Black Friday & Cyber Monday Checklist

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Your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Checklist

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and all anyone can talk about is spending time with their families, eating Grandma’s “signature” mac and cheese, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and cashing out for Black Friday. If you are anything like me, you agree that Black Friday is a HUGE hype-fest. You stay up all hours of the night,  run on nothing but Thanksgiving leftovers and coffee, battle traffic, long lines and even the occasional customer just to get that Victoria Secret deal... not my forte. Needless to say, I usually don’t partake in these festivities. However, as a college student on a budget, this is the perfect time to look for the best deals on items that have been on your wishlist forever. If you want to conquer your procrastination, this is also the best time to get your holiday season gifts out of the way. For someone who usually puts Black friday for the preferred Cyber monday, I took to doing some research to help create a list of everything you need to know to have the least stressful and most successful shopping experience.

1. Do your research & Make a wishlist

Now, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but making a wishlist  can help you steer away from buying things you don’t necessarily need. Stick to the essentials- your holiday shopping list and your personal wishlist. If you see some good deals on home appliances or hair accessories, account for these on your list. Make sure you research which stores have the best deals for these items PRIOR to shopping.

1. Set and follow your Budget

This kind of goes hand in hand with research. Know how much money you have and figure out how much money you want to spend. Based on the deals available for the items you want, you can make a pretty reliable budget. The hardest part is actually sticking to it. Make sure to bring cash in stores and have your card information ready for checkout online for smooth transactions.

2. Sign up for emails & Apps

To get those extra discounts, sign up for emails and arm yourself with all of the apps. If you know which stores you are going to go to, sign up for email programs to save even more money on already discounted items. Getting the apps for the stores could also make it easier to get better deals. Don’t just hit that X online either, you might get something more than just free shipping- which by the way, is a GREAT deal!

3.   Shopping Buddies, you need em.

Please do not try to tackle the craziness that is Black Friday alone. Bring your friends or family. It makes the experience 10 times more fun and a lot less stressful.

4.  Early bird gets the worm!
We all know people stake out for Jordans and Walmart flat screens, and as hectic as it gets, they have the right idea. The earlier you get out, the quicker you can get what you need and leave. When shopping on Cyber Monday, wake up early to hit the web before your favorite boutiques run out of stock. In this case, it definitely pays to be early.

So there you are, a quick little checklist to make sure that your shopping is splendid. Happy Holidays to all the Good Girls out there. May your Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday be a success.