Black Friday & Cyber Monday: How To Survive & Tips

It has been said that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the BEST two days to get your Christmas shopping done for the best prices. (I didn't say the most enjoyable...)

I agree with the multiple studies that early and mid December is actually the best time to buy (a.k.a Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a big shopping hype), but even if you knew that, most of you still choose to shop on these two "special" days.

So whether you are a Black Friday expert or a "noob" that's going to give-it-a-shot this year.... it is important to keep these tips and words of advice in mind:

Why Shop on These Days?

Even if the belief were true that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have the best shopping deals, discounts, and freebies.... THERE'S A CATCH!

You have to get there SUPER EARLY...and wait in mile-long lines....and maybe get trampled over, or negotiated with by other buyers, in order to get that last item on the shelf you wanted or to get those "amazing deals." 

Most shops open as early as 4am (some are even going to open for "Black Friday" at 5PM the day before!) Hence, the people who get there as soon as it starts are probably crazy and really serious about getting their Christmas presents at the "best possible price." So just beware if you are a "noob" looking for an adventure this year. You'll get it, alright.

How You Can Prepare:

There's several things you need to do to get ready for the big two days, but in particular, Black Friday. These things will help you stay sane, organized, and successful in your shopping trip (whether you're going as tradition or to actually try to find good deals):

1. Make a list of things you need to buy for each person (family and friends). 
2. Combine all presents into categories for better organization. This will keep you from going back-and-forth throughout the store to get your items:
• Example: Sally wants a Barbie, Tom wants Legos, Tina wants an Etch-a-Sketch. You can categorize these into the "Toy" section and try to get all three of these presents in one section/area of the store.
3. After categorizing all presents, decide which stores you can get these presents in the least amount of trips possible. Lines will be LONG, no matter where you go. You want to try and get all presents in one or two stores if possible.
• Example: You have gift categories of Toys, Clothes, Women's Accessories, Electronics, and Tools. You see that you can get all of these items at a store like Wal-Mart or Target, so these are your two stores of interest that you want to go to first. 
4. Decide which items you can or will buy ONLINE the following Cyber Monday, and take these items off your shopping list for Black Friday so you don't get confused or waste your time searching for/buying them at the stores. 
5. If you know the store pretty well that you are going to, map out a route to take to get your shopping done in the least amount of time possible.
• TIP: Number your gift category sheet from which section you will visit 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. Try to make your shopping route clockwise or counter clockwise to the sections you need to get to. 
• Example: In a clockwise route, Toys are the first section you come across, which is next to the Tools section, then it's Electronics, then Women's Accessories, then Clothes. Do this route to get your presents in the fastest amount of time. 
6. Go with someone!!! Not only can they make your trip faster by splitting up the shopping list to half the amount of time, but this is especially useful if you have more than one store to go to. Assign specific items to each person you bring to buy so you won't spend hours looking for all the gifts you need. If you have to buy the items on one transaction, meet together at a designated place to get in line together with all the items you got. 
• Example: Bob is going to the Toys section to grab the gifts on the list. You will go to the Clothes and Women's Accessories section. Linda will go to the Electronics and Tools section. You all meet at the shopping cart section near the entrance and then get in line together since Bob is paying for all the presents on one transaction.

Other Tips:

• DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO: early bird discounts, store hours, store policies, special offers, etc.
• Do research on what a "good" price actually is on the items you need, that way you can compare to see if you're getting a good discount.
• Target and Walmart are going to be the some of the busiest places to shop. Beware - many people have gotten injured at these stores, too. 
• WAIT to buy gift cards! You won't get a discount on these purchases at any time, so wait to get these until later at a less stressful/crowded time.
• Cell phone service may be poor due to large amount of cell phone usage in one area or being indoors in an enclosed building. Consider walkie-talkies or something similar (it would make it more fun too!)
• Black Friday Store Hours and Early Bird Sales: http://couponing.about.com/od/blackfridayshopping/a/storehours.htm
• Always ask for gift receipts!