mdolla: 9 Ways To Make the Most Out of Black Friday Deals

Black Friday is basically the day after Thanksgiving. However, this is not the reason why this day is of interest to people; Black Friday is best known as the day when retail shops decide to treat their customers to special offers for a limited time period.

It is regarded as the start of Christmas shopping. Most major retailers tend to open very early and offer promotional sales. Additionally, most employers give day offs to their employees and therefore retailers take advantage of this and give enticing offers to attract traffic to their shops.

The secret is to make the best out of these deals and save a lot of money during your Christmas shopping. Here are some few tips that will help you strategize and make the best out of Black Friday;

1. Start by creating your own budget

Be sure to include all expenses like food, presents, entertainment or décor. Calculate the amount for each and see how much you will actually need. Once you have a clear visual on the expenses incurred, the next step will be to prioritize the items of high necessity and allocate low sums of money to those that are least important.

Use the total amount to determine how much you intend for spending on Black Friday. This will enable you to set a reasonable budget based on the items you plan on buying.

2. Avoid impulse buying

It is good to plan ahead of time, know the kind of items you actually plan on buying to avoid impulse buying. It is easy to get swayed by Black Friday’s sweet deals and find yourself taking home items you did not need.

3. Start shopping early enough

The best way to beat the long queues and hours spent lining up is by planning and starting your shopping early. Do not wait until Black Friday but rather ,start your shopping on Thanksgiving night. As many retailers open on Thanksgiving night, you will be able to capitalize on the amazing deals and discounts.

4. Use the internet to check on online deals

It is advisable to check online deals first before heading to the store. You may find great online deals that may help you fight the Black Friday scramble. My Fav Deals is one site that I constantly check almost every year to make sure I don’t miss any good deals out there in general.

5. Ensure that your credit cards are ready

Before Black Friday comes along, you should be in a position to know which of your credit card will give extra discounts on every purchase you make. Make sure to check your cards for any extra cash back in rotating categories and keep alert for any caps on purchases. Taking advantage of credit card discounts will really save you a lot of cash.

6. Ask a friend to accompany you

Shopping with a friend is more fun and can really help in landing you major deals. Together, you will be able to cover more ground and access all corners of the store. This will truly increase your chances of taking care of every item on your list.

7. Bring along all the Appropriate Ads with you

Bring all relevant ads along with you in order to take advantage of retailer’s price matching policy. Keep in mind that many retailers offer price matching. Therefore, taking advantage of these guarantees a lot more than just mentioning a better deal from a competitor.

Make sure to at least make paper copies of the ads in case you haven’t downloaded Apps that store Black Friday ads.

8. Make sure you make all payments with your credit card

Opting to carry a large amount of cash for your Black Friday shopping might not be such a good idea. Furthermore, using your credit card for the purchases will reap you rewards and earn you purchase protections and extended warranties.

9. Make sure to check all store policies

Price matching is perhaps one of the best money-saving secrets on Black Friday. Retailers will tend to match the competitor pricing, which creates two incentives. One is that it saves you time and fuel through reducing the number of visits to the store. Secondly, you are able to take full advantage of product popularity discrepancies between stores.

Black Friday is the day you get to prove how well-organized you are. Prepare early, adjust yourself and start shopping long before anyone else gets around to it. Do not wait for the last minute; take the initiative to avoid scrambling with others in queues.

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