Black Friday Survival

In this day and age of shopping on the Internet and having it delivered to your home, some people have forgone going out to stores and shopping in real life. However this is not always the case on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. If you're on of the people who braves shopping on the day after Thanksgiving (affectionately known as "Black Friday") however you may want to have a plan of action before you take to the stores.

1) Map out your stores-Know which stores are having which specials and how they are helpful to you. If there is one particular store that has a lot of your bargains you plan on getting, hit that one up first. You may want to consider camping out in front of the store or waiting in your car with all the other eager beaver shoppers so you can be somewhat guaranteed to get the bargains you are planning on helping make your loved one's Christmas special.

2) Make sure to have your list finalized-You want to have everything you plan on buying that day for everyone down on list so you can get in, get out and move on to the next shop. Don't get distracted by other items; chances are if they're not a hot item or they're not one of the items that is on sale you can come back in a week or so and get it. Make sure you stay to your list; that way you can almost be sure to get the bargains you want because you're moving quickly from one store to the other.

3) Leave the kids at home-Obviously this should go without saying but you never know. I say this not only because your kids will undoubtedly be bored or angry getting in and out of the car, going from one store to the other (as my toddler would be) but think about how these crowds can get. Everyone scrambling for that one toy or the big screen TV that is on sell it pure and utter chaos. Remember the eighties? People were punching each other for Cabbage Patch Dolls; better safe then sorry leave the kids at home.

4) Have a shopping buddy-Don't let this be your significant others (as someone needs to stay home with the kiddoes) but a friend or relative who is willing to brave the Black Friday crowds with you and get some shopping of their own done. This way you can split up in a larger store that has more sells and get more stuff bought plus you have someone with who you can act like buffers with to stop any craziness from ensuing at any particular store (read: Cabbage Patch Dolls above).

5) Try to keep to your area-Stores everywhere have tons of sells but is it really worth it to go from the north side of town to the south side of town especially if there is no sure way of knowing if any of the items that you are hunting for will still be at the store when you get there? Nowadays there is usually a Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy in short distance from each other so the most you would have to drive is ten or fifteen minutes. Or got to an area where all these stores are in close proximity to each other. This will help your sanity level not to mention your car's gas.

6) Take a break-You're probably thinking "Nooooo!!!" but seriously eat and drink something at some point in the day. You're already going to be stressed dealing with the crowds and coming down from the family filled Thanksgiving not to mention the gearing up you'll be doing for Christmas and New Years. You don't need to add hunger onto that heap that is already on your plate. Even if it is something small in the middle of your shopping adventure eat something. And once you're done go to a nice sit down restaurant with your shopping buddy and have an actual meal along with a drink because you'll probably need one.

7) Rest up-Do this as well as you can, especially if you are camping out in front of the first store you plan on shopping at. You're going to need a lot of energy to face this busy day. You want to have enough energy to keep up with all the marathon shopping you'll be doing.

8) Stay calm and be polite-I know you really want to get that bargain for your loved one but stay calm in crowded situations. If you don't get that item don't steal it from someone else's hand or take it out of their cart. That's just flat out rude and it's bad karma because if you do that watch someone will do it to you at the next store you go to. This is also why you have a shopping buddy to have someone to stop you from doing this horrible thing or better yet to stop someone from doing it to you (extra pair of eyes and all that). You can always try to get on a waiting list for that particular item but don't start drama and chaos where there need be none.

9) Leave all unnecessary items at home-If you can stick every card or all cash you need in a wallet or small purse and carry that around with you do it. Since you have no kids there is no need for a diaper bag or whatever backpack you use to carry their stuff around in and try to leave a big bulky purse at home (you don't want someone to snatch it in a crowd and have your bank and credit cards as well as home address). The less stuff you have the quicker you'll be able to get in and out of the stores more easily and thus in and out of the chaos quicker. I would recommend if you could even putting the cards in your front pockets close to you so if anyone tried to snatch them you could feel it.

10) Be safe-Don't go to a shop in a questionable part of town just to get a good bargain, especially by yourself. Don't shop too late to the point where you're leaving a store late at night and if you absolutely have to shop then don't go alone. I know it's sad to think about especially in the season of giving but there are unscrupulous people out there who would love nothing more then to steal a gift you put some good thought into because they can. Try to get your shopping done early and once you have all your items bought especially any big items take it somewhere (if you can't take it home because you have to hide it from kids take it to a relative or friend's house) so it's not sitting out in your car while you go have lunch. That way you can be sure that the gift you plan on giving someone goes to the person it was meant for.

Hopefully this tips help you have a successful shopping trip on Black Friday. Remember above all what this season is about that you are shopping for and try to remain positive and good willed towards people. Happy Shopping!!