Approaching Black Friday Shopping… #LikeABoss

By Wendy Lyn Phillips−

Since many of you do look forward to this day year-round because of the great deals, you’re not alone. Last year, websites crashed, sales records were smashed and shoppers ravenously scooped up deals on tech, video games and clothing in what was in many countries the biggest weekend of online shopping in history. The way to take advantage of your best Black Friday purchasing power, is to do your homework. Of course if you’re going out just for the pure entertainment of watching people rush, huff and puff, OR to truly enjoy the debut of ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, use these tips and savor the sights indeed.

Knowing what the average retail price of an item is, the lowest price available of that same item for instance, on Amazon, and then Googling the item for the cheapest price available will give you a good comparison. Last year, over a million people visited TechRadar’s Black Friday deals page where they loaded up the very lowest and best prices from all the most visited and trusted retailers in the nation. I recommend you be one to visit Techradar this year, too. It’s a good idea to consider the stores return policy and if you’re getting a gift for someone else, don’t forget to ask for a gift receipt.

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I’m a personal fan of shopping local when possible so start asking around early or frequenting their social media pages to see what type of plans your local boutiques may by running during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So how can you get through Black Friday without losing your head? Try a good pair of sneakers and these fool proof principles:

1.  Make a list of what you really need and your desired budget: It’s important to know ahead of time what you need and where to get it, that way you can be time efficient. Use online sources in advance to compare prices, find coupons, and check company return policies. Also, make a list of the max you’re willing to pay for certain items or gifts for others. This handles future guilt.

2.  Plan your route: After making a list of what you need, plan which stores you want to go to in a strategic way. Whether it is more important to go to specific stores first because you don’t want something to get sold out, or it is more important to hit stores in order so you save time and gas is up to you, but make sure you know which you are going to do before you get in the car! Also remember that electronic items generally sell out faster and have longer lines so be prepared.

3.  Save your Sanity with my SOS Survival Kit. Here’s what goes in it:

* 5 Hour Energy
*  Snack (Granola)
*  Water—keep hydrated
*  Hand sanitizer
*  Shopping strategy/coupons
* Minimal makeup for quick updates

4.  Your strategy to #shoplikeaboss on Black Friday and even throughout the holiday season should include the downloading of some very helpful apps! Websites like Pricewatch.com, Shopsavvy.com allow you to see the cheapest price available. ShopAdvisor.com will tell you the price trends so you can see if you may be better off waiting to purchase the item until later. Poachit.com lets you set up alerts as the price drops on a product you want. Adobe crunched the numbers and reported that on Black Friday in the US last year consumers spent a record-breaking $2.4 billion – up an extraordinary 24% on the previous year. With stats like that, you certainly aren’t going
to be alone this year!

5.  Buy what you can online first and then go out to pick up the item at the store (like  Target or Walmart especially if it’s a large electronic item) already paid for. It makes me sad that we can’t have one full day of rest, peace and calm to spend with family because of missing a steal at Walmart. I know that I’m determined to not be peer pressured in to any holiday hoopla <and purchases> that deter me from embracing my core values this holiday. Our time and money are far too important to waste away on regrets.

If participating in Black Friday is indeed part of your holiday plan, Enjoy and Be Calm and Shop On! If you need help shopping on purpose, connect with Wendy Lyn at www.wendylynonline.com and inquire about her coaching options.

 

Photo by Kai Oberhäuser on Unsplash

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Approaching Black Friday Shopping… #LikeABoss
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