5 Tips for Surviving Black Friday

Black Friday is almost here! I’ll admit that my husband and I, at first, didn’t think twice about this shopping event for many years, and then one year we needed quilts which were going for $20 that year at some stores – and BOOM! Two Black Friday shoppers were born. That was only a few years ago, so I’m not exactly a consummate BF shopper, but I do have a few rules I keep to maintain my sanity!

1. Never ever ever line up before the store opens.
   It’s nuts. You have better things to do. Go in the morning: early enough that some great deals are left but late enough that the midnight crowd is done. We’ve done well at 7AM.
2. Forget the crazy insane deal.
   Even if you stayed on line and got there on time, if they advertise that KitchenAid mixer for $50, they’ll only stock TWO. You can get a better deal closer to Christmas. Plus, they never sell KitchenAids that cheap. I got mine for $125 and THAT was Black Friday, LATE afternoon.
3. Go with knowledge in hand.
   By the time you get there, even the most top-notch sales rep could be exhausted, overworked and surely abused by some irate customer or other. Help them help you by being informed about what you want beforehand.
4. BE NICE to the staff.
   I used to be in retail, though, and so are many members of my family, and Black Friday is their hardest working day all year, so be gentle! Some have come to work directly from dinner, many are working super long shifts and have a LOT of sales and information to remember to provide great customer service. So be nice – and they will appreciate you for it.
5. Remember the holiday.
   It’s the season of giving and love. Christmas is not just about toys and gifts and bargains and hot deals. It’s about family and love and Jesus. Keep your priorities straight and let that gift go if you can’t afford it or find it and find something else they’ll love. I’ve yet to give my kids a gift that DIDN’T make them flip, whether it was a DS3 or a $5 doll.
6. Research the deals in advance.
   Like I said, I became a Black Friday shopper because I found a deal I wanted, on a product I knew could still be in stock. It was something I needed, so Chris and I ventured out – and we had a great time! Now we love going on out Black Friday, as long as we are prepared and being realistic about what we’re likely to spend and save.

If you’re looking to buy some great tech for that person (or, ahem, Blogger) you love and are still worried about Black Friday shopping, then you must check out the Office Depot OfficeMax Deal Center. They have great deals up right now, whether you are buying a big ticket item like a laptop or tablet, or stocking stuffers, like batteries and memory. Check out the Early Black Friday Office Depot Deal of the Day, save up to 50% on PC accessories and shop for your office Christmas party. Right now, Office Depot deal features  their lowest prices ever. You can even #ELFyourself – or family, friends even your pet! Download the app right to your phone.

Check out the image and let me know:
what kind of Black Friday Shopper are you?
(PS-great ideas in here to help you navigate your shopping!)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.