Black Friday: Is it Worth the Hassle?

Some people love to get out of the house bright and early the Friday morning right after Thanksgiving Day for Black Friday. However, there are others who prefer to do their shopping from their home computers. If you are looking to save money, both can be beneficial in their own ways. Here are a few hints on how to save more than just your money this year:

Always make a reasonable budget before Halloween. This means that the budget has been made well before the holiday seasons start so you can concentrate on other things like party planning, decorating and cooking!

When you are making your lists of items to buy, separate them into categories. Your categories should be broken down into types and sizes. Is the item a toy? Is it a big or small toy? Are you buying electronics or clothes? Do you need decorations or antiques?

You want to categorize in this manner so that you can try and buy certain items from stores which specialize in that merchandise, and buying all your electronics from one store will offer you greater discounts. If the item is too big, you will want to buy it locally and not online to keep from paying large shipping fees.

If everyone thinks the new gadget that came out this year is super cool, then buy one for them all. Getting multiples of the same item, especially if it's on sale, will save you bundles of time and money.

During the year, if you happen to pass by a store that has the most perfect item for someone you are planning to buy a Christmas gift for, buy it then. If you buy periodically throughout the year then your shopping list won't be as long come the holiday season.

Once you get a system that works, keep it going for next year. Make a master copy so that you can access it easily year after year instead of having to reinvent your budgeting and planning sheet, again saving you valuable time this season.

If you are concerned about not being able to buy that special, perfect gift due to the item selling out, then you need to buy it early. If you don't want to have the stress and worry of an item being sold out, back ordered or taking too long to ship, buy it before Thanksgiving.

Since you have already created your list well before the holidays started, you can pull it out and check it over with the circulars while preparing the Thanksgiving meal, instead of wasting valuable family time doing it later. If you see deals that you want to take advantage of, write a note on your list of where you need to go to get the items. Make sure to keep the circular and any coupons if you are going to be taking advantage of the sales advertised.

It's important to keep in mind that with all the sales going on you might want to get the items that you have wanted to buy for around the house. If you have needed a new television, now is the time to get it with all the great deals being advertised.

Those who love the malls and shopping centers for the amience of Christmas should wait until all the madness is over. The decorations, music and Santa displays will continue thru Christmas but you'll be able to enjoy it more after Black Friday when the crowd has simmered down to normal.

Make sure to keep an envelope, jar, file folder, or anything available for all your receipts. Storing your receipts in one place is just good practice. You will have no problems returning items and validating your budget later!

Source- Personal Experience