5 Tips for a Successful Black Friday -

Black Friday is a great day of the year to save money. Here’s 5 tips to save money and be back in time for a nice late dinner with the family.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosure here. Thank you for your support!

Black Friday has come to be synonym of only bad things. Human stampedes, store fights, and more, often come to mind.

However, Black Friday is also a day that could mean deep discounts and savings.

Here’s a timeline of how you can take advantage of the deals, minus the stress.

1. A Month Before

Make a list of what you’d like to buy and how much you can spend on it.

If it’s $400, take the money out so you won’t go over, or designate a specific checking account that won’t let you overdraft to house your money.

2. Two Weeks Before

Go to www.bfads.net and check out the ads for the various stores in your area for the items you’d like to buy.

When comparing prices, factor in bundles and other special promotions to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

3 Quick Strategies to Achieve Your Financial Goals

Insomnia Can Derail Your Finances. Here’s How to Keep Them on Track

5 Amazing Tools to Rule Your Money This Year

3. A Day Before

If possible, go to the stores you settled on the day before the sale starts.

Grab a store map or ask an associate where the item you like will be located.

Also, make note of distribution.

Will the items be handed out via a ticket distribution system or will they be available on a first come first serve basis?

Adjust your plans based on the data you gather.

If the item distribution will work with a ticket, be sure to ask any quantity limits and other requirements.

For example, if you are required to stay in the line once you’ve received your ticket, you may want to pair up with someone that could grab other items for you while you make the line for the ticketed item.

If the item will be distributed on a first come first serve basis, become familiar with the earliest time you can arrive at the store to get in line.

4. The Day Of

Game-changing strategies for getting the best deals on Black Friday. Stop going store to store in the hopes of finding a bargain. Instead, follow these amazing tips and ideas to save money and make the best of Black Friday shopping. #blackfriday #shopping #savemoney #savemoneytips #frugalideas #waystosavemoney #savemoneyhacks

Try to arrive at the store at least an hour before the sale starts.

Many stores will allow people to stand in line beforehand and you won’t want to be at the end of the line.

Be aware of the sale start time for each store if you’re trying to hit several stores at once.

If the stores will have different start times, coordinate your time so you first go visit the store with the earliest sale start time.

Then, move on to later sales at other stores afterward.

However, if the store is open prior to the start of the sale, make sure you are familiar with where the line will form.

That way, you don’t waste time trying to find your way around the store – or worse yet, stand in the wrong line!

5. Team Up

Team up with friends or family.While you go to one store and shop for you and them, they can go to a different store and grab their goodies as well as yours.

To facilitate this, use a “Share my Location” app such as Glimpse (for iPhone or Android), or you can use a “Find my Friends” kind of app.

For me, Black Friday shopping normally includes a visit to Walmart, Target and the local mall.

Usually, I save up a little each month in the months leading up to it and I try to buy anything I will need to buy anyways in the foreseeable future.

For example, I know every year I buy a present for one of my friends’ son’s birthday in January.

Instead of buying that present in January at the regular price, I buy it on Black Friday. I then hold it until his birthday the following month.

That way, he still gets something he’ll love and I save money on it.

The key here though, is to not go crazy buying all sorts of things you don’t need just because they’re on sale.

Don’t fall into that trap. Plan, write it down, and stick to your list – and your budget!

With some preparation, shopping on Black Friday can mean significant savings in your Christmas shopping, and more money in the bank.

Looking for more ways to save money? Try my FREE Quick Start Guide to Successful Budgeting to learn how to budget in a way that delivers real financial results!

What is your favorite Holiday and why? Be sure to comment below!