Today, let’s get into the nitty gritty of Black Friday Shopping!
I love saving money and taking advantage of Black Friday Sales has become one of my favorite things! I know I spend most of my time telling you NOT to spend, but even I have to agree that Black Friday is great to get some awesome deals!
Even though I don’t live in the US, where Black Friday is a very big deal, it kind of has expanded all over the world and with global market everything is easier.
This is not a sponsored post and I have not lost my mind. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dig into the whys and hows of spending on Black Friday. One thing you know I’m not going to tell is to get into debt to take advantage of Black Friday. That’s not going to happen. I am however going to talk to you about saving for Black Friday.
If you’ve been coming here for a while you know I’m always trying to find ways and hacks to save a few bucks so that I can spend freely without worrying about the money. If you got the Festive Fund Tracker and did a couple of those challenges, you are on your way to have the money to spend freely on D-Day. And speaking of, it’s happening on the 26th of November!!! So you have a month to figure this out!
You are still able to do a couple of challenges and even if you don’t save a lot, all that you save will be going towards a debt free Holiday Season and that’s what really matters! That you start being conscious about your financial situation and you are trying to build it to fit your life! If on the other hand you are not, cannot or will not save any money towards Black Friday Shopping, then I’d advise you to think seriously before pulling that credit card out and going to town like there’s no tomorrow! The sooner you realise that it’s not really a good idea to keep on living pay check to pay check, or worst, barely making ends meet, the better.
Now, before the D-Day be sure to make a list of all the gifts you need or want to buy. You probably have a few members of your extended family for whom you buy gifts, then you probably have a few people you want to say thanks to, for making your life easier during the year, it’s your list, be sure to have it ready. I created a pdf you can get HERE if you want. Some stores do a private sale, just before Black Friday, for clients that have signed up for their newsletter, and if you have your list ready you might benefit from these!
Also, think about your budget for gifts. We allocate a general budget for all gifts and then we think about what gift to get for every person and then I’ll check out prices and see if it’s doable. Now, I used to allocate the same amount to each person, let’s say $25. I soon realised it didn’t work, I love buying gifts for others but I always try to get everyone something I know will make them smile and people are very different so I didn’t like the restriction.
Before Black Friday, I’ll have a look online in a few different places to check out the prices of the things I’m thinking of buying, because, sometimes they inflate prices on Black Friday and if we have no idea of what something costs e think we are making a great purchase and we’re actually paying more! Beware!
One thing I always buy way in advance is wrapping paper and ribbons and tape so that I’m not stressed out when it comes time to wrap my presents! But because these things never go on sale, at least where I live, I buy them in advance, like now, in October, and I’m set.
Here is our plan of attack:
- Remember to make a list and check it twice 😉 – Decide on the budget. Also, buy all your wrapping accessories NOW!
- Print the pdf and write the gifts next to the person and the budget allocated!
- Research online to have an idea of the prices for the things you want to buy and make sure they are within your budget at full price, if you get them at a discount on Black Friday it’s a win!
- Have your list ready two weeks before D-Day so that you can benefit from private sales online or in store!
- Have fun!
These are just a few of the things we can do to make sure to stain budget and to not forget any gift!
Happy Shopping!
S – The Sparkling Budgeteer
