6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping

2. Although Christmas is supposed to be a time to be giving and caring, there is one element about Christmas that seems to throw all of that out of the window….and that’s Black Friday. Black Friday, the sale day after Thanksgiving that’s known to have incredibly low prices on usually high priced items. It’s also the day that’s known to have lines and lines of people in parking lots around the corner and up the block, waiting for the magic moment when the stores open their doors. More notorious than that, it’s the day that’s known for having mobs and mobs of anxious people running, jumping, and fighting over this 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 2

3. merchandise. It’s to the point where nowadays there are people that die every year from stampedes of crowds running to be first to take advantage of the hottest deals. Care and concern for human life seems to be at an all time low during Black Friday, and every year seems to get worse and worse. In this guide, we are going to give you 6 practical ways to survive Black Friday shopping, because believe it or not, you can realistically have an enjoyable Christmas shopping experience and actually enjoy the holiday season without a fight. 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 3

4. 1. Wait Until Later On I know that the stores try to entice you with the 95 inch HDTV for $20 (ok, maybe not that extreme), but I guarantee there will be tons of deals still left after the lynch mobs are gone. Christmas sales will go on all through December, remember that. If you want to take a chance at 2 in the morning with the Black Friday mobs, take your chance, but just know that people dying on Black Friday is not a rarity anymore, it’s now common. It’s best to wait until later on in the day when all the hype has died down, and people have turned back into people again and not raving maniacs. Don’t fall for the hype, hype kills these days. Sleep in that morning and go out later in the day, you might live longer. 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 4

5. 2. Get Your Shopping Done Earlier Here’s an interesting question for you: Why wait? Instead of being caught in long lines with frustrated shoppers, and parking lots filled to capacity, why don’t you get your shopping out of the way earlier than normal? Don’t tell me because you’re waiting for Black Friday. The whole point is to avoid Black Friday crowds altogether. I promise you that you can find good deals without having to wait for Black Friday. You have Amazon, eBay, and so many other outlets to find what you want and at a good price. Imagine laying in bed the morning of Black Friday watching tv, laughing at everyone fighting and fussing over all this crap, while you have your gifts tucked away in a secret spot. Sweet right? 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 5

6. 3. Don’t Fight Over Merchandise, Really. Unless you have already paid for something...don’t fight anybody over this stuff, it’s just stuff. Really, don’t fight over any of this crap, it’s just merchandise, and it’s not worth it. This is supposed to be the holiday season, a time of good cheer, remember that? It’s best to avoid the Black Friday crowds altogether, but if you find yourself in them, don’t get involved in any ridiculous confrontations, you never know where it could go. If somebody is acting like a jackass over a tv, laptop, tablet, or whatever, just let them have it and walk away. Don’t YOU become an idiot too. I promise you that if you don’t get that tv right at that moment, your life WILL go on and you WILL be alright. The stress and the risk is just not worth it. 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 6

7. 4. Leave Your Little Ones At Home Now, if after reading this far, you are determined to still be a part of the Black Friday riots, word to the wise, please leave your little ones at home. It doesn’t make sense why anyone would want to bring their kids into this madness, but you still see it every year. The formula is very simple, if you don’t have someone to watch over your kids while you shop, don’t go. Black Friday sales are the worst place to bring your little ones. They could get lost easily among the madness because the crowds are always astronomical, and I don’t even want to imagine any child being caught in one of those Black Friday stampedes. If you can’t find a sitter, you really should consider waiting either until later on in the day, or another day. You always hear reports of people being crushed or fighting, why would you risk your kids in that mess? 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 7

8. 5. Do Your Shopping Online Hey...how about skipping Black Friday crowds altogether? There’s this wonderful invention called the internet, and maybe you should take advantage of it. In today’s age, internet shopping has gotten so much better and continues to improve. The sites that we all know have really stepped up their game, and online shopping is just as common as in person shopping. You can find almost anything online these days at one of possibly 1000’s of sites, in many categories. Instead of fighting for parking spaces, and waiting in long lines, why not sit in front of your computer in your pajamas, with your tv on, cup of hot cocoa, and credit card/debit card ready to go? That sounds so much more peaceful, which is what the holiday is supposed to be right? 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 8

9. 6. Take As Little As Possible If you have made plans to go shopping during one of those insane Black Friday sales, make it as easy on yourself as you possibly can. One thing you should do is keep the things you take with you to a minimum. The less you have, the less you have to worry about. Of course, you’re going to have your car keys, and of course you’re going to have your cell phone, and of course you are going to have cash, those are the necessities. Outside of those, you shouldn’t take too much else. Cash and credit cards you should carry in your front pocket. Wallets and purses are big targets around the holidays, so lessen your chance of theft. With crowds that big, there’s a huge chance you could lose something very important to you. Keep it very basic and then you can worry more about shopping. 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 9

10. Holiday shopping shouldn’t have to be stressful. There was a time in history when it wasn’t. With the way Black Friday sales are run today, it almost seems sometimes like the department stores are hoping for chaos. If you plan ahead and plan well, you can not only avoid the madness from Black Friday crowds, you may actually have an enjoyable holiday shopping experience, the way it should be. 6 Ways To Survive Black Friday Shopping page 10