Holiday Activity: 7 Black Friday Shopping Strategies

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by Troy Pattee on November 18th, 2011 | No Comments »

Do you have a plan for the biggest shopping day of the year? There may not be a wrong way to shop on Black Friday, but preparation and pre-planning can give you a step up as you try to maximize your shopping dollars.

7 Tips for Shopping on Black Friday

Stay Hydrated—The single-most important factor in athletic competitions can be water. Is not shopping on Black Friday pretty much the Super Bowl of shopping? My rule of thumb is “Pre-hydrate, then rehydrate.”
Don’t Mistreat the Feet—Black Friday is not a fashion event and comfortable, sturdy shoes are a must. Flip flops are not allowed. You don’t want a stubbed toe or a twisted ankle to take you out of the race.
Gas it Up—Before sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner send a family member out to fill the fuel tank. Running out of gas could mean the difference between your kids getting an Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect or a Limited Edition Chia Pet.
Map it Out—Do you know where the Electronics or Toy aisle is at your store? Simply following everyone else won't work because you'll be at the front of the pack. They're all following you!
Bring Snacks—Nothing is worse than waiting in line for three hours only to pass out from a sugar low mere feet from the checkout counter. Just trust me on this one.
Tag Team—Bring a friend (a really fast one). When the doors open one of you can snag the deals while the other gets a place in the checkout line. Remember, seconds count.
Have a List—Some of us can be forgetful in times of stress. Make a list and bring it with you. Santa not only makes a list, but he also checks it twice.

In the end just remember to relax and have fun. Every contest will have both winners and losers—and you’re better than both of them.

Do you go shopping on Black Friday? What are your Black Friday shopping tips and tricks?

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Troy Pattee

A frequent contributor to Mom It Forward, Troy's home base is http://Dadventurous.com where he has been know to wax poetic on topics ranging from wax to poets. Trivia: Troy once won a trip to Europe by utilizing a high-powered TV camera, 65,000 of his closest friends, and an eager-to-please Dalmatian named Rebel. Well, that's part of the story at least.