A Tip Guide to Black Friday Shopping

Every year people all over the country go into a shopping frenzy on Black Friday. Some people love it and some people hate it.

Negatives of Black Friday:
Looking for parking
Standing in the cold waiting for a store to open
Pushing through the crowds
Irritability
Inevitable sleepiness
So on…

Positives of Black Friday:
The great feeling of getting the best deal
Enough said...

To make this shopping experience fun and easygoing Patch sat down with manager Mary Mokwa and pounded out some Black Friday shopping tips.

Plan ahead!
Know what stores you want to shop at and what kind of items you want. Budget, budget, budget. Know how much you want to spend ahead of time.

“With all the online things you can look at now make a plan,” Mokwa said.

Dress comfortably
There is nothing worse for a woman to go Black Friday shopping on hardly any sleep and trying to look cute. Don’t do it! This is one exception of the year where it is more than okay to wear joggers and sneakers, Uggs, even house slippers.

Timeliness
Don’t get there three hours before the store opens. It’s not that serious. However, try to get there a 30 minutes to an hour beforehand. If you’re going to Wal-Mart, Best Buy or Old Navy get there at least a hour beforehand and grab your stuff as quickly as possible. If you take your time browsing expect to wait in line to pay for hours. I’ve seen lines that stretch throughout the whole store.  Also, think about selection. If selection doesn’t really matter to you then you can start shopping after the store opens. If it does matter get there as soon as the doors open.

“From my experience if you want the best selection, all the different colors and sizes come at midnight,” Mokwa said.

Shopping Etiquette
Be nice and patient. As much as we want to be the first ones at the door and at the register remember to be fair and polite. Cutting lines is a no-no. It’s okay to have someone wait in line for you and just pack everything on them, however, give them the cash. Don’t expect to be able to go in front of your friend and everyone in the line be okay with it. That is still considered cutting.

Mary Mokwa says you should definitely have a plan and have fun.

“Shopping is about an experience. It shouldn’t be a chore.”