Black Friday Shopping Tips

Shopping on Black Friday has become a traditional part of the Thanksgiving weekend for many Americans. Stores fill with shoppers hoping to get great deals on holiday gifts. While this day is typically great for retailers, it can be quite stressful for consumers. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of Black Friday shopping while keeping your sanity.

1. Shop online first. Many retailers offer the same sales and sometimes even better ones online and in some cases offer free shipping along with purchases. Online shopping offers you great deals from the comfort of your home and affords you the opportunity to avoid crowded stores altogether.

2. Do a little research. Before heading out to the stores, take a look at the Black Friday ads and make a list of the stores that have the deals on what you need. If you don't have access to a newspaper, check one on the Black Friday websites that have comprehensive listings of all the deals. These sites include bfads.net, blackfriday.info, theblackfriday.com, and gottadeal.com

3. Determine a budget and stick to it! Determine how much money you intend to spend and on which items. It is so easy to get caught up in the frenzy of Black Friday and buy extra items just because they are on sale. Before you put an item in your cart, check your list. If the item was not on the initial list, you probably don't need it!

4. See if you can get a price-match guarantee and check store return policies. Often, stores say they're suspending price-match guarantees during the Black Friday weekend, but you should ask for one anyway. This could mean that you can visit less stores.

Make sure you check the Black Friday return policy for the stores you visit. Some Black Friday sales are final or may have a shortened return time or exchange period.

5. Use apps. There are many shopping apps that will help to compare prices at various stores. Many include bar code scanners that will let you easily determine the cheapest price on the item in your area. Shopsavvy and Redlaser are two apps that will help with this task.

Following these tips will help clever shoppers find the best deals on Black Friday.

Source: Consumer Reports