Thanksgiving is coming, and with it comes Black Friday. It’s the biggest shopping day of the year, as brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide open their doors with all kinds of sales to attract as many customers as possible.
There are some big downsides, though. The stores are often really crowded. The roads are crowded, too. Most of the sales are for things that you don’t want. Some of the “sales” are of questionable quality. Even the best bargains aren’t all that much better than what you can find with some hunting around.
The truth is that you can get the best of Black Friday without even leaving the house. Here are some things you can do without ever taking off your post-Thanksgiving pajamas.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
Focus entirely on online sales. While brick-and-mortar retailers like to load up on the sales on Black Friday, many online shops are doing the same thing. There are a lot of great online-only sales on Black Friday, sales that you’re likely to miss if you’re rushing through stores to grab different bargains.
So, instead of bundling up and hurrying from store to store, kick back in your comfortable sweatpants with a web browser in front of you and a cup of coffee at your side and look for sales online. Follow the social media accounts of major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target to see what they post, and check the websites of niche retailers in your areas of specific interest. It’s likely that you’ll find most of what you want without ever leaving your comfortable chair.
[See: 11 Expenses Destroying Your Budget.]
If you want just one or two items, ask a friend to grab them for you. Most of us know someone who is getting up at the crack of dawn to spend all of Black Friday shopping. Why not take advantage of that, especially if you just want an item or two?
Most of the time, a friend will be happy to pick up a couple of items for you, particularly if they’re not large or challenging to move. A friend doing this spares you the need to actually go out there and be tempted by impulse sales.
Figure out what you want to find on Black Friday and start shopping for it now. What kinds of sales are you hoping to spot on Black Friday? Are there really items that you need or want to find at a steep discount?
Make your shopping list now, far before Black Friday. What items do you actually need? What ideas do you have, independent of the flyers, for the people on your list?
This takes the focus away from the sales and puts it on the people in your life, making you much more confident about getting something that those people would value. At that point, you can filter the Black Friday sales through the list of things you actually want to buy.
Quite often, you end up realizing that Black Friday sales don’t lead you to anything you want or need. So instead of heading out to buy items that don’t really match what you want to give to someone, you can just stay at home and prepare for a wonderful holiday.
[See: Prepare Your Finances for the Holidays.]
Do something completely unrelated to shopping. The vast majority of products on sale on Black Friday are things that you don’t need and likely don’t even want, so why go out there at all?
Spend the day at home doing other things. If you want to focus Black Friday on holiday gifts, spend the day making something for a loved one, such as knitting that person a scarf or a sweater or making jars of a homemade snacks that they’ll love. Play a game with your relatives who are visiting. Make holiday cards for your friends and family with a little quick note on each one. Remember, the spirit of the season is about love and family and togetherness, not about 55-inch televisions.
The thing to always remember about Black Friday is that it is an event invented by retailers to sell people things that they may not necessarily want. Use Black Friday as a tool for your holiday planning, but realize that the vast majority of your best holiday plans have little to do with whatever a particular retailer happens to have on sale that day.
Leave the crowds to everyone else and stay home. You won’t miss much.
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Take Advantage of Black Friday Without Leaving Your House originally appeared on usnews.com
