Black Friday Planning « intentionaleveryday

Here’s something you may not know about me –

Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year.

Thanksgiving is great, don’t get me wrong. I love it. I love being with family and remembering what God has blessed us with. Who doesn’t?

I love the following day, too!! Yes. I. do!!

Christmas is probably my favorite holiday so when the day after Thanksgiving was labeled the beginning of the Christmas season, you can count me all in.

I love that my family loves this day, too. If I went Black Friday shopping alone it probably wouldn’t be as fun. So this has always been a great time for my mom, sister, and aunts to go spend the day together. It’s always a blast. It also raises the excitement of the upcoming season.

We always laugh about how early we get up. We always sing to Christmas music and drink hot chocolate. When we are done we always say “we shopped ’til we dropped”. Literally, we all go home and crash.

I can guarantee that if you want to go and meander all day, you can do that and have a good time. But if you want to get done with your shopping while you’re out, you can do that, too. That’s me! I want to have fun but I want to be productive too!

I want to get mostly done with my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. So I make a plan beforehand that helps me make that happen.

I’ll show you how I do this so you can have a great, yet productive time shopping on Black Friday too!

1) You got to know who you are buying for and how much you are going to spend. That means you need to make a simple list. I’ve done this on my phone and on a piece of paper. Both works just pick one. I did you a Christmas list app for a couple years. That was pretty cool too.

2) Some wishes would be nice to know if you are not sure what you are getting for the folks on your list. You should ask around before the big day so it’s not so obvious. If you don’t care to be obvious, just send a text saying “what do you want for Christmas?”

3) You have to know what’s on sale and gather your coupons. Most stores have great ads for Black Friday. Get the paper on Thanksgiving and/or look on Black Friday websites. I check out the ads weeks ahead of time and I get the ads. Also, don’t forget to hold on to coupons. You may need them.

4) Narrow down your stores that are must-visit. I usually have just a few items that are a can’t-pass-up deal and will try my best to get the deal. Don’t put too much pressure on this. You should really think about how much the item is on sale and if you can simply go next week if you don’t snag the item this day.

5) Have a ‘would-be-nice’ list. Your expectations should be on the low end. There will be lots of people out so you may not get everything you have on your list at the stores you were thinking. No worries. You can simply go next week and finish if needed.

6) Use internet shopping to your advantage. Last year my son wanted a certain toy and I ordered it off Walmart’s website the day before Thanksgiving. It shipped free and relieved the pressure from needing to get that item. Done and done. You can get a lot done before the big day even arrives, just keep an eye out. Also, don’t forget Amazon’s Lightning Deals. It’s amazing that you can look on Amazon and see if the price is similar. If it is the same price, I get it from Amazon Prime. I have paid a little higher price just so I don’t have to wait in line. Some lines can be horrendous and if Amazon will deliver in a couple day, why not?! P.S. don’t forget your charger!! You’ll need it!!

7) Have fun!! If you have to go shopping again before Christmas, it’s no biggie. Black Friday is about making memories with some people you love not about getting everything checked off. Enjoy the experience and the people you share them with!!