Editor's Note: Congratulations to Lisa, Ana, and Louly for winning this week's contest!
Black Friday is one of the biggest retail holidays of the year. Some people love it for the deals, and others hate it for the chaos. And because not every deal is as good as it sounds, it's important to know the tricks and tactics that stores use to get you to spend more.
What are your tips for Black Friday? What stores do you plan to hit up this year? If you won't be shopping in person, will you be ordering online or checking out Cyber Monday deals?
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Stay home. Shop online or wait until December when the prices might be even lower.
My tip is to avoid the crowds and shop online. I will be browsing Amazon for sure.
Unless you just love the excitement (and chaos) of the crowded stores, I'd recommend staying home and enjoying the day. There are actually a lot of good online deals on Black Friday, but I think it is best to buy only what you need and to know the in advance so you're not persuaded by a seemingly good deal.
My tips for Black Friday are to get to the stores early and have someone help you grab the items that you want!
My best tip is to know ahead of the game what you want from your visit. Don't get persuaded by great offers on items you will think "Why on earth did I buy this?" afterwards!
I will be shopping online using cash back sites
Don't buy things you don't need and know the price of things to know if you're getting a good deal. I'll take a look at Cyber Monday deals on Amazon.
I always make a list of items we need and have my kids make a wish list. I then start checking out early ads so I can know what stores I want to visit and items that I want. then I check out which stores will start black friday sales early and online early and purchase what I can.
Avoid the craziness of the stores and get ready for Cyber Monday. Why would anyone want to be trampled for a laptop?
Know your prices. Just because it is black friday doesn't mean it will be the best price. It's okay to wait, things will be on sale for weeks before the holidays.
My best advise for Black Friday shopping is to add alerts to my emails and shop at home in my PJ's. This way I don't have to deal with parking & crowds. All in the comfort of my own home.
Make a list and shop online
I generally stay away from shopping. If I have to go out, I plan to be surrounded by madness. Mentally preparing makes it tolerable.
I think the best tip for Black Friday is just to be prepared and patient. Bring snacks, a list, a friend if you can, and enjoy it for what it is.
The only store I shop at on Black Friday is the grocery store. It's always nice and quiet because everyone is working on finishing all those Thanksgiving leftovers! Besides that, I go hiking if the weather is permitting, and if not, I stay home and enjoy the day. Sometimes I have to work but I am lucky this year that I have the day off.
Show those you care about how well you know them and how meaningful a gift you want to give them by giving them an experience, rather than the latest gadgets and Black Friday deals. This is a win/win because you avoid the lines and madness of Black Friday and give the recipient a more meaningful gift.
stay home, relax and avoid the crowds.
My daughter ALWAYS clipped the ads and created our plan of attack to hit all of the stores. Thank goodness that she slept through the "excitement" and I never had to shop Black Friday with her! :) Online shopping is so much easier and can be just as fun.
My tip is to stay home. I like right in the center of three major malls, and the traffic is unreal. I do some of my shopping in the fall, and the rest online.
Buy nothing! Go hiking!
The crowds in the brick and mortar stores is too much for me so I shop online if I shop.
Don't do it! You can get better deals at another time.
I think you should have a list of what you want to buy and how much it normally costs so when you see a sale, you will know if it's really a good deal. But I will be shopping on Cyber Monday.
Have a plan! Know what you want before you go and look up if the store has a map already online. A lot of times things are moved around from where they normally should be. It helps to plan ahead to avoid getting hurt.
I've already been doing some of the early online Black Friday sales. There are some great deals out there. I don't plan to shop at the stores on Black Friday this year, but I will be doing some online shopping.
I use my Discover card and save my receipts so I can price match. Much, much easiler than standing in line!
MMA training to fight the crowds!
I definitely avoid the lines and shop online. Also, you can use price monitoring sites (like Camel Camel Camel) to watch certain products and alert you when the price drops.
Plan ahead and be prepared to deal with the crowds.
Don't fight the crowd, most stores have everything online and usually their shipping to the store is free.
Shop online in your cozy pajamas
Shop online and avoid crowds.
My tip for surviving Black Friday is to be prepared for thw chance of not getting what you're wanting. In other words, stay flexible and realize there are other people who are crazy and are more willing to go to great lengths (and stupidity) to get that $200 tv, which is probably one of only ten total in the store.
Don't assume just because something is on sale for Black Friday it's a good deal. Shop around!
My tip for Black Friday is to shop around and take your time.
For me personally, I like to avoid the stores and shop early online!
I make a list of what I want to buy before checking the sales. And I mainly us online shopping.
I do not enjoy crowds and the bad behavior you often see on Black Friday so I have not gone out to the stores on that day in years. I do like Small Business Saturday, though! It can still be busy but I find it to be much more interesting. And, of course, like a lot of people I do think most of my gift buying will be done online. It's just so easy!
Get then newspaper with all ads so you can see all the deals.
Black Friday is just the retailers hyping stuff to get your dollars. Buy a zoo pass for the family, movie tickets, or other experiences. If you can, buy a few shares of stock for everyone in the family. I hope my kids will thank Mom in the future when they cash in their Disney and McDonald's holdings.
Shop online!
Stay home and enjoy a day to do whatever you like. We put the garden to bed and put away rain barrels.
Stay home and shop online.
My advice is to wait until Cyber Monday!
My tip is to shop online to beat the crowds and long lines.
Sign up for email alerts for deals.
I always look at the ads and make a plan for the day.
shop online to avoid the crowds.
Make a list of what you need so you don't just buy random things you don't need