When you think of Black Friday, do you immediately picture throngs of crazed shoppers shoving each other into carefully stacked product towers? Men and women trampled underfoot, begging for help as the merciless horde overtakes them? Essentially, the Apocalypse, but with trolleys and toilet paper? You’re not alone. We’ve all seen the footage, we’ve lived through the carnage, we don’t want to do it again. With a few simple tweaks, preparations and things to avoid, side stepping the madness is quite possible, and, dare I say it, effortless. 

Don’t forego the research 

I can hear the huffing and puffing already but humor me a moment. The internet, our dear friend and ever-present companion, is a literal encyclopedia of information, and not using it to its full potential just seems like pure foolishness. There are several useful shopping tools to compare and check the real price of items before you believe the discount stickers and promotional emails. It’s no secret that retailers fiddle with prices to make them seem lower during Black Friday sales, so don’t be fooled. Plan ahead, make lists (even if you’re not the list type) find out the original value of products, compare at different stores and never jump at the very first option. 

Additionally, make lists of items you need and want. Items you need can be addressed first, obviously, and the wants second. If you find yourself running out of time, price and compare the important or time-sensitive purchases to start. Knowing how to prioritize will save you a lot of hassle and may even prevent you missing out on something you really need, only to be left with something you kind of want.

Don’t forget social media 

If you’ve never done it before, it might seem strange to follow brands and retailers on social media, but it’s a smart move. For Black Friday 2021, find your favorites on social media and check out the big (and small) brands’ offers and discounts leading up to the big day. There may be something not advertised on the website, or an early launch for followers and subscribers only. There are also often last-minute and flash sales available on their social pages, so look out for special discount codes, coupons, and vouchers, some of which will extend the whole weekend into Cyber Monday. 

Don’t go at it by yourself

Everyone knows shopping with friends is twice the fun, but it can also be effective, time and money-saving, and can spare you the horror of fighting off the crazies alone. Compiling your lists into one can also help you divide and conquer, with each of you taking specific items on different sides of the store, or tackling different websites. Whether you love a brick-and-mortar shop or prefer the safety of home, having a friend to back you up is not only sensible, but necessary.

If you’re so inclined, you can make a day of it indoors! Avoid the shops and stay home, armed with laptops, a steady internet connection, and snacks to start a yearly tradition of saving money and spending time with people you actually like. 

Don’t overlook your online accounts

When it comes to online shopping, things are mostly smoother than the malls and stores, but as you’ve probably experienced a time or two, websites have their failings. You’ve probably felt the aggravation of having a website crash on you, or your order disappear before you had time to checkout or even save the items to your Wishlist (the horror!), and the simple solution to that is having a store account. Yes, it can seem like a waste, especially if you’re going to be shopping there “just this one time”, but you’ll have to enter all that information later anyway, and possibly risk missing those delicious Black Friday sales, so why not? Having an account also means you’ll get access to member-only deals, early launches and possibly lower prices, so again I ask you, why not?

The name of the game is, in a word, preparation. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and spending a little extra time before the big discounts hit getting yourself ready will ensure you look back on Black Friday with only fond memories and plenty of cash to spare.