I look forward to Black Friday shopping like kids look forward to Christmas. they wake up early full of anticipation and excitement wondering what Santa brought, and I wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning ready to shop-til-I-drop on Black Friday. Everyone else is in bed and it is chilly and dark; either you love it or you hate it.
I have been a Black Friday shopper for as long as I can remember. I've mastered the process of getting my hands on the best deals, the ones that seem to disappear as soon as the doors open. Years ago when I learned about price matching I stood flustered at the registers, fumbling with the ads while trying to remember which store had the best price. I later learned that price matching begins long before you get in line and can not be done without being armed with the ads, sticky notes and a pen and a good memory. From the time you get your hands on the Thursday paper, the one on Thanksgiving that weighs more than any other because it is filled with good tidings and great deals, to waiting in the check out line with an overflowing shopping cart, there is a method to the madness of Black Friday shopping that starts now.
Make A List
Make a list of all the people that you have to buy Christmas gifts for. Keep it in a spiral notebook. Include EVERYONE that you buy for-teachers, cousins, the baby that is due in early December, your secretary, your mail carrier.
Go Through Your Inventory
I shop for Christmas gifts all year while saving the bulk of the shopping for the holiday season. It is important to spend some time locating where those gifts are hidden around the house, taking an inventory of what you have bought and matching it with the names on your list to see what's left to buy.
Purge
If you have kids you know that over the course of a year their toys, clothes and shoes start to pile up. Before starting the holiday shopping clean and organize the kids' rooms. Donate toys that are no longer used to make room for new toys. Don't forget to go through books and clothes too. If there is no space in your daughter's room for the perfect shaggy pink chair she has been asking for then don't plan to buy it.
Start Saving
If you haven't already put money aside for Christmas shopping it's not too late to start. Curb spending for the month. Pick up a few extra hours at work. Bring returns and exchanges back to the store that you have been putting off. The store credit slips and cash back into your account or your credit card will come in handy on Black Friday.
Buy Black Trash Bags
Don't wait until you have a trunk full of toys and no way to discreetly get them inside, buy black trash bags and keep them in your vehicle. While some stores like Target make special shopping bags for the holidays that are large and dark red, you can't count on that treatment everywhere. Black trash bags are handy at concealing gifts until there is time to wrap them.
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