7 Black Friday shopping tips to ensure you’re ready for the upcoming shopping rush

Every frugal, deal-hunting shopper has heard of the term “Black Friday”. No, it is not a term for a negative occurrence. Black Friday is a holiday shopping event that started in the U.S. but has now spread to other parts of the world.

Black Friday happens every year, a day after Thanksgiving and is the official kick-off to the holiday shopping season.

Related: What is Black Friday?

Why are shoppers uber-excited about Black Friday each year?

The short answer is: the best deals are up for grabs on this particular day. Major stores, small stores and online stores offer mouth-watering deals, some going as high as slashing 50% off the original price of their products.

With bargains like these, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the Black Friday rush?

If you are new to the whole business of shopping on Black Friday and you are looking for tips on how best to go about your shopping, you have come to the right place.

Here are seven Black Friday shopping tips to make the most out of the day.

Set a Budget

Before you even as much as open that online store app to browse through potential gift items, know what you can afford.

Of course, these deals will be hard to resist, but your wallet and savings account would be grateful that you showed some restraint.

It is easy to get carried away when shopping; throw in mind-blowing discounts, and you are prone to lose control completely. Make a list of the people you are getting holiday gifts for; include the prices of these items, and then total the cost of all the gift items.

The total cost is your budget. Stick to it and resist all forces of temptation.

Research Prices

Some Black Friday deals might be a fair market price lurking behind a false price slash.

Before going into the shopping week, do some in-depth research on the prices of the items you have your sights set on.

Some sites have the dishonest habit of inflating prices some days or weeks to Black Friday, and then falsely advertising the prices at a discounted rate on the day.

You must be careful not to fall victim to such dealers. What you can do to stay safe is set price alerts for the products you are interested in from different stores. This way, you can compare and go for the best prices.

Follow Stores on Social Media For Deals

Social media is not just for posting selfies and sharing daily inspirational quotes.

Find your favourite store’s social media pages and stick to them like fleas on a dog. The best deals are usually posted first on the social media pages. And, being a part of the social media family, you would have the inside info on these deals.

Throughout the year, the shops advertise the best deals and tips on their social media pages but, during the Black Friday season, these tips are especially helpful.

Also, watch out for some great shopping vouchers and giveaways you could win.

Consider Night Shopping

Take advantage of shopping at night, as most stores offer their best deals at the pre-dawn hours.

Are you willing to do almost anything to bag that massively discounted item from your favourite store? Also, are you ready to stay up late into the early hours to hustle these items?

Remember that you are by far not the only one trying to buy these products at the lowest prices. The best time to try your luck is at night when most other shoppers are asleep, or in the early hours of the morning.

Most online stores are more comfortable to browse at this time. And, there are fewer chances that you will find your selected product has been sold-out right as you try to check out.

Understand the Store’s Policies

Before putting your all into Black Friday shopping, understand the policies and terms of the store.

Make sure you read up on return policies, refund policies, shipping terms and other conditions before you buy goods from stores.

Some stores reduce their window for returnable items; usually, it is at 14 days. However, during the shopping season, it could be reduced, or the return policies could be tighter.

Know the items that have stricter return conditions and make sure you are okay with them before shopping.

Shop for Gift Cards

Not sure what to get your friends, family and business associates even with massive discounts floating around? Gift cards are the perfect option for you.

Rather than waste time and risk getting gifts that would not be appreciated, why not go the safe way by purchasing gift cards.

The bonus here is that you could get these gift cards at discounted rates.

Shop Online

Before Black Friday, check to see if your favourite retailer has an online store or an app.

Online shopping is a new rage, and almost all stores now offer customers the choice to shop online.

Rather than queue up all night outside your favourite shopping mall, you could sit in the comfort of your home and make the very best purchases.

Some stores start their online Black Friday sales before the physical store, and you could easily take advantage of this. Compare the prices advertised on the online store and check with the physical store to know if you are making the best decision.

Start Shopping Early

The early bird gets the best worms.

Even though the best deals come on Black Friday, you could beat the crowd by starting your holiday shopping earlier than usual.

Most stores offer good deals on different occasions in the year. Sometimes, there are Easter sales and then anniversary sales.

These deals might not be as massive as the bargains offered on Black Friday, but, you would save yourself some stress by taking advantage of them.

Rather than wait to do your entire Christmas shopping with the world as a whole, give the crowd a head start.

Black Friday shopping could be overwhelming, what with all the good deals staring you in the face. With these tips, you should be able to easily manoeuvre the shopping frenzy, and get the best deals.

Follow us on Twitter