Black Friday and Beyond Success Plan

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I know that Black Friday and Cyber Monday has passed but there's still reason to keep your strategy cap on. As I write this right now I'm sitting in a Starbucks listening to Christmas tunes and it's inspired me to think about not only what I'm going to get people for gifts but what kind of deals I might be able to take advantage of myself. Then it hit me - Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the start of holiday sale season. It's should probably come as no surprise to you that I am an absolute gadget junkie, this past Sunday paper I studied every retailer that offered tech goodies to see where the best deals might be. What I wanted to share with you all was a little strategy to keep you sane during the after work mall rushes and lines as well as help you keep the temptations of wild spending under control. Here is my Black Friday and Beyond Success Plan:

Step 1: Recon. - Now you might not need night vision goggles for the kind of recon I'm talking about but gathering information is still very important. Have an idea of the key places you'd like to visit and then actually go there. Shop with purpose this season to keep those budgets efficient. Take walks through the stores to get a feel for the layouts and traffic. Once the doors open, especially in a place like Best Buy, moving efficiently becomes tantamount. Most places will only have a fixed amount of the goods that have the steepest discounts at any given time so getting their first while sounding trivial is important.

Step 2: Budget. - You should have an idea of how much you are willing and able to spend before you leave for your shopping extravaganza. Hopefully even before seeing this you've been either shopping casually for the holidays or at least saving a bit at a time getting ready for times like now. This is the time stores will do their best to try to scare consumers with false senses of scarcity. If you aren't paying attention to your mind set you may find yourself succombing to a sale or a purchase you didn't actually account for. It's actually quite the brilliant little ploy especially if by the time you get the counter you just missed the sale you were actually there for - so you start to hunt around for deals and before you know it...blammo you were hooked into swiping that charge card because of a perceived need.

Step 3: Plan. - You can't be all places at once so you need to prioritize your purchase plans. You want to try to compare where you will save the most money; whether it's a group of gifts to give or for your own personal gain. By doing this you gain the most utility out of the retailers you do choose and that saves you money to spend/use later with the continued sales during the season. Think about it..if you're standing in line for hours, freezing and sleep deprived for just one thing at one store, is that really a good use of your time? On top of that by the time you actually get your purchase out the door and get to the next spot it'll be slim pickin's. Don't forget about online retailers as well, your favorite online retailers will have some great sales as soon as midnight Friday morning.

Step 4: Karma. - This last part really shouldn't be a step but its more common curtosity - make sure you don't trample your fellow (wo)man. I know that waiting in lines for hours in being cold and cramped might not bring the best out in people but do your part to keep the peace. It will help make everyone's experience better and if you don't quite make the door busting sales don't worry, it's only the start of sale season. Keep looking and you'll find deals on whatever you need. This can be a fun post Thanksgiving adventure time just remember that as you're hearding your way through those mall doors. Lastly if you see me and I happen to elbow you in the face over a $150 tablet pc or net book it's only because I embrace the spirit of competition.



Comments

[Anonymous]

I really liked the part about karma. I think that goes along way with whatever your endeavors are. It's also good to reinforce the fact that all the sales aren't done - infact they will just continue to get better. Great post and I love to check in and see what's new!

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