How to Survive Black Friday on a College Budget

There’s nothing better than some post-feast shopping shopping, It’s not always great on the bank accounts stuggling college students though. Here are some tips to survive Black Friday on a college budget.

Everyday after Thanksgiving shopaholics gear up for their favorite day of the year: Black Friday. With sales at almost every store, you can imagine winter lines fill the shelves. It’s the start of your holiday shopping, and it is crazy with insanely long lines and cranky people. Here’s our guide to help you survive black friday on a college budget. 

Eat at home.

Don’t waste your shopping money on food or coffee. Fuel up on left over sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce before you shop. If you’re planning for a long day it wouldn’t hurt to throw in some snacks in your purse for later. 

Head straight to the clearance section.

Most of the biggest bargains that you are going to find are going to be on the clearance rack. Don’t tempt yourself with the over priced new winter line and head straight to the back of the store. Most stores wait to put a majority of their fall clothes on clearance until Black Friday and then offer an extra percentage off those clothes. So do yourself and wallet a favor and head to the clearance section.

Have a budget.

As this may seem obvious, if you’re a true shopaholic and need to buy everything on sale you’ll thank us later for this tip. Stick to a budget and stay true to that budget. Your stomach will be happy when your back on campus and didn’t spend all your food money on clothes. 

Don’t buy clothes that you won’t wear and aren’t on sale. 

Don’t tempt yourself with trying on full priced clothes. The reason why you waited an hour for parking or woke up earlier than your 9am class is to find great deals. You’re in college, not a runway show. Buy clothes that are practical for weather and for walking around campus. If you need fancy work clothes for an internship or job, now is the perfect time to find great deals on clothes that you wouldn’t normally want to buy. 

Remember that you don’t have to go to the mall.

Sometimes the best sales are at little boutiques or even thrift stores. Don’t think that they only way to spend black friday is at the mall. Ditch the crowded parking lots and head over to the neighborhood stores to find the best deals. 

Stay at home and eat left overs. 

You’re finally reunited with a real bed and food, so why leave? With online shopping better than ever before, stay at home and cozy your credit card up to your computer. There are plenty of black friday sales that are online and save you from the chaotic mess that is black friday. Grab a leftover turkey sandwich and finish all your holiday shopping with a click of a button while still saving tons! Or just wait till Cyber Monday! 

Search before you shop.

Google is your best friend. Check online for the best deals before heading out to shop your wallet away. Sometimes your favorite store is having an all weekend sale so its best to wait until sunday when the lines aren’t out the door. And some stores have better sales than others. Keep in mind that all stores have different hours and most are different then usual. Some even open on thanksgiving! 

You don’t need everything.

Remember the size of your dorm room closet.

So ready, set, shop! Happy Black Friday everyone!

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