THE Do's and Dont's of Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year and, as such, it might be easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of deals available to customers. Navigating Black Friday (and Cyber Monday), however, does not have to be a daunting task. I have put together a few straight-forward do's and dont's to help you get the most out of your shopping experience (and also stop you from being sucked down a shopping rabbit hole); take a look below:

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DO: Pre-Identify The Items You Are Interested In Purchasing

In order to avoid buying a plethora of things you don't need (or even want), make sure to list out what items you actually want to target buying and stick to this list.

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DON'T: Purchase Items Just Because They Are On Sale

Simply put, just because it may look like a good deal, doesn't mean you need to buy it - stick to the pre-identified items on your list.

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DO: Compare Item Pricing Across Different Websites and Stores

Before purchasing anything, make sure to do a quick Google search to see if the item is selling for a better discount or overall price elsewhere.

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DON'T: Purchase Particular Types Of Items Without Doing Your Research On Where's Best

Make sure to figure out which stores and/or websites have the best deals for particular types of items. For example, Best Buy could offer better tech deals than a store like Target, which offers a variety of items outside of just technology.

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DO: Research What Brands Have Better Deals In-Store vs Online

Contrary to popular belief, deals that certain brands offer are not always the same in-store and online. For example, some brands or stores may offer different or better deals depending on if you shop in the actual store or online (or through an app) depending on if they are looking to drive customers to shop in a particular manner.

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DON'T: Believe That Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales Automatically Offer The Best Deals

When It comes to certain items, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not always the best times to shop particular types of items. For example, when it comes to clothing, the best deals are generally after Christmas during the biannual sales.

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BONUS DO: Be Intentional About What You Are Purchasing

Make sure to be intentional about what you are purchasing. Be clear on what you are buying, why you are buying it and that it fits within your budget.