5 tips for saving on Black Friday |
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3. Shop early
Karen Hoxmeier, founder and owner of MyBargainBuddy.com, suggests that shoppers remember to "go early and get done early."
"By 10 a.m., most of the best deals are gone, the
lines are horrible and stores are a mess," Hoxmeier says.
If you really want to get a jump on others, try shopping
Thanksgiving Day. Dealnews.com refers to it as Black Thursday,
since many of those Friday "door busters" actually become
available online up to 24 hours earlier.
If you do wait until Friday, Hoxmeier suggests scooping
up limited-time door busters first and limiting your shopping to
stores likely to yield the best rewards. Your time is valuable,
she says.
She asks: "Is waiting in line for three hours worth the money you are saving?"
4. Bring a friend
Store lines are more manageable with a buddy nearby.
"Send one person to the checkout lanes while the other snatches up the bargains," Danger says.
Hoxmeier refers to this strategy as "divide and conquer." Just don't forget the (fully charged) cell phones in case you lose each
other or need to separate and meet up later.
Danger also advocates leaving the kids behind before you head out to hunt for bargains.
"Crowded aisles and unscrupulous shoppers can be a dangerous combination for small children," she says.
5. Wait for cyber Monday
The explosion of online shopping has created a new big day for retailers -- the first day back to work after the Thanksgiving weekend.
Apparently, plenty of employees are shopping rather
than working that day. It's one of the busiest days for online purchases,
says Danger.
Many sites have sweetened the deal for cyber Monday
shoppers. Dealnews.com founder and editor in chief Dan de Grandpre
says he has observed "an ever-growing number of online promotions
-- free shipping, free gifts, rebates, markdowns -- (that) make
cyber Monday an online holiday shopper's bonanza."
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