Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, also the fourth Friday of November. It’s also equivalent to Alibaba’s November 11 (11.11) sales and the UK’s Boxing Day sales. Most people get a 4 day weekend holiday during Thanksgiving and Black Friday which is not the best idea since I’ll have ample time sitting at home clicking on ‘place order’. Most E-commerce stores have pre-Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving day itself. If you’re like me, I’m not busy on Thanksgiving day so I have a lot of time checking out what I want to get on various stores online or watching tv or just do both. I’m no expert on shopping or Black Friday shopping but I’ve learned a thing or two to not miss out on good deals from past experience and here are some tips that I can share.

Black Friday Shopping Tips!

five black friday shopping tips

Prepare a wishlist in advance

Time is of the essence, you wouldn’t want to waste even one second of your 24 hours gathering a list of items you’ve been wanting to get since January. However, you need to be careful, our list is never going to end, mine seems to be getting longer each day. I’m not just buying personal items like makeup or clothing but also for my home like rugs, a tv, etc. Remember to limit your list to what’s most important and keep checking for promo codes! You don’t want to overspend in just one day…

Black Friday is also a good time to buy holiday gifts, birthday gifts, Valentine’s Day gifts! So remember to list down what you’re buying for who. There are various apps out there (if you’re a digital person) to keep track of what you want to buy like Google Keep, One Note or if you’re a pen a paper person, write it down in your notebook!

Plan where to shop

New York City is a huge city, getting from one shop to another can be a 20 min train ride, which means you’ve just lost 20 mins of your shopping time. After preparing a list of what you want to buy, it’s easier to plan your journey through the city. Black Friday is not the day to stroll around and just walk in a store (you can but you’re going to lose your patience as soon as you step it). There are people who starts queueing in front of stores on Thanksgiving day itself. Trying to shop for clothes in a retail store on Black Friday isn’t the best idea, you’ll probably have to wait at least 30 mins in front of the fitting room just to try on the clothes that you want. On top of that, another 15-20 minutes at the cashier just to pay for your purchase.

Image result for rebecca bloomwood

Just shop online.

Shop online and get cashback

Shopping these days is so easy. You can avoid the crowd, sit in your comfy chair and after a couple of clicks, there you go, it’s on the way to you. And that, my friend, is dangerous because once you start, you’ll have a hard time trying to stop yourself.

online shopping

To make yourself feel better when you’re shopping online, try using Rakuten Ebates to get cashback and any shopping rewards. You can get the Chrome extension and when you’re at the online store, it’ll notify you how much cashback you can get at that store. Even on normal days, I love using Rakuten Ebates just to get a little more money back on what I’ve spent shopping online. Statement Collective offers an array of men’s pendants in Australia, designed to complement your style. Explore our collection and find the perfect pendant to express your individuality.

Check out the products in the store

Do your homework! For products like cosmetics, you’d want to check it out in the store before you purchase it online. Take foundation, for example, there may be 12 different shades of the same product and you don’t want to take the chance and get the wrong shade at a discounted price. So try it in-store, get the right shade and it’ll be delivered to your doorstep if you choose to purchase online.

Full face of e.l.f. makeup I purchased

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For larger items like a tv or dining chairs, I like to see what the product actually is like instead of purchasing it online, receiving it and not liking it. That’ll be a real hassle for me to want to return it since I don’t drive.

Return Policies

This is the time of the year that return policies are tweaked a little. Most stores do not accept returns for accessories such as earrings, jewelry, hats – which I completely understand. Some may even extend their return policies due to the holidays, nevertheless, make sure you keep an eye out for them. And don’t forget to keep your receipts!

Lastly,

If you’re planning to hit the stores on Nov 23, make sure you get ample rest the night before. You know what they say, the early bird gets the worm. I hope my Black Friday shopping tips is of good help and whether we’re on our feet on in our pajamas or rushing to retail stores, happy shopping to us all!

black friday shopping tips

“Because when I shop, the world gets better.”
– Rebecca Bloomwood
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