Black Friday tips

By Victor Xie

Imagine: On the afternoon of Black Friday, the malls are filled and almost all the good deals are taken. Finding parking was the most intolerable experience of your life and now you have absolutely no idea what to do or how to spend your money. Well, here are some tips to avoid that scenario and get you the best deals of the year! Please note that these deals are mainly for those who want to buy clothes, not electronics.

1. Make a plan. What is your budget? What are you trying to buy? If it’s clothes, what store? Make a budget and stick to it. Make a list of stores you want to hit and figure out your sizes beforehand. Those fitting rooms will be packed on Black Friday and it’s best that you come prepared.
2. Go early in the morning. Most stores in Great Mall and Valley Fair reopen at 6 to 7 a.m. This means that while the rest of America is still dreaming about their Thanksgiving turkey, you can beat the traffic, the parking problems and the majority of the crowd. The lines at almost all the stores will be short. Plus, if the rest of your family finally wakes up at 10 a.m. and wants your parking spot, you can auction it off to the highest bidder.
3. 50% and nothing less. Target, Forever 21, American Eagle, the list goes on and on. These stores don’t give you even 50% and are simply here to use Black Friday as a psychological strategy to get you to buy their products. Unless you miraculously find an acceptable item that is on clearance (as in 50% off or more), these stores are a trap.
4. Buy with a good mindset. During Black Friday, you want to buy as if you aren’t going to spend money for the entire next year. Buy for the winter, the spring, the summer and possibly the fall season. Buy those shorts you know you’re going to need for track practice even though you won’t wear them until March. Buy that Christmas gift for your relative while it’s still 60% off. Trust me, you’ll save more money in the big picture.
5. Finish shopping by 12 p.m. At this time, you should circle the mall one last time for any last minute things you wanted to buy. You may notice that the crowd is coming in, and because you don’t want to be seen by the rest of Piedmont Hills at Great Mall, you have to get out. So leave your parking spot and say goodbye to the three cars fighting for it because you have just accomplished what the rest of America couldn’t realize: to get up early.

Have fun getting those spicy deals!