Braving the crowds during Black Friday can be challenging, but with good planning you can be safe and enjoy your shopping. Here are ten tips you can inspire from:
Wear warm clothes – With stores opening really early, and some even at midnight, make sure you are dressed properly. Wear a hat and thick jacket, gloves and comfortable shoes as you will be standing in long lines and be out and about most of the day.
Leave children at home – Make sure you have a babysitter during Black Friday. It is a safety hazard for you to take the children out as they can get sick or run over by the fast moving adults. They can even get lost if you take your eyes off of them. If you don’t have a babysitter, skip the shopping altogether.
Don’t go alone – Now that you have a babysitter, make sure you take someone with you. Is never a good idea to go out at night by yourself. I always say, there is nothing good that happens at night – now of course with the exception of good deals.
Leave valuables at home – Avoid wearing expensive jewelry, watches, purses, etc. You don’t want to become a target for someone that wants to do their shopping for free, by stealing from you. They could also be following you if they see something they want from you.
Make a list – Before you leave home make sure you have a list with the items you may be interested in. Of course you are going to see other things you may want to purchase, but if you have a list you can stick to a plan and get everything you need and then some. By having a list you also avoid unnecessary crowds, for example, you want a kitchen item and instead you find yourself waiting in line for a phone or clothes.
Lock your car – As you make several trips to your car during the day, make sure you lock your car. You don’t want to end up shopping all night just to find out someone stole your purchases.
Hide purchases from view – Never leave items on the front or back seat of your car, uncovered. If possible put everything in the trunk or under chairs. If you have multiple shopping bags see if you can put several things in one bag so that you can make it easier to hide.
Don’t break in line – Understand that everyone is there for the same reason and respecting each other is key. Breaking in line leads to fights, tragedies and arrests.
Make sure your phone is charged – Having your cellphone charged on Black Friday is important as you can easily get lost from your friends or you may just want to make plans to meet them somewhere else.
Don’t fight – Fighting over items is not just childish but also irresponsible. One year I saw in the news people fighting over toasters. Come on, is it really worthy? This is why it is important to have a list ready and stick to your plan.
Make your Black Friday shopping experience memorable and exciting by staying out of trouble. If you have a plan and are aware of your surroundings you will be safe.
