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Share Your Best BF Tip & Win a T-Shirt & Backpack - CONTEST OVER!

Started by Brad , Sep 18, 2008 - 5:36 pm

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88 replies to this topic

#61 dgagnon OFFLINE

Member

228 Posts
Member since 2006

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 10:44 am

If you have recently switched banks make sure that you debit cards limit have been raised. Found out the hard way that I could only use it x amount of times in a 24 hr time frame. We also had a limit for a day. A call to the bank lifted the preset amounts.

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#62 Postal Phil OFFLINE

Whoooo Pigs Soooie Go Hogs Go

182 Posts
Member since 2005

Location: Arkansas

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 11:08 am

Take travel toilet paper and toilet seat covers for use in the porta-potties Take a wi-fi enabled device and do your online shopping while in line

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#63 JazzMama OFFLINE

Member

903 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 11:24 am

Wear layers of clothes - waiting in line is usually very cold, but once you get into the buildings and the mass exodus crowds, you'll warm up in a hurry Even if your group is shopping in the same store, break into small groups or send an individual to each dept you're wanting items from - works well in Walmart if one person can be in electronics while the other is in toys, etc. Alot of the time, you won't be able to make it to both places and still get everything on your list. If you choose to cover different stores, make sure everyone is aware of what's needed AND to give updates

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#64 shopping4my3son OFFLINE

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3,354 Posts
Member since 2006

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 12:44 pm

At Walmart- I check out on the grocery side (the lines seem shorter). At Target- I check out in the middle lanes. Shopko- The pharmacy / Optical / and service desk are open for checking out. Kmart- I usually go on Thanksgiving am for their sale and ask the manager if I can price match other ads while I'm there. He's always allowed it so far which saves time on BF. Sometimes taking a farther parking spot is easier than driving around looking for something close to the doors. And there's usually less people walking/running toward the rear of the parking lots. I don't drink much so I don't have to leave the line. Write your list in order of the stores you want to go to. Wear comfortable shoes. Brush your teeth. Waiting in line and talking to people around you can tell who just got out of bed and those who took a few minutes in the bathroom.

Wear a santa hat then you don't have to brush your hair.

LOL

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#65 BonnieD OFFLINE

Member

14 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 12:55 pm

Stay up late Thanksgiving night reading the ads and marking what I'm after. If it is a hot item say at Target, I will plan a route that takes me to the Target that is on the opposite end of town from the "other" popular stores!! Plan is to get to stores with items that are on sale for short itme only.......then spend rest of the day shopping at the mall and other stores looking for other sales.

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#66 Christy Garner OFFLINE

Looking for a Deal

372 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 1:37 pm

Be organized - have list ready for each store. If you price match at Walmart, have things already circled in other ads and accesible. Find a Walmart that is open 24 hours and get there real early to find the stuff you need to price match. Then, investigate to find out where your most wanted item is going to be and hang out there. Make friends, help each other out and have fun.

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#67 guilliam OFFLINE

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2,092 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 1:46 pm

Check www.gottadeal.com as often as possible for updates

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#68 sp72 OFFLINE

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17 Posts
Member since 2007

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 1:58 pm

The best tip is to create a folder or excel starting about now or in a few weeks (this can be a list in excel too). This will help you keep all the deals straight. Keep all free shipping codes in the list, all deals and dates they begin (great info from gottadeal.com). Then shop away...get tons of stuff for free or low prices..For Black FRiday itself -- use the organized lists and start shopping online at midnight on thursday night/friday morning. My husband was able to order many of the tech items on line with free shipping right at midnight when by the time he was at the stores they were sold out...Hope that helps...

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#69 abentley OFFLINE

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1,933 Posts
Member since 2004

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 2:44 pm

My best tip to preapre is to save the ads right when you first see them posted!!! They can soon vanish!! The most important tip is = remember the season, we are all out their for the same reasons and yes, we will ALL run into people who left their manners at home...but HAVE FUN enjoying the day!!!

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#70 saiynee OFFLINE

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222 Posts
Member since 2007

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 2:52 pm

Email different stores about price adjustments to find out if they do them. If they do, but the items you want the a few days before the ad comes out (you can find them online here0.Then take the email with you on BF and get the adjustments. Worked for me!

