The day after Thanksgiving - this year November 25th - is known as Black Friday. History states that many retailers report some of their highest profits on this day, hence the "black" portion of the name. "Black" Friday relates to businesses recording their losses in red ink and gains in black.
The retailers count Black Friday as the official start of holiday shopping season - not that you could tell being shelves were stocked with strings of lights back in October.
For bargain hunters it is the Super Bowl of shopping - the biggest sales day of the year! Almost all stores will have some sort of door-buster deals or early bird specials to attract consumers to their stores. People stand in line hours before stores open in order to grab the bargain of the year.
Here are some tips for you to make the most of your Black Friday shopping. I hope you share with us how you did on your adventure!
- Most ads are in the paper on Thanksgiving Day. You can also look online for the Black Friday deals at your favorite store's website.
- Decide what you want in advance. Chances are you can't be everywhere at once (even though we know you are a military spouse and we are pretty amazing) so decide which item is an absolute must have.
- Give preference to big ticket items or items that offer the most savings.
- If you have friends or family that are joining you, communicate amongst yourselves and see if it is possible to "divide and conquer".
- Check price matching policies and coupon policies at every store you're visiting (and even those you're not). Some stores offer price match so instead of standing in queue you may just walk in to a store that offers price match and not have to wait in a horrendous line.
- You could consider buying in advance and getting prices adjusted on Black Friday. Just be sure to first ask the store if they will adjust.
- Buy only what you need. You're not saving if you don't need it.
- Ready for the best tip? SHOP ONLINE! We military spouses are experts at this! Most Black Friday items are available online as well. Not only will you not have to wait in line but you'll save money on gas too. Just be sure to search for your online coupons and watch for free shipping.
