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How I saved money and made Black Friday shopping less overwhelming
As most holiday shopping is coming to a close with the end of sales from both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, here is everything I purchased and the ways I prepare for large annual sales.
The beginning of my shopping spree started days before Black Friday, since the best deals typically happen before that day. Also, thinking of what I wanted to purchase in advance allowed for adequate time to prepare a list of items, narrowing down my store options greatly. Overall, entering major sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a plan makes the process of shopping go a lot smoother.
Once it was Black Friday, I tied up my ponytail and dragged myself out of bed to the couch. Although I did not physically attend any stores on Friday, I was still determined to get discounts and purchase as much as I could that day. Also, many stores no longer carry swimsuits in store, which was something I needed.
Related: How to Perfectly Online Shop
I ended up buying several swimsuits from Jolyn, including a one piece and a two piece. Separately, each was around 25% off and the one piece ended up being almost 50% off, leaving my total spending amount to be less than what I expected.
The second time I ended up purchasing items was on Saturday when I was visiting my local shopping center during a car repair. I did not plan to purchase anything that day, however the stores were conveniently placed walking distance from one another, and I had plenty of time to kill.
In my opinion, the best time to go Black Friday Shopping is on both Saturday and Sunday of that weekend. Many people have already gone shopping, making stores less crowded and most of the sales will still be there. I first stopped at Ulta, surprisingly a lot was still in stock, but when it came to viral cosmetic products. They were not available. So, I recommend purchasing beauty items sooner than later, especially if they are on sale.
In that purchase, I was not able to get as many items discounted, yet I still saved around $8.06 at the checkout.
My final purchase of the Black Friday 2023 season was not only my favorite item, but the biggest steal as well. Last semester, my old black knee-high boots ended up breaking and because of their usual expensive price, one of my goals for this Black Friday was to purchase a new pair of boots. After an initial search, I was able to find faux leather boots that best suited my price range and were located at my nearest DSW. The boot ended up being completely sold out in my size online, so I was holding onto hope that the store had my size.
Upon arrival, I bolted to the boot section with my small shopping bag on my wrist praying that the shoes would be there. Then, hidden underneath an empty display case was the Kelly & Kate Lana Boot I was searching for. I tried them on, falling in love immediately and carried the large shoe box towards the cash register. And of course, grabbed a pair of knit legwarmers on the way there.
With both the boots being 35% off and the additional discount for having an email in the system the purchase ended up being only $60, making for a strong finish to my Black Friday shopping.