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#71 Tommytuna34 OFFLINE

Member

52 Posts
Member since 2007

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 3:42 pm

Be Polite would be my best idea. I feel people are generally nice back to you if you are nice to them. I once asked someone if I could have one of the 5 dvd box sets they were buying and they gladly gave me one. They were the last 5 there (I think they were when prison break came out) and it was $9.99 or something really cheap like that. My brother was a fan and it worked out perfect.

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#72 noehlp OFFLINE

Member

22,735 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 4:25 pm

Bring gum or mints. Sorry but most people I have found forget to brush their teeth when going to stand in line for BF. And WOW! Let me say, some peoples breath smells just down right awful! Share your gum and mints. You'll make best friends!

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#73 Brad OFFLINE

Administrator

22,401 Posts
Member since 2004

Location: WI

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 4:43 pm

And this contest's winner is.... Crazy Mama

Look for another contest soon

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#74 wx4svr OFFLINE

Black Friday Geek

499 Posts
Member since 2007

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 4:44 pm

Below are some of my favorite BF tips and tricks. 1. Take your Friends - Nothing can be more fun than talking to your friends in FREEZING weather. Bring some old pictures, maybe some old yearbooks. Look at them together, it will make the waiting in line much easier.

2. Dress in Layers - It gets C O L D out there! :eek:

So cold that it can be dangerous. If you have more than one person, take turns. One waits in line for a while, then the other goes to the car. Then switch. Seriously... being in the cold that long can be dangerous. 3. Take Other Things - I know this sounds weird, but there are somethings that I always take with me and my friends when we wait in line for BF... Chairs Laptop Food Coffee!!! Hand and Feet Warmers Book (sometimes) iPhone / iPod (or both in my case

) Like I said, some of these sound weird, but it is well worth it. When you hit the 30 minute or so mark, have someone stand in line and have another person run these back to the vehicle. 4. Plan - Nothing can be worse than going BF shopping and not being prepared. ALWAYS do your homework. Which store will have the best deal? Will this be the one I want to hit first? What about price matching?! Does this store have the same product as this store except cheaper? What about my friends... will we split up. These are just some of the questions I always ask before even thinking about going BF shopping. 5. Ads - TAKE THE ADS WITH YOU! Sometimes, you can get lucky and even see some things at the store that weren't even in the ads. Also, another thing that sorta falls in this category is keeping good records. I sometimes keep a good binder full of the ads. It keeps them save, neat, and I often put the ads in the order of importance and the order in which I will hit the stores. 6. Check Out - ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS expect a LOOOOOOONG wait at the cash register. Don't get mad! You have the ticket, or you may even have the item in hand or in a cart. Don't let it go! Don't set it down.. hold on to it as if it was your flesh and blood. You don't know what some of the other people in the store will do to get that one item. It doesn't matter if it takes half an hour or even a hour to get out of the lines, but as long as you have that hot item.. who cares. 7. HAVE FUN! - This should actually be #1. Black Friday is all about having fun.

:D:D People may look at you like your crazy... so what. You know that you are waiting in line for that single moment the doors fly open and the crowds rush in. You know that there is nothing like that single mad rush to get that hot item. You know that there is nothing like feeling that warm air hitting you in the frozen face as you march into the store. Think about it. Even if you don't admit it right away, you know that BF is the single best shopping day of the year. You can't deny that. Those are just SOME of my favorite BF shopping tips. I think a LOT of people can side with me that these are mostly correct. I know there are TONS more, but these are the big ones that stick out in my mind. :smart:

=((( I MISSED THE CONTEST BY ONE MINUTE! =(((( Oh well.

Edited by wx4svr, Sep 19, 2008 - 4:45 pm.
=( Bad luck =(

wx4svr - It's that time of year again! Bring on BF! :holiday16

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#75 Brad OFFLINE

Administrator

22,401 Posts
Member since 2004

Location: WI

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 4:46 pm

=((( I MISSED THE CONTEST BY ONE MINUTE! =(((( Oh well.

Actually you missed it by about 45 minutes, so don't feel too bad

There will be plenty more contests over the next 2+ months.

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#76 ohitsunshine OFFLINE

Member

771 Posts
Member since 2005

Posted Sep 19, 2008 - 4:46 pm

My tip is to carry the least amount you can. I put my credit card in my pocket and that leaves my hands free. I also organize all ads so I can grab that one ad and run in with that. Also I paperclip all coupons to the ad by store.