5 Essential Tips for Black Friday Shopping Success

Black Friday deals are out and it's time to gear up for the holiday season.  This is a great way to get a fast start on your holiday shopping list and even take advantage of some sweet prices for yourself.  Before you go, here are some quick tips for Black Friday shopping success.

Be a Price Expert

Study up on all the things you really want to buy.  Whether you are looking to upgrade your tech, update your wardrobe, or otherwise spruce up your home, know the cost.  That goes for Christmas shopping as well. Lots of times stores will advertise big sales when the prices do not actually reflect much savings.  In order to get the most out of your Black Friday shopping spree, you need to first establish a baseline. When you have a firm understanding of what products you want normally should cost, you can better pinpoint a major deal for Black Friday shopping success.

Weigh Savings

You should do a mix of in-store and online shopping.  You can benefit either way depending on what you are shopping for.  While you do your research, pay attention to where the product is sold and if you can get it as cheap, or cheaper by purchasing online.  Some deals are in store only, while others can only be made online. It's important, either way, to compare pricing so you know whether the deal is worth going out to a brick and mortar store for compared to what you can purchase the item for online.  Online retailers are much easier to compare prices on and you can often times get other coupon codes to save more. Remember, a key contributor to Black Friday shopping success is free shipping.

Stick to a Shopping List

It's really easy to get so excited about Black Friday that you go out and attack the store without any real plan.  The problem with snagging every deal is that a lot of that product that you ultimately do pay for, ends up not getting used.  The best practice for Black Friday shopping success is to decide what you want to buy beforehand, write a list, and stick to it. The percentage off of retail is nice, but what's more important is the bottom line.  How much do you plan to spend? Measure your savings up against your budget, rather than overdoing it.

Use discounted gift cards

In your research, you will uncover the products you definitely want and the prices you want to pay.  When you've identified the best deals and you know what stores you are going to shop at, get yourself a gift card.  Gift cards can be purchased at under the value of the card. You can go to a trusted site like Ebates.com, or CardCash.comto buy discounted gift cards and save even more money.  It's like an instant round up to cover your total. Just make sure you get the card for under what you expect to pay.  That way you redeem the full value of the card without buying more than you need.

Beware of Phishing Scams

Be extra aware of scams during the holiday season, and especially when shopping online.  You should always verify the source of marketing emails and exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited emails.  Don't share personal information with an unverified source and don't click links you are not sure about. Scammers can be very convincing but you can avoid taking the bait if you remember to scrutinize every email each time you sign on.

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