Black Friday Mania

Because you asked, I hereby deliver my few tips and tricks for Black Friday. I know I am regarded by some as absolutely crazy. Maybe so…but crazy ain’t boring. So here goes.

1. You can search the ads now on numerous websites. I like to start on fatwallet.com. There is a Black Friday forum and you can link to adscans on several Black Friday sites. But don’t preplan too much from the websites. Half the fun is formulating a plan on Thanksgiving Day.
2. On Wednesday, make calls to confirm stores will price match. Later in the day, call again to confirm, just to make sure the first person wasn't nuts. Get names.
3. On Thursday, call your credit card company to tell them you will be making purchases the next morning before dawn. I learned this the hard way – getting pulled aside at 5 a.m. to call my card company at customer service to verify security information then forgetting the name of my pet goldfish 5 years prior…and having to wake up my husband to ask the name of said goldfish. Dorothy. Oh yeah.
4. If you’re price matching, have your ads well organized and make sure you got the exact item in the ad to be matched. Organization will also reduce the risk of the person behind you in line to check-out bashing into your ankle.
5. If you can, get secret Santa assignments now. Your budget can go a long way for a needy person when you’re shopping on BF.
6. Keep in mind upcoming family birthdays and other incidentals. After BF, I’m usually done birthday shopping for nieces and nephews for the first half of the next year.
7. Sometimes, you can get BF early-bird/door-buster sales on-line starting at midnight. We did this last year at Circuit City, buying 2 flat screens online while people were standing in line in the cold in front of the store. Later in the day, I just waltzed (as opposed to a glide) in the store, watched their eyes pop out of their heads when I asked for the sale price, and took the last two flat screens that were laid aside for me in the warehouse. I did have to do quite a bit of convincing, but a thorough read of the ad supported that this was a legit thing to do.
8. If you’re doing BF in Utah, pray. I hear those people are stark-raving lunatics.
9. I don’t do Best Buy or Fry’s. Crazy people there too.
10. Remember to be patient and kind. Always say “Excuse me” when you run over someone’s foot with your cart.

I’ll post where I’m going on T-Day. Let me know if you’d like to come along.