The day after Thanksgiving is often referred to as “Black Friday.” Britannica states that the use of the name dates back to the early 1960s when police officers in Philadelphia began using the phrase “Black Friday” to describe the chaos that resulted when large numbers of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping, and, in some years, attend Saturday’s annual Army-Navy football game. 

Some people stay home to avoid the long lines, the fights over merchandise, and the crowds. Some people may prefer the comfort of their own home to attempt to grab online deals on Cyber Monday, which was created by retailers to encourage people to shop online. Britannica also states that Cyber Monday was coined by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation and made its debut on Nov. 28, 2005. However, the increase of scalpers (individuals who attempt to purchase mass amounts of highly demanded items online with auto-clicking bots) will lead this year’s Cyber Monday to be left without some of this year’s most anticipated products, such as Xbox’s and Playstation’s newest consoles, and Computer graphic cards such as the RTX 3090.

When it comes down to gratification for getting out of the house to go shopping in real life (IRL), there are a lot of things that can go wrong. When going out to grab all the best Black Friday deals, there are sets of tips that have proven helpful to follow when getting discounts.

Here are my top picks that have been most effective in the last two years of Black Friday shopping:

-Make a budget and stick to it. I know it’s hard to resist the temptation of overspending when there is that one item you feel like you cannot live without, but it is good to monitor and manage your money.

-Check deals online to make sure you have enough for what you intend to purchase.

-Go as early as you can if you want the best items before everyone else, people will still be sleepy from a big Thanksgiving dinner, so sleep will be first on their list of priorities. 

-If another customer is ready to argue or fight over the last item, let them have it. It is not worth a fight for some materialistic object.

-Go shopping in groups. It is important to have a friend or two to back you up when swarming those highly desired items.

-Make sure to have a phone with you (fully charged) because crowds often swarm stores, leaving a high risk of losing your fellow companions.

-Make the stores with your most desired items first priority. People will not wait for you to get there, so if there is a store with something you have been waiting for, make sure to go straight for it.

-Use loyalty programs when shopping for those deals. Best Buy has a free membership program, which can lead you to save even more.

-Make sure to stay hydrated. In the rush of going from place to place, you can lose track of the time and of how much water you drink. It is always good to keep hydrated to make sure that you avoid fainting or gaining unwanted headaches.

Obviously, everyone’s top priority is to have fun with the experience, but safety comes first. I hope that these tips will help you have a better experience with Black Friday shopping.

Happy shopping!