Black Friday Survival and Holiday Shopping Tips

So this week has been so busy with preparing for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year.  My mom and I go every year.  I know some people hate it, but I couldn't love it more.  The deals are amazing, the adrenaline is fun and the way people go crazy is something you wont see any other day of the year.

Yes, that clock is A.M.  I woke up at 2:40!

Overall I got amazing deals....

• Cannon SX120 camera - Regular $229 - I paid $125 and got a $10 gift card
• Wii Fit - Regular price $99 - I paid $67 and got a $10 gift card
• Quilted Corduroy jacket from Kohls - Regular price $80 - I paid $4
• Hamilton Beach Immersion Food Chopper - Regular $40 - I paid $7 (and I'm getting a 10 dollar rebate meaning I'll be getting paid $3 to buy it!)
• Food Network 3qt Food processor - Regular $40 - I paid $7 (and I'm getting a 10 dollar rebate for this too meaning I'll be getting paid $3 to buy it!)
•  4 gb flash drive and 4gb memory card - Regularly $15 each, I paid $8 each
• Super soft lined hoodie - $10 at Taget
• Toaster - $3 dollars

Now on top of that, after all day shopping I ended up with $45 in Target gift cards in my pocket!  I love getting paid to shop.  I got lots of other small things too, but these were my best deals.


So, with the Christmas season now upon us (only 27 days until Christmas!) here are my top shopping tips:

1. Check the ads, there isn't usually a huge price difference in items, but all stores are going to offer different incentives like gift cards with purchases, etc...  It pays to shop around.
2. Keep your recent, all major stores (Target, Walmart, Kohls, etc..) do price adjustments so if yo buy something and it goes cheaper within 7 days you can get your money back on the difference
3. Don't buy anything you don't love.  It's only a good deal if you want/need it.
4. Make sure to take breaks for eating (we all make bad decisions on an empty stomach) and stay hydrated.  I always carry a bottle of water around with me when shopping.
5. Use coupons!  The majority of stores have tons of coupons out right now.  A lot of them also allow you to combine coupons with current sales.  It may take a few minutes to read the fine print on your coupons but it is well worth the savings to find out if you can use your coupons.
6. Keep receipts for everything.  You may be sure you love it, but you never know if you'll find a better deal somewhere else.  I recommend keeping all receipts in one envelope (another great tip is making a note of the person the item is for on the top of the receipt for easy sorting).
7. If you have trouble with sales, coupons, prices, etc.. don't be afraid to ask for someone else.  During the holiday season there are a lot of new hires who aren't properly trained so dont be afraid to ask for further clarification or help.
8. And most importantly, have FUN.  It is the Holiday season after all.