize documents to file your taxes this year
10. Balance your checkbook or bank accounts
11. Pay bills
12. Learn a new skill
13. Visit the sick and shut-in
14. Make new friends
15. Attend a networking event
16. Reconnect with old friends
17. Apologize to anyone you may have hurt in the past
18. Give back money you borrowed from friends or family
19. Water your plants
20. Give a word of encouragement to someone who needs it
21. Wash your car
22. Clean out your garage
23. Rake leaves in your yard
24. Walk your dog
25. Turn off the TV. and read a book
26. Full up your gas tank
27. Take your car for maintenance/repairs
28. Make a commitment to eliminate one bad habit
29. Create a plan to pay off your debt
30. Create a plan to start an emergency fund to cover all monthly expenses for 9-12 months
31. Review insurance policies and beneficiaries and make any necessary updates
32. Help your children with their homework
33. Write down 5 things you are grateful for
34. Tell your family and friends how much you love them
35. Watch a comedy movie

Be Cautious During Black Friday

                                                   

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and officially starts the Christmas holiday shopping season.  It is the day when many companies slash prices to lure customers into stores hoping to boost their sales during the last two months of the year.  

Over 80 million Americans shopped online from the middle of November to the middle of December last year for gifts.  Black Friday sales in 2011 were approximately $11.4 billion. 

Black Friday has now been modified and some stores are implementing Black Thursday such as Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Sears and Kmart at 8 p.m.  Other stores start their sales at midnight on Thanksgiving Day.

According to Market Watch some Black Friday ads were leaked that some experts believed were planned. According to data analyzed by the Wall Street Journal the best deals occur before or after Black Friday. The best deals can be found before Black Friday through the end of October. The same gifts can be purchased throughout the year for a lower price. 

The best bargains are for electronics and large items such as tv's and computers which can be purchased online.  Some companies are offering pre-black Friday sales and in some cases prices are better than black Friday sales.  Apple.com will have a one day sale on black Friday.   

Several websites, like Amazon, DealNews, RetailMeNot and DealDump, create online shopping bargains all in one place so shoppers can find them easily. Also look for black Friday sales on Twitter and Facebook.  Here are 12 reasons to shop online on black Friday instead of going to the stores.

1. Do research.  Buy your local Sunday or Wednesday newspaper or watch your local news to hear about store sales and specials.
2. Make a list.  Make a list of what you are going to buy and from what store.  You can get overwhelmed by all the sales and end up spending money you don't have. Don't go into debt just because you see something on sale.
3. Other stores.  Don't shop at stores that don't have black Friday sales or stores that are not on your list.
4. Pay with cash.  Don't buy items with credit cards.  Purchase items with cash, check or debit cards.  Make sure you don't go over your limit with your debit card and end up overdrawing your account.
5. Raincheck.  If an item is out of stock ask for a rain check and be sure that you can get the item for the same price.  Find out if new stock of the item will arrive before Christmas.
6. Store gimmicks. If the store says "Limited Supply" it usually means there are 4-6 items in stock. If an item is out of stock be sure to get a rain check and go after the New Year to buy the item at the discounted price.
7. Save gas.  You can shop in your pajamas instead of waiting in line at 6:00am or in the cold.
8. Free shipping.  Many companies offer free shopping starting on Black Friday through the holiday season.
9. Stock.  There are more items in stock online that in the actual stores.
10. Easier.  You can take your time and in some cases chat with online representatives to answer questions.
11. Stress.  Shopping online is less stressful than running through the stores, fighting for parking spaces, fighting over items on sale and waiting in long lines.
12. Safer.  Shopping online is much safer and you don't have to worry about getting elbowed or trampled over while shopping.
13. Security.  Don’t shop with companies you never heard of or with sites that don't have a https or shttp on the payment page, a mailing address and contact phone number. 
14. Set a budget.  The holidays should be more focused on spending time with family and friends and not about buying a gift.  If you have to buy a gift for a parent and child consider just buying a gift for the child.  Let the parent know you are cutting back this year and really can't afford a gift right now. 
15. Emotions. Don’t let peer pressure or guilt from family, friends or co-workers cause you to go into debt this holiday season.