What I’ve learned most about shopping on Black Friday is that you either LOVE it or loathe it. Starting by October, our emails are filled with Black Friday promotions. It seems like every year the sales start earlier. Back in the day to get the best deal, you woke up bright and early on Black Friday morning. But now? Those sales start much earlier. Over the years it has been quite the controversy of stores opening up on Thanksgiving Day.
I am a part of the group that loves shopping on Black Friday. I’m always one to look for the best deals, so this has been my jam since I’ve started holiday shopping back in my teens. My strategies have certainly changed from looking at the ads on Thanksgiving Day … you know the actual paper ads, this was pre digital media everything. Now looking for the best deals has never been easier. We are flooded by emails, Facebook / Instagram ads, and radio and TV.
But why do people love to shop this day anyway? For myself personally, it’s all about the deals.
Starting in the Fall, I start to take note on what my three kids are taking interest in. On our Target runs, when my boys find that toy they just NEED at that moment, I write it in my note section on my phone. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I start making my lists. With three kids and a multiple nieces and nephews ranging in age from 2-20, getting the most bang for my buck is ideal.
Aside from getting shopping done for the kids, I’ve also gotten some much needed items on my list as well. The sales on electronics usually can’t be beat. One year we got a great price on a TV! It’s also a perfect time to get a deal on appliances for your home, computers and gaming systems.
And Black Friday shopping nowadays doesn’t mean you have to get in line right after you eat your Thanksgiving meal or at 3AM in the morning. You can get most deals online now AND some even allow in store pickup! One year, I found a must needed item on sale at Target, ordered it from my sister’s house in Mississippi after we ate our Thanksgiving meal, and picked it up late that night once I was back in town. Now that is a win, win in my book!
So while my Black Friday plans have changed over the years from shopping 100% in stores and now doing lots online, it’s still something I do every year and look forward to.
