Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Tips

Bargain-driven shoppers head out at the crack of dawn on the Friday following Thanksgiving, a day known as Black Friday. Black Friday kicks off the first day of the holiday shopping season. Retailers offer longer shopping hours, and special offers to Black Friday shoppers. Shopping on Black Friday can be intense since stores are crowed with motivated shoppers all hunting for the best deals. Many people will spend their entire Thanksgiving weekend shopping, but it doesn't stop there as bargain-hunters will continue looking for deals by shopping online on Monday, which is called Cyber Monday. On Cyber Monday many online retailers will offer specials to shoppers, as many of them will be looking for items they couldn't find over the weekend. Here are a few Black Friday shopping tips that can help you get the best bargains, along with shopping tips for Cyber Monday that can help you save some big bucks.

Prepare for a Big Day of Shopping

• Make a list of people that you will be shopping for along with gift ideas. Then as you are researching Black Friday sales ads you can make a note of which store has which items.
• Review the sales ads, retailers will begin sending out ads prior to Thanksgiving Day, also check online as many retailers Black Friday sales information is available well before Black Friday. Check out the website Black Friday Info you can have many retailers Black Friday ads emailed to you as soon as they are posted.
• If there are specific retailers that you will be shopping from sign up for their newsletter so you can be notified of the Black Friday Specials.
• Being able to review these ads gives you the opportunity to do price comparison between retailers.
• Check retailers ads for store hours and for any specials that they will be having during certain hours, such as Early Bird Specials. Also look for retailers that offer promotional gifts or extra coupon discounts for early shoppers.
• Check retailers websites early on the morning of Black Friday many retailers will offer Black Friday deals that can be delivered to your home or that can be ordered and picked up at the store.
• Clean out all the excess items from your vehicle so that you will have plenty of room for purchased items, and if you are shopping for a large item make sure that you are going to be able to transport the item home.

• Make sure to fuel up your car to save time, and to also fuel your body by eating a healthy breakfast.
• Get plenty of rest the night before.
• Make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
• Find a sitter Black Friday shopping trips are not the best time to bring along the small children.
• Bring along mesh bags and leave the shopping cart behind, you will be able to move easier through the store.
• Leave your purse behind and only bring cash or credit cards to help prevent theft, since stores will be a frenzy and it will be hard to keep an eye on your purse.

Planning Your Black Friday Shopping Trip

• Map out your shopping route. After reviewing the sales ads make a list of the highest priority items that you want to purchase. Then determine which shopping mall has the majority of the stores where you are want to make the most of your purchases. This is where you should begin your shopping this will save you time by not driving from store to store and wasting time looking for a parking space.
• Recruit a team for your shopping trip, this will let you divide up so you can snag as many Black Friday deals as possible. Whatever your team size each person will have a job, divide the list of items needed from a store so that you can save time by having certain people locating certain items. To help save time you can have a person that will get just get a few items and then go stand in line, but remember to be a courteous line holder if all of your team hasn't made it back to the checkout let the person behind you go in front of you.
• The night before make sure that you have everything together or already in the car. Make sure to bring your sales ads, these can come in handy especially for retailers that will match competitors prices.

While Shopping Tips Keep an eye out while you are close to the checkout for shoppers that do not want to wait in line and then ditch their items, you just might luck up on a great bargain. Make sure to get gift receipts, and that you know what the return policies are or if the charge restocking fees. Look for the best deals where yo can combine a sale price, a coupon, and a cash back rebate.

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