↑
  • Home
  • About
  • Coupon Database
  • Price Comparison Tool

How to Shop For Free with Kathy Spencer

The Coupon Database Extreme Couponing, freebies, coupon, database

  • Deals
    • Find a Deal:

      • Black Friday
      • Glitch
      • Class Action Lawsuits
      • Recalls
      • Victoria’s Secret Deals
      • Baby Deals
      • Pet Deals
      • Online Deals
  • Stores
    • Grocery Stores:

      • Stop & Shop
      • Shop Rite
      • Shaw’s
      • Market Basket
      • Big Y
    • Retail Stores:

      • Amazon
      • Ocean State
      • Kmart / Sears
      • Target
      • Victoria’s Secret
      • Walmart
    • Drug Stores:

      • CVS
      • Rite Aid
      • Walgreen’s
    • Dollar Stores:

      • Dollar General
      • Dollar Tree
      • Family Dollar
  • Freebies
    • Find a freebie:

      • 100% FREE
      • Birthday
      • Black Friday Freebie
      • Money Makers
      • Samples
    • The Latest:

      FREE Ring ~ Just Pay Shipping!

      2 FREE Oral-B Toothbrushes until 4/17!

      2 FREE 5X7 Photos at CVS!

      Check Out What’s FREE at CVS!

  • Coupons
    • Find a coupon:

      • Insert Schedule
      • Coupons.com
      • Savings.com
      • RedPlum
      • Smartsource
      • Retail Coupons
      • Restaurants
      • Couponing 101
      • Database
    • Coupon Database

    • The Latest:

      May P&G Insert Preview

      Dollar General Ad Scan 04/18 – 04/24

      Shaw’s Ad Preview 04/16 – 04/22

  • Forums
  • Ad Scans
    • The Latest:

      May P&G Insert Preview

      Dollar General Ad Scan 04/18 – 04/24

      Shaw’s Ad Preview 04/16 – 04/22

      Save Coupon Preview 04/18

      Sunday Coupon Preview for 04/11 ~ 2 Inserts Expected

  • recipes
    • The Latest:

      Jack Frost Cocktail Recipe 21+

      Crockpot Chicken Crack Taco Recipe

      The Recipe Shop: New on ShopRite Site!

      Pan Seared Broccoli with Garlic is the PERFECT side dish!

      Classic Green Bean Casserole with a twist!

How to Shop for Free may earn affiliate commission from our posts. Read our full disclosure policy here,

Black Friday is Almost Here. Be prepared!

November 24, 2010 by Kathy Spencer Leave a Comment

bf bullied

Don’t let this be you!

If you are not prepared, then you should not be out with the early bird, die hard BF shoppers.

Here is some honest advice that may help you or the people around you navigate the craziest shopping day of the year:

1. Leave the kids home

Black Friday morning is for die-hard shoppers. Do not drag your child in their PJ’s to wait in line at 3:00 a.m. They may be sleeping when you leave the house, but trust me– they will wake up (and most likely scream bloody murder) when they see all the crazy, die-hards in line in the freezing cold.  If you want to participate in BF early bird activities and can’t get a sitter, then let the kids sleep and do your shopping online. Trust  me– you will wish you had stayed home as soon as the baby starts screaming.

2. Make a list and check it twice

Have a game plan. This isn’t a day to leisurely look around and see what spontaneous things are going to catch your eye. If you were planning on being leisurely, wait until after 1:00 p.m. to hit the stores.  In other words, stay out of my way. Us die-hards have a mission to accomplish. We  need to get in, grab, and get out. There’s nothing worse than a leisurely shopper who wants to chat about how cute the snow globes are or ask your opinion on some gift they are thinking of getting and want to know if I think 25% off is a good deal (the answer will be a quick, sharp, resounding “NO”).  Price comparison shop now! Do not break out your Droid and decide to comparison shop in the middle of the aisles that morning.

Know what your total is going to be BEFORE the cashier hits subtotal.  Take a calculator with you to stay on track. Do the math at home the night before and be sure you can afford to be buying what you are buying. Nothing worse than going broke and not being able to make your mortgage payment in order to buy Timmy a new video game system. Given the choice, I am sure all children would prefer a safe and sound home over a gaming system. If not, then maybe this would be a good time to take a closer look and see what’s really important in life. Keeping up with the Jones’ kids isn’t going to mean squat if you get a foreclosure notice.

3. Be Friendly but not chatty

Don’t chat it up with the cashier at 5 a.m.  There’s a line. Keep it moving.

4.Prepare  the night before

Make sure the gas tank is full. Have all your ads ready for price matching, pack snacks and plenty of liquids to keep yourself hydrated. BF is the Shopping Olympics, so you need to stay hydrated.  Wear comfortable shoes or sneakers. Dress in layers. If you are a true die-hard shopper, you will get sweaty, which leads me to #5.

5.Wear deodorant!

Nothing is  worse than being in a hot crowded line with someone who ran out the door at 4:00 a.m. without putting on deodorant. Correction: the worst is standing next to someone who forgot deodorant and is also holding  a screaming baby.

6.Divide and conquer

Black Friday isn’t a place for a “girls meet up.” You can do that after  the shopping is done. If you truly want to get everything on your list, then enlist friends and relatives to divide and  conquer  the stores together. If you do Kohl’s, have someone else do Toys R Us while someone else takes on Walmart. Be sure you all have cell phones, so you can update each other on who got what.

7.Stalk your stores tonight!

If there is an Early Bird item you just have to have like a TV, think twice about trying to be the fastest to the electronics aisle.  The Early Bird TV’s may actually be in the Men’s department! Stores are known for putting pallets of things around the outside aisles of the store and not always in the most obvious spot. If you go out to the stores tonight, you will be able to see where all the displays are and when everyone is running to the right side of the store you can stage left to the opposite side where the display is and grab the deal of the day!

8. Be careful!

All jokes aside, Black Friday can get out of control and there actually have been people hurt and even killed on Black Friday. Do not push, pull, or shove to get what you want. Remember human decency and no TV or popcorn cart is worth anyone’s life… but I still call dibs on that popcorn cart!

Filed Under: HTSFF Site Updates Tagged With: black friday tips, how to shop for free

About Kathy Spencer

Get the book!
How to Shop for Free; Shopping Secrets for Smart Women who love to get Something for Nothing!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

never miss a deal

subscribe to thenewsletter

Featured Articles

These Companies Will Give You $1,000+ in Free Coupons

How Stop & Shop Stacking and Overages Happen

FREE on your Birthday–140 freebies!!

search

archives

categories

Legal  Privacy Policy  Press
Copyright ©2021, How to Shop For Free with Kathy Spencer. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs