Brad Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 It's contest time again This one is very simple. Reply to this thread with your best Black Friday tip (or tips). Try not to copy anyone else's tip if possible. We might use the responses in here to put together a guide for BF newbies, so try to be as unique and informative as possible. The contest will run until tomorrow (Friday) at 8pm ET. One winner will be randomly chosen tomorrow night from all replies and they'll win a Black Friday T-Shirt AND GottaDeal.com Backpack! Good luck to all!
conj Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 plan, plan, plan. bring your dwarf friend, (or child who is old enough to not get lost, but small enough for this) to wiggle to the area you need to get to! Dress in layers (depending on the climate) have some one to fetch and schlep for you.
jenesparza Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 I say its alway best to go with a group of people. then the night before find out what everyone is wanting out of the ads and split up the list so everyone goes for one individual thing but picks up enough for everyone in the group that wants it. If everyone is familiar with the store we usually have a meeting place for after we've picked up our hot items.
amberleigh2 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Don't forget to set your alarm...or better yet take a Thanksgiving day nap & stay up all night:tongue1:
PinkPrincess515 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) Tip 1. My Best Tip... DON'T SLEEP! It's Only ONE Day Out Of 365 You Can Do It! :) Tip 2. COFFEE! Tip 3. Eat Breakfast... It Will Keep You Going. (Sam's Club Has Free Breakfast If That's Something You Would Like To Wait In Line For) Tip 4. MAKE A RUN FOR IT! Tip 5. Watch Out For The CRAZY Drivers Edited September 19, 2008 by PinkPrincess515
mom2pckm Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 If your camping out in line, take things to keep you entertained(card game, dvd player, snacks, drinks), and especially take your sale ads and go over your plan one more time!!!!
shopping mom Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Tip 1 Use those leftover rolls and ham to make ham rolls for breakfast in the morning. We make ours after dinner and they are ready to take. It saves money and time Tip 2 Wear your most comfortable shoes Tip 3 Be pleasant to those around you, in line and those who have to work that day, and even the crazy drivers. It is suppose to be fun so enjoy the crowds. Tip 4 Make a list of all the stores opening time and what you plan to get at each one Tip 5 Take the ads with you.
julz0420 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 If you go with more than one person set up in different areas and grab for each other. (use phones or walkie talkies if need be) If you are hitting a store as it opens have one person get the cart while you go towards wherever you need to go. Check the weather before you head out so you can plan what you wear accordingly (like if it rains/ices/etc) Layers are great in really cold weather cause you can peel them off as you go. :)
steph3306 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Make sure you have multiple cell phones or two way radios to use in the stores
mscrapper Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Make a plan the night before, shop with a buddy, it is best not to bring small children because people tend to get a little too crazy. Have an idea of exactly what you are looking for and where it might be located in the store. Get a good night sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast so you are ready to go.
pogiporkchop Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Don't forget to charge your cell phone!
smurfgirl Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Have friends or family shop with you, that way if the checkout lines are long you can have one person get in line and keep taking turns hunting down what you want. This worked really well at Menards last year:)
sherril Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 I personally try to go to the stores the last night they are open and scope out where the items i want will be. I have all my ads I want to pm folded open and ready for when i check out dont try to use a cart unless u have to, take a huge shopping bag or even trash bag, its easier to get through the asiles
lot-narth Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 For some items, you can scope out the stores before hand on Wednesday to see where they are stocked. Not for big ticket items, but it helps for things like jump drives, blank cds, dvds, etc. Also, bring bottled water or something to keep you hydrated, maybe snack bars for energy. If When going to a lot of stores, and spending a lot of time "in the BF rush", I don't like to take time out to get food or drinks, so having hot caffinated beverages in a thermos, bottled water, and energy bars really helps keep me going.
Haley28 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Do not leave your cart unattended while you try to grab other items. Make sure someone is watching it for you, or try not to use one at all. People will take things out of your cart when you're not looking!
kmbrly Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Think ahead about how much room you will need in the vehicle you're driving. You want to make sure you have enough room for any big item you might be getting, but if you're going to multiple stores, you want to make sure you can "stash" your goodies, out of sight. Nothing worse than coming out from a store shopping, only to find that a "smash & grab" has taken place.
christib327 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 I always make a lunch the night before and put it in a cooler. (okay, actually, my husband does it for me ) I grab it on my way out the door. On Black Friday I don't want to make any extra stops that cut into my shopping time. We eat lunch in the car on the way from one store to the next. I also like to use a purse that goes across my body. One that is just big enough to hold my $$ and credit card. I dont' want to risk someone trying to take my bag.
