Hi there again! I am so excited about Black Friday that today I wanted to share some shopping tips and tricks for Black Friday!
Remember next 27th of November we all have an appointment! Aren’t you excited? And some sales will start even earlier than that so get ready!
How are you enjoying Fall so far? I love Fall / Winter and all the celebrations it entails!! I think we all need a reason to celebrate, especially in these awkward times we are living right now.
Even though I love celebrating so much, it is important not to get carried away and take care of our bank account! Sometimes it can be difficult, I know. So here are my top 10 shopping tips to enjoy Black Friday in a responsible and fruitful way.
Let’s get started:
1. Follow your budget and use cash
Before you decide what you want or need to get, you need to know your budget.
If you don’t want to overspend, once your budget is set, withdraw your allocated budget in cash and leave the credits cards at home. This may sound radical, but it is the best tip I can give you to not get carried away if you are visiting the mall!
2. Make a list
Sales can be really tempting. If we don’t have a plan of what we do need or want to buy, it’s very easy to fall into the temptation. This means buying things we don’t really need or that we won’t be using after one month. Avoid this by making a detailed wishlist. You can organize the items on the list by importance: place the ones that you want or need the most at the top. This way you can first focus in finding them when you search online or go to store.
3. Register for newsletters
You already have your wishlist done. So now you can select the stores where you could find the items you want. Once you enumerate them, go into their websites and register for their newsletters. Try to do it a few days before Black Friday, and they will send you e-mails with early deals and maybe special discounts too.
4. Plan your shopping tour
I know many of you (including me!) will be shopping online because of COVID lockdown, but if you are going to a mall or a department store, you don’t need to go in all the shores you pass by. If you do so, you will be wasting a lot of precious time. Planning your shopping tour will optimize your visit to the fullest. Which shopping mall are you going to? At what time do you plan to enter and at what time do you plan to leave? Which useful stores can you find in this specific shopping mall? Which stores are your first option and which ones are your plan B? These are useful questions you can make yourself ahead of when planning your tour. This will make you both save time and money.
5. Not everything is a real deal!
If you want to save money on your Black Friday purchases, you need to do some research first. Go on the websites of different retailers and check the prices of the items you want. There are tools online like PriceSpy that can help you make an impartial price comparison on the products you are interested in. The summary is: don’t fall immediately for the first price you see thinking that is the ultimate Black Friday’s price. Take your time and evaluate if the purchase you are about to make is worth it or not. Also check if the stores have additional discount codes when purchasing online or in person (this will usually show in the newsletter if you join).
6. Have a plan B
Everyone, and I mean it, E V E R Y O N E is going to be out there on Black Friday. And maybe looking for the same deals that you are. Some of the items you put in your initial list are going to be impossible to find by the time you are ready for checkout. But don’t panic! Have a plan B for every item on your wish list just in case. Find a brand that carries a similar items or just check online for different retailers that might still have it available.
7. Did you consider buying online?
Nowadays, you don’t need to be in the middle of the battlefield on Black Friday, specially with COVID. Consider buying online from the comfort of your sofa (my fave plan!) and just getting it delivered to your door. Some may think this takes away part of the charm, but it can avoid so much unnecessary stress, especially if you are a busy professional or a mum or you just want to avoid the crowds and take it easy. Make it easy on you! And to be honest, deals are sometimes better online and makes it easy to compare on a click of a button different retailers for the best possible price.
8. Stop – try it on
The urge of buying that item that you already know is your size and running away from the store is real. But once again, don’t get carried away. You know that the possibility of hating it when you get back home is also there. If you are not willing to make a queue to try it on, think about it twice and ask yourself, do you really want it? This applies to everything: stop and think before doing anything! It will save you money and time (yes, the time that you would have to spend going back to the store to return it, and then spending $ again when you see new stuff on your return trip!)
9. Check the return policy and ask for gift receipts
We are only human. Always ask about the return policy. ALWAYS! Don’t assume. Especially if you fell into the trap and bought something without trying it on or without really thinking about it, you are going to need to know. Ask 1) what’s the return period? 2) Will they give you a refund or just store credit? I personally avoid buying items that are final sale or have no option for refunds. Even if you think it’s the perfect item you’ve been looking for, what if you end up changing your mind or finding something better?! Then you are stuck with it if they don’t offer refunds. Black Friday is such a occasion not only to buy things for yourself, also to start getting early Christmas presents. Very important: ask for all the gift receipts! Not all the gifts are winners: all of the hustle and bustle of Black Friday can make you confused! Not only that but you can also mess up with sizes, or what if that special someone already has that or something really similar? Just in case – play it safe!
10. Last but not least: ENJOY!
What would be the point of Black Friday if you don’t enjoy making your purchases? Bring with you your best friend, a member of your family, your boyfriend, or whoever that guarantees you a quality time. In the end, as any other celebration, it is more about love and good company than materialistic things. It is crucial that you have a fun time in the journey of getting the items you want this Black Friday. The feeling you are going to get when you get home and try on the things you bought it’s going to be sooo amazing! And the most important -you will smile remembering the good time you had buying them. And if you are shopping online, nothing stops you from having a video call with your BFF! Or popcorns, a glass of wine and music in the background! Just have FUN!!
Did you follow any of these tips before? Are you going to put them in practice this year?
Be sure to follow me on my Instagram and Liketoknowit for daily deals and lots of fashion inspo. I also wrote a couple of posts about Fall trends and Sephora savings event that you might find useful for Black Friday.
I wish you all a very happy and safe Black Friday.
Thanks a lot for stopping by.
Best wishes,
XOXO
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