Preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

The biggest shopping weekend of the year is upon us. After spending the day being thankful for what we have and enjoying a huge meal, we strap on our boots and wait in line at our favorite stores to shop for the holidays. From clothes to toys to home appliances and everything else under the sun, there will be sales galore and deals you won’t want to miss. Shop smarter this holiday season with these ideas. 

Black Friday

Over the last few years, Black Friday has evolved into Black Thanksgiving and Black November, with some stores running sales all month long. If you are one of the few who still wants to dedicate your shopping to strictly the Friday event, good for you! 

It’s best to come up with a game plan ahead of time to avoid being stuck in lines for items you don’t really need or want. The benefit of the internet and social media today is that stores use these platforms to amp up their marketing and will usually provide a sneak peek of sales ads to get customers excited. Create a list of the top stores you want to visit and why, and work out a travel plan to get to each destination. If you’re going with family or a group of friends, consider carpooling to avoid additional parking stress. 

Another option when shopping with a group is to split up with different lists of what to buy so that you can all accomplish your goals more efficiently. Lines are usually long throughout the day, so you’ll cover more bases the more you can split up. 

Cyber Monday

As with Black Friday, online retailers are leaning more towards month-long sales. However, some of the best deals will still be on Cyber Monday. Currently, Cyber Monday is the largest online shopping day in the United States. It’s the perfect time to sit down at the computer or on your phone with the rest of your Thanksgiving leftovers and shop away. 

Bookmark your favorite stores’ websites ahead of time to ensure easy access when the deals start rolling in. If you have email notifications, check them frequently throughout the week leading up to Cyber Monday so you can save those pages and hit the site right away to get what’s on your list. 

Follow retailers on social media as well, since they promote sales and provide easy links for shopping while you scroll. It also provides a good visual since there are typically videos and pictures of the products in action. 

With a good list and game plan in mind, you’re sure to conquer the holiday shopping weekend like a pro!