Black Friday: The cure for the world-weary Fashionista and a Mecca for bargain hunters everywhere. The day after Thanksgiving is the largest shopping day of the year, the one that sends us all salivating to the mall in the wee hours of the morning.
Good natured competition between retailers and consumers is the theme of the day. You try to get the best deals you can, and they try to get as much of your paycheck as you can spare!
Here’s the short and simple guide to living it up on Black Friday without going into massive debt:
1) Plan ahead. Nearly every store on the planet is offering some kind of deal today. Grab the Sunday paper and sort through the ads to see what might interest you. For the major department stores, you can check out their deals online at http://www.blackfriday.info . You may even want to make your Christmas / Holiday gift list early so that you can get all your presents at a discount.
2) Give yourself enough time to get there. You and everyone else will be on the roads today! Most companies run an early AM deal. The first 100 or so people through the door get a toaster, or an iPod. You know the drill 
They do this to be sure you go to their store first, and hopefully drop a load of cash before going anywhere else. Normally, you can only choose one or at most two stores, so choose wisely!
3) Know what you want - Today is not the best day to “browse,” not for the serious shopper anyway. All companies promote “Loss Leaders.” In other words, they are going to mark down their promoted items so cheap that they actually take a loss. Their profit comes from everything else you buy while you’re there. Try to resist the urge to grab things you didn’t plan on. Just go for the deals and move on to the next store!
4) Set a budget - Rarely will you be as tempted to overspend your budget! If you’re anything like us, a gambling addict in Vegas comes home with more money. Leave your credit cards at home whenever possible, and set a definite amount that you will not go over. And then a backup amount, once you hit that!
5) Shop with a buddy - Unless you want to end up going to the next car show or gaming convention, leave the guys at home! They just don’t see it the same way we do, and there’s no use trying to explain that those Manolo’s were 75% off. Grab your best girl friend, or your Mom and hit the road!
Good luck, and good hunting!
November 2007
