Emily Maxie
The holidays are all about traditions, and my family has a pretty unique one—Black Friday shopping. Before you stop reading (because people who do Black Friday shopping are crazy, right?), hear me out. For more than a decade, my mom and I have made a party out of battling the crowds to get awesome deals the day after Thanksgiving.
We’ve done it in cities all over the country (wherever we happen to be celebrating Thanksgiving each year). We even once did it in New York City, which was a very unique experience.
We usually wake up before the sun rises, power through some amazing deals, grab breakfast and wrap it up by taking a picture with Santa at the mall. It may sound crazy to some people, but the holidays wouldn't be the same for my family without this adventure.
That’s why I’m angry.
Last year we had to significantly change our game plan since most stores started opening early. A couple stores actually opened on Thanksgiving Day, but most opened at midnight or even opened on the morning of Black Friday (novel idea, right?).
Well those days are over. Walmart recently announced that their Black Friday deals will start at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. And since they’re open 24-7, I’m betting that means some people will be skipping a Thanksgiving meal with family to get in line for those deals. Most other stores open around 8 p.m.
I. Am. Not. Happy. About. This.
I’ve started referring to it,“Black Thursday, the Day Formerly Known as Thanksgiving.”
As I tell my friends this news, most of them say, “Just don’t go,” and if the whole experience wasn’t such a family tradition, I would probably take that advice (because, of course, my one-person boycott would certainly bring Corporate America to its knees). But since I get so much joy out of this tradition, I’ll put my ill feelings behind me and prepare for it the way I usually do.
So with that long rant behind me, I present The Ultimate Black Friday Survival Guide.
The holidays are all about traditions, and my family has a pretty unique one—Black Friday shopping. Before you stop reading (because people who do Black Friday shopping are crazy, right?), hear me out. For more than a decade, my mom and I have made a party out of battling the crowds to get awesome deals the day after Thanksgiving.
We’ve done it in cities all over the country (wherever we happen to be celebrating Thanksgiving each year). We even once did it in New York City, which was a very unique experience.
We usually wake up before the sun rises, power through some amazing deals, grab breakfast and wrap it up by taking a picture with Santa at the mall. It may sound crazy to some people, but the holidays wouldn't be the same for my family without this adventure.
That’s why I’m angry.
Last year we had to significantly change our game plan since most stores started opening early. A couple stores actually opened on Thanksgiving Day, but most opened at midnight or even opened on the morning of Black Friday (novel idea, right?).
Well those days are over. Walmart recently announced that their Black Friday deals will start at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. And since they’re open 24-7, I’m betting that means some people will be skipping a Thanksgiving meal with family to get in line for those deals. Most other stores open around 8 p.m.
I. Am. Not. Happy. About. This.
I’ve started referring to it,“Black Thursday, the Day Formerly Known as Thanksgiving.”
As I tell my friends this news, most of them say, “Just don’t go,” and if the whole experience wasn’t such a family tradition, I would probably take that advice (because, of course, my one-person boycott would certainly bring Corporate America to its knees). But since I get so much joy out of this tradition, I’ll put my ill feelings behind me and prepare for it the way I usually do.
So with that long rant behind me, I present The Ultimate Black Friday Survival Guide.
If you’ve never done Black Friday shopping before (or if you feel like your game plan could use some work), here are some tips for getting the most deals and having the most fun on Black Friday.
Have Some Holiday Fun
I’m mentioning this point first, because I really think it’s the most important part of Black Friday shopping. The foundation of our tradition isn’t about getting the very best deals (though that’s an awesome part of it). It’s about the people we go with.
Whether you wear silly Christmas hats, get your picture taken with Santa, play Christmas music in the car or get a special holiday drink (peppermint mocha, anyone?), be sure to have fun and enjoy the first “official” day of the Christmas season.
Dress for Comfort
This sounds like something an old lady would say, but on this one day it’s very important. Black Friday is not the day to show off your super-cute-but-incredibly-painful new boots. You’ll be walking, standing and climbing stairs a lot, so get comfy before you head out. I also highly recommend dressing in layers since it’s usually chilly outside and quite warm inside the stores.
Decide When You’ll Start
When you make your Black Friday game plan this year, you’ll have to decide when you’re starting (this wasn’t much of a concern in years past since most stores opened within a couple hours of each other).
As I mentioned before, stores are opening at all kinds of crazy times. Kmart opens at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning (no thank you), Radio Shack opens Friday at 8 a.m., and there’s everything in between. Here’s a pretty comprehensive list of opening times to help you figure out when you’ll start your shopping. It really depends on what sales are most important to your group of shoppers. Which brings me to my next point…
Have Some Holiday Fun
I’m mentioning this point first, because I really think it’s the most important part of Black Friday shopping. The foundation of our tradition isn’t about getting the very best deals (though that’s an awesome part of it). It’s about the people we go with.
