Black Friday is an annual shopping day that started life in the USA, but is now a phenomenon here in the UK. Usually held on the last Friday in November, Black Friday offers us all the opportunity to save some money in the run-up to Christmas. Here, we look at some tips on how to make the most of this day of deals, like how to find parking on Black Friday and how to find the best bargains around.
Black Friday Shopping Tips
It is so tempting just to dive straight in and get shopping on Black Friday. However, reading through the below ideas could make a big difference to how successful your Black Friday is. And, by making the most of the day’s deals, you could find that you have completed the majority of your Christmas shopping before December even begins!
Sort out parking beforehand
If you are heading into a shopping centre as opposed to staying at home to shop online for deals, pre-booking a parking space can be an excellent investment. It means you do not have to worry about long queues for a car park like other shoppers. You can head into town confident that you will not be wasting any time or money. Instead, you will be able to park quickly and easily, allowing you to immediately get going on your shopping extravaganza.
Know what you are shopping for
The problem with deals is that we can easily get duped into buying something that we never truly wanted in the first place. Deals are there to entice us and are a clever marketing ploy to get us to buy more than we need. To stop that from happening – and therefore save you money – write a list beforehand. It doesn’t have to be too specific – instead, simply write out a list of who you are buying for with a vague idea of what they may like.
Look online
Looking online before you go off shopping for Black Friday deals can be an exceptionally useful way to ensure you are getting the best prices. By researching how much products cost before you enter a shop, you have a better idea of the broader market and whether you are actually getting a good deal or not. When we are bombarded with products in front of us in a store and told that there is ‘30% off’ or a ‘Buy One Get One Free Deal’, we can be lured into thinking we are saving money through bulk buying or discounts. However, these products could have been cheaper elsewhere to begin with.
Plan your route
Another way to minimise the number of products that you buy unnecessarily is to plan your shopping route. Doing so means you stay out of shops that you really do not need to go into, only to be persuaded to buy a product you never intended to. Plus, planning your route can also improve your chances of taking advantage of the most popular offers. Black Friday deals can often sell out, so by identifying which shops to go into first, you optimise your chances of buying those must-have products before they go out of stock.
Go early
Another way to ensure that you have the most chance of being able to take advantage of the best deals is to go early. The earlier you go, the quieter it will be, meaning that shops will still have what you want in stock. Plus, going shopping when it is quieter is altogether a nicer, more pleasant experience for you. Being in a busy shop is a quick way to feel flustered and stressed – often meaning you either buy too much, buy badly or buy nothing at all.
Making the Most of Black Friday Shopping
Black Friday can be a wonderful opportunity to buy yourself something that you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise or buy a loved one an even more luxurious gift. But it can also be a day where we end up falling prey to marketing ploys and clever deals that persuade us to buy things we wouldn’t usually purchase. Using the above tips can help keep you on the straight and narrow, leaving you with more money in your wallet and a far more satisfying shopping experience.