Any experienced Black Friday shopper will tell you that having a game plan is essential. Showing up at the stores and expecting to find exactly what you want, among the sea of products and other shoppers, just does not work. Instead of letting you flounder, we have compiled a list of nine tips to make sure you get the best bargains on Black Friday.
1. Look at the advertisements. Most stores are going to put out advertisements about what kinds of sales they are going to have on Black Friday. Even if you have no idea what you want to look for, look through these ads and start making a list. AT&T 2014 ads for this Black Friday includes a wide selection of mobile devices. Prioritize that list, especially if there are sales that have time constraints. Once you’ve woken up from your turkey-induced afternoon nap, work this up to act as the basis of your Black Friday plan.
2. Check out Black Friday apps. “There’s an app for that,” isn’t just a saying. There really are apps for Black Friday. Not only do they help you find what stores are running sales on the items you most want, they also help you find the shortest driving routes between all of the stores you want to hit and even ensure that the product you’re buying at one store is not actually cheaper at another store.
3. Research, research, research. Going into the biggest shopping day of the year blind is never a good idea. Black Friday is a great time to get a super deal on Christmas presents, either for yourself or others. If you are planning to buy a new smartphone this year be sure to check out 2014 Verizon Wireless Black Friday sale and grab the best bargain before they are gone. Or you can make a list of what you want to buy, and then research stores that are going to be having sales on those items. Also, research the store’s policies and what last year’s Black Friday experience was like.
4. Compare prices. One of the benefits of doing research is that you might find two stores running a sale on the same item. Obviously, you want to hit the store that is offering the better deal on Black Friday. There are online price comparison tools that will help you find the real best price. When comparing prices, be sure to read the fine print. Some stores will make it look like a full product is on sale, while in reality, it is only part of what you really want or need.
5. The early bird gets the worm. Stores have started opening earlier and earlier. In the past, it was midnight after Thanksgiving. Now, some stores will even open Thanksgiving night, to give those willing to venture out on a Holiday an early shot at all the great deals. If a store is offering a special sale or opening on Thanksgiving, it will likely be in their advertisement.
6. Take the advertisements to the store with you. Picking up the Thanksgiving edition of the paper to get a look at the advertisements is always a good idea. It’s also a good idea to take those ads to the store with you when you go—even if the ads aren’t for that store. Many stores guarantee that they have the lower prices, so if you found a lower one in another store’s ad, they will likely either split the difference, or give you the lower price. Don’t be afraid to print off online or email advertisements, either. Chances are you may find some cool online only Sprint Black Friday 2014 sale on an authorized store. Bring them to a local store and see if they will match the price. You may also combine them with promo code to maximize the saving.
7. Know what the store offers. Fewer and fewer stores are making it easy to return things, especially things bought on sale. If you are taking a gamble, buying something for someone that you are not sure they will like, maybe skip buying it on Black Friday if your store as reigned in their return policy.
8. Get a gift receipt. Most people use Black Friday as a way to get a ton of Christmas shopping done in a short amount of time and for less money. If some of your Black Friday shopping is going to be done for others, don’t be afraid to ask for a gift receipt. This makes it easy for someone to return the gift if it just isn’t their speed. This isn’t really going to inconvenience the store any more than a normal receipt and makes gift-giving much easier.
9. Pay with a credit card. While you don’t want to ring up a huge bill that you can’t pay, using a credit card and paying it off immediately, instead of using cash or a debit card, gives you extra protection when it comes to things like return policies. If a store drops prices on a produce even more over the next couple of days or weeks, some credit cards will actually refund the difference in sale prices. Some even extend the manufacturer’s warranty.