The day is coming....The Biggest shopping day of the YEAR!!! I know, you think I'm CrAzY!!! Yes, I am a shopper of Black Friday. It's a tradition! Every year, I shop with my sister-in-laws, and anyone else who is willing to be up at the crack of dawn...Starbucks in hand...and list in tow! I have done this 1 day overdue...8 mos. pregnant...and just had given birth 2 weeks prior...Now granted...I don't look like the picture above...but it is so much fun! Now, don't get me wrong...I am rarely at Walmart at 2 am, but I have found some great deals. My favorite place to go is Macys!!! 50% off their clearance! One year Sara, my SIL, found a pair of Ralph Lauren shorts for $2.14!! Crazy 8, and Old Navy are also good...not so crazy...spots. We usually hit Michaels too...can never have enough ribbon!
Shoppers have gotten smarter these days! In the past, you had to wait to hear the thump of that 50 lb. newspaper to hit your driveway Thanksgiving morning to see the great deals! Now, there are websites cluing you in on what's going to be on sale! Here are a few that I have found...
Now, I personally, will wait for the "thump" tomorrow morning to start my plan of attack! Here are some great tips that I found online...that I thought I would share with you first-timers or rookies!! Happy Shopping....see you at Macys!!!
Shopping Tips:
• Know exactly the time that the stores you want to hit are open, and go to the store that has the best deals, and/or the gift you want to get the most first. Be there at least a half-hour before it opens if the gift is popular.
• Leave the kids at home; this is not a day to worry about hand-holding and good behavior.• Be caffeinated and full – don’t shop on low energy and an empty stomach.
• Pack snacks so that you don’t have to stop your marathon shopping day to grab some grub from the food court.
• Bring along a MP3 player or portable CD player to help pass the time when you are waiting to pay for your finds.
• Don’t worry about purchasing little gifts today, such as stocking stuffers, but rather focus on gifts that are bigger, harder to find, and more expensive.
• Consider this a good day to look for that new winter coat or little black dress you need. Clothing sales are usually very good on Black Friday, because so many people are already in the stores looking for toys and gifts.
• If a product is not available, but the store offers a rain check, take it. Make sure that when you cash in your rain check you are getting the price that the product was listed at for that day.
A Few Days After Black Friday Sales:
• Cyber Monday, the Monday immediately following Black Friday, is a busy day for online retailers who offer special deals, products, and discounts. FYI, the term was coined by Shop.org in 2005.
• If you didn’t get all of the products off of your list while shopping at those after-Thanksgiving sales, log on first thing Monday morning and see what you can find.
• Visit retailmenot.com for online coupons, including offers for free shipping and 15% off discounts from certain retailers.
• Know the online retailers return policy, shipping information, and payment procedure so that you are not worrying about any of those details before you purchase the item.
• Do a little research among retailers, and don’t just settle for the first good price that you see on that must-have product.
• Calculate shipping and other online fees before determining whether you are getting a fair deal.
Every year I look forward to baking for the holidays! My favorite recipe is Rocky Road!! It's super easy, and super yummy!!! Here's how:
