Black Friday Shopping: Float Like a Butterfly Sting Like a Bee for a Knock-Out Shopping Punch

Bargain shoppers, if you are out at the mall revelling in “Midnight Madness” shopping, I salute you. I’m here sitting quite comfortably in my jammies, just surfing the net, pointing and clicking. After last year’s 5 hour Black Friday family shopping marathon, I am enjoying the comfort of this year’s online shopping. For those of you gearing up for tomorrow, or maybe even out tonight, here are a few tips.

• Check the Store circulars, The Recessionista’s list and www.theblackfriday.com website for the best deals. Make your list from the circulars and websites. Do the Doorbusters first (4 am to 5 am) then move on to the rest.
• Check your email before heading to the store, or from the store on your “crackberry” or other device. The stores are still e-mailing discount codes and posting to their Facebook groups with special deals.
• Have a look at the Washington Post’s aggregated deal list from Twitter. This list has amazing information from all the retailers tweeting.
• Form your own team Recessionista. In the past, my sister-in-law and I have traded off various sections in the stores to get the Doorbusters. She goes for toys, I go for fashion/clothing.

Then next challenge is what to wear on the journey. Here are some things to think about. Some of the challenges a Black Friday shopper faces include:

• Going from cold temperatures outside to warm temperatures inside
• Trying on clothing efficiently
• Weaving your way through an overcrowded store
• Comfort for long hours

To help you survive, here are a few suggestions:

• Dressing in layers is the key to holiday shopping success. Get ready to wear take off sweaters and jackets in store. This will make it easy to stay cool in the store and warm in the parking lot.
• Wearing a puffy vest frees up your arms – easier to push the cart, reach for deals. You’re also not trying to fight your way through a crowd in an oversized jacket.
• A slim fitting tank is a great piece to wear when out shopping. It layers well and is great for trying on blouses, jackets, blazers and more….just in case you spot that perfect holiday gift for yourself.
• Shoes are the key to staying comfortable for the entire shopping day. (Tip: check out the shoes at Kohl’s for numerous options from slip-ons to flats.) My niece wears her Sketchers and I have been known to wear my PJ Clarks.

Pictured: Sketcher’s comfy Mary Janes, available at Kohl’s on sale.

• Just because you’re up early, it doesn’t mean you have to look like it – some foundation, mascara and lip gloss goes a long way.
• Don’t let bedhead rule you! Wear a cute hat or scarf around the head. H&M, Kohl’s Simply Vera and Kmart’s Jaclyn Smith (even a French Beret) offer chic n’ cheap chapeaus.

Remember, float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Swarm in early for the savings, get in, be safe and get home to go back to bed. Don’t spend all day at the mall buying stuff you don’t need, that wasn’t on the list.

P. S.: Try not to waste precious time in the mall lot looking for parking close to the storefront. This eats up doorbuster time. Just park it and go!