Brad Posted September 19, 2008 Author Posted September 19, 2008 My own tip: buy as many BF ad items online as you can before you leave the house. Many stores put their BF items online starting Wednesday night and throughout the day Thursday and early Friday morning. If you can buy something online, that's one less thing to fight the crowds for, one less thing to spend time searching for and one less thing taking up space in your vehicle :)
msdarkness Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) If your going to price match have the stores corporate number with you because although they may tell you days before they will price match they like to change their minds and a quick call is all it takes for them to change it back in your favor Edited September 19, 2008 by msdarkness Melissa's brain isnt working
cheyenne Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 1. Stay tuned in to Gotta Deal all year around and wait anxiously for the first Black Friday ads to appear. You will know all the deals way before the actual newspaper ads go out, plus its fun to get the adreneline pumping just coming to the site and reading about other peoples 'wants' or 'wishes'. 2. Make list according to 'most wanted' and store opening times. 3. If possible have friends or family parked at different wrapped pallets throughout the store so they can get your items for you, or split up and go to different stores. 4. I hardly ever take a basket unless the items will be more than I can handle. You can squeeze in and out of crowds faster without the buggy. 5. Don't be embarassed to RUN! 6. Watch your items like a hawk, there are others out there who will try to steal your items if you take your eyes off of it. I don't have much of a black friday 'story' to tell, other than one black friday I was standing in line at toysrus, we were one of the first in line :) and I witnessed a wreck, it was loud and right in front of the store, they must have been rushing like all the rest of us! Also, this is sort of a tip/story combo. 2 years ago at Kohls I was getting a carpet steam cleaner for my Mom. It was huge, heavy and the line was wrapped all the way around the perimeter of the inside of the store. We were warned it was a 4 hr wait. I couldn't just stand there when there were other deals to be had, so I turned around and saw the customer service dept at the back of the store. I thought 'hmmmm'. I dragged the box over there and sorta whined "this box sure is heavy, can I just check out here?" The lady checked me out and I drug that box like crazy all the way to the parking lot, adreneline makes you strong!
smangham Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 ** I take a 1 inch binder with clear pocket pages and put each ad in its own pocket along with the lists of "wants" from each store and any coupons or notes to myself. I then put the pages in the order I plan on hitting each store. ** I put my credit card in my back right pocket, for easy access...and then I put all my receipts in my back left pocket so I can keep up with them easily. ** I also learned the hard way to NEVER take a kid with me.
savaladez Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Buy extra newspapers. You don't always get all of the ads in a single newspaper.
4kidswow Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Ok, 1 thing that will take care of everything.. Meditate... You need to be sharp, on the ball and calm.. That way your head is clear for the big game...
racerfan Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) If camping out get some of the hand and foot warmers to put in your pockets and shoes for warmth. They help quite a bit. Again if you are camping, bring a tent, and chair (s) if more than one of you. If no tent then bring a tarp in case it is raining. A heater for the tent if you have one. One boy Scout to put up tent and take down tent (because he is dying to go out for BF and wants a laptop lol) Try and have some fun while hanging out. Remember the good old days with family members (my Sister and I always go together) t Try and have fun. It is a memorable experience. Always look around and watch to see who is around you. Some people are very interesting, and some you have to look out for. Edited September 19, 2008 by racerfan Additional info
len_mullen Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Take the road less taken. My town is surrounded by retail meccas -- and one town that has a lot of second tier stores but no Best Buy of Circuit City. By foregoing their door busters, I have a great chance of getting the best deals the second tier has to offer.
sdigman6 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Buy hand warmers if its cold and for your feet too! make sure you have gas in your car for when you get up in the AM cell phones charged for family to reach you at other locations plan, plan, plan who is going for what etc pull seats out of vehicle if you can -might fiind a deal you can not pass up! bring a kid with if you can they are good for getting something you can not get to! pack snacks dress in layers make sure your credit or bank card people know your going to be making a possible large purchase make transactions easier for you. they may wonder if someone has your card!!! Bring your ads, your Xmas CDs and have a good time, befriend the person in line you never know they may be your life line to help you get something !!! I know that I do that if people are nice to me and i see them hunting for something I go and grab it and hand it to them inhopes it would be the same back.
jdrd90 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Outwit, outrun, outlast everyone around you!
aprncess Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Remember to bring along some humor (your Gottadeal T-Shirt will work for this) and patience!!
becca0884 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Bring an extra ad or two. When people in line ask to see your ad, give them an extra incase you never see it again. This also helps later on, if you need something and they can help you get one in exchange for letting them borrow the ad. Bring an extra sweatshirt or blanket. Just because it "doesn't feel that cold" when you first step out into the cold, doesn't mean it won't get cold when standing outside for a couple hours.
diane175 Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Don't be afraid to ask questions! An employee or someone in line around you may know more info that could be very useful. Also, just because you see the last item being taken from the pallet, DON'T PANIC! More than likely there are more to come, especially at Walmart. They only bring out what will fit on the floor, then bring out more as the pallets are emptied. You can always look around on shelves too. Some people grab more than they want then just dump the item later. I have found several items this way. Most importantly--- steel-toed boots! lol Seriously, tho, just have fun!
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