Without the proper planning, Black Friday can be a mess. Unfortunately, it seems that most people who go out shopping on the day after Thanksgiving have absolutely no idea what they're doing or what they're looking for, meaning that malls around the country are going to be filled with clueless shoppers from sunrise to sunset. There is a way to avoid this, however, and that's to plan out your shopping trip.
With a little planning, Black Friday shopping can be done in a few hours (depending on how packed with other people your shopping center is). Knowing what you want and where to get it is half the battle, and with the advent of Smartphones, keeping track of everything is easier than it ever has been. For you Android users out there, these apps will ensure that the only headaches you get on Black Friday are from eating too much pie for the second day in a row.
Pick out your gifts:
This one's important. Knowing exactly what gifts to get for people is half the battle during the holiday season, and the Gift Idea Generator is a great way to figure out exactly what those gifts are. After a few questions about the person you're grabbing a gift for, the app will give you a suggestion - and don't worry, these aren't boring 'buy them socks' answers, either.
Make your list:
Depending on the size of one's family and/or gift-giving circle, there can be quite a few presents to keep track of. That's where the Christmas Gift List app comes in: it's an easy way to keep track of multiple presents, and if you're worried about money, the app even comes in with a built-in budget calculator for each individual entry. Use this along with the last app, and picking out gifts will be a piece of cake.
Stay on top of sales:
Knowing where to get your gifts can take away much of the stress that comes with navigating malls full of crazed shoppers looking for sales. Planning ahead is the best strategy, and the BlackFriday.com app will be a huge help. The app lists sales and coupons from almost every store you can think of, which not only means you can plan out your day, but you can avoid flipping through catalog after catalog looking for deals.
The Black Friday 2014 app from SlickDeals is another great choice, especially if you're looking for a more streamlined presentation. Again, it's full of coupons and sales from stores all over the country, and can even help create a schedule for your trip to the mall. On top of that, the app has great search functionality, meaning that you can look for specific items, browse store catalogs and compare deals all from the same app.
If you can - shop from home:
Does anyone really like going out for Black Friday? Most people are still full of food from the night before, and fighting against waves of people certainly won't help that indigestion go away. If you can, just grab everything from the Amazon app: you won't have to go out into the cold, and you'll still get everything done well before Christmas. That's smart shopping.
That's it! With those apps, Black Friday shopping will be a breeze. Don't worry, iPhone users: our own Robin Parrish has a list tailor-made for the App Store.