Whether you wear silly Christmas hats, get your picture taken with Santa, play Christmas music in the car or get a special holiday drink (peppermint mocha, anyone?), be sure to have fun and enjoy the first “official” day of the Christmas season.
Dress for Comfort
This sounds like something an old lady would say, but on this one day it’s very important. Black Friday is not the day to show off your super-cute-but-incredibly-painful new boots. You’ll be walking, standing and climbing stairs a lot, so get comfy before you head out. I also highly recommend dressing in layers since it’s usually chilly outside and quite warm inside the stores.
Decide When You’ll Start
When you make your Black Friday game plan this year, you’ll have to decide when you’re starting (this wasn’t much of a concern in years past since most stores opened within a couple hours of each other).
As I mentioned before, stores are opening at all kinds of crazy times. Kmart opens at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning (no thank you), Radio Shack opens Friday at 8 a.m., and there’s everything in between. Here’s a pretty comprehensive list of opening times to help you figure out when you’ll start your shopping. It really depends on what sales are most important to your group of shoppers. Which brings me to my next point…
Prioritize Your Day
There’s no physical way you can get to every store and get every deal before they sell out (believe me, I’ve tried!). If you try to have it all, you’ll end the day exhausted, frustrated and disappointed.
That’s why it’s important to figure out what deals are your “must-haves” and plan your day around those stores. Some stores offer free gifts to the first few hundred people in the store. Others have a limited number of great sale items. Whatever you’re hoping to get, you need to plan to be there when the store opens.
Clothes are the exception to this rule (depending on whether they’re in high demand). Most good deals on clothes stick around for a few hours before they get sold out. We usually save clothes shopping until the end of the day when we have time to try things on.
Trade Off in Line
I’ve found that roughly 80% of my time on Black Friday is spent waiting in lines. You can save a lot of time by trading off in line. Whenever we get to a store where we think we’ll buy something, one person (usually my mom) goes straight for the checkout line. In big stores like Target and Best Buy, the checkout line snakes around the whole store! She waits there while the rest of us find what we need, and then we trade out and hold the place in line while she does her shopping. This can save you a lot of time and frustration.
Feed the Beast
When you get into the frenzy of Black Friday, it’s easy to just grab some coffee and hurry to the next store. But if you only have caffeine and an empty stomach, you’ll probably find yourself feeling sick before you get to the second store. Be sure to eat something nutritious to power through the night. It never hurts to have a couple of granola bars in your purse just in case you’re stuck in a line when hunger strikes.
If your shopping trip will last more than a couple of hours, it’s probably a good idea to stop for an actual meal at some point. This is a good time to regroup, map out your game plan and exchange war stories.
There’s no physical way you can get to every store and get every deal before they sell out (believe me, I’ve tried!). If you try to have it all, you’ll end the day exhausted, frustrated and disappointed.
That’s why it’s important to figure out what deals are your “must-haves” and plan your day around those stores. Some stores offer free gifts to the first few hundred people in the store. Others have a limited number of great sale items. Whatever you’re hoping to get, you need to plan to be there when the store opens.
Clothes are the exception to this rule (depending on whether they’re in high demand). Most good deals on clothes stick around for a few hours before they get sold out. We usually save clothes shopping until the end of the day when we have time to try things on.
Trade Off in Line
I’ve found that roughly 80% of my time on Black Friday is spent waiting in lines. You can save a lot of time by trading off in line. Whenever we get to a store where we think we’ll buy something, one person (usually my mom) goes straight for the checkout line. In big stores like Target and Best Buy, the checkout line snakes around the whole store! She waits there while the rest of us find what we need, and then we trade out and hold the place in line while she does her shopping. This can save you a lot of time and frustration.
Feed the Beast
When you get into the frenzy of Black Friday, it’s easy to just grab some coffee and hurry to the next store. But if you only have caffeine and an empty stomach, you’ll probably find yourself feeling sick before you get to the second store. Be sure to eat something nutritious to power through the night. It never hurts to have a couple of granola bars in your purse just in case you’re stuck in a line when hunger strikes.
If your shopping trip will last more than a couple of hours, it’s probably a good idea to stop for an actual meal at some point. This is a good time to regroup, map out your game plan and exchange war stories.
What will your Black Friday game plan be this year? Comment below or tweet me @adventuringMISS using hashtag #ultimateguide.