Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! And Happy Shopping as well! well, 'cause this American holiday comes with a shopping list (and the next one with a gift list ;))

Black Friday is a phenomenon in the US and its not normal to not shop this day (yeah, whatever i-am-not-shopping resolutions you have made before, I guarantee they will break loose just reading about the Black Friday sales).

All these years I have been in the US (that will be close to 5 and half now), I remember shopping every Black Friday! and each year has taught me a lesson on how-to-become-a-better-blackfriday-sale-shopper ..and so the madness continues :D

So here are some things I have done differently this year..
1) First and fore most, I made a list - yes a list! list of everything that I think I needed and would be on a good deal this Black Friday. That list included everything from kitchen items, cooking ware, home electronic items to clothes, bag, shoes.
The electronics list was handed over to husband for a review and execution (he knows the best!)

2) For clothes, shoes, bag - I registered through emails for most of the stores/brands that I was keen on shopping at. That way I knew exactly what the deal was. I made sure I had browsed the store online to know what interested me.

3) I actually went over to the mall the day before thanksgiving to check out the clothes on sale. I had some surprising moments there. Some of the sweaters on sale at Ann Taylor (AT) did not feel rich and thick in person. Huge disappointment but an eye-opener for sure! Also, I prefer to try out clothes before I buy them. Every store has a different size chart and I always like to be sure than sorry later.

4) When going out on a shopping spree, I prefer to wear light-weight clothes. May be a tee/cami & jeans and a hoodie. That's it. No more layers required. Trust me once you are in the mall you won't be cold; and its comfortable for the clothes-trial routines in the fitting room. To be hands-free, I prefer a cross body bag and loafers or flats on feet.

5) Decide a budget - personally I have not tried this step, but its a good idea if you are not sure of what you want to buy. The budget helps to to draw a line on when to stop and step out of the mall.

6) Shop Online - Its the best way to beat the crowds and still get the best deals! But again if you need to be sure of the material, size, fit, color and usually that happens when you know a brand and trust it (for me its AT, Banana Republic, Express). Almost all stores offer free shipping & free returns on Black Friday.

Here are some of the best deals around.
1) Both AT, AT Loft & BR have 40% off your purchase
2) Express - 50% off your purchase
3) New york and Co has 50-70% off (there are some exclusions though for new arrivals, etc.)
4) Kate Spade has 50% off entire purchase. Join their FB page here for latest updates.
5) Michael Kors has a deal coming up (its still under wraps as I type this post, so better to join their FB page here).
6) Gap has up to 60% off
7) The Limited had 40% off your purchase (until yesterday). On Friday till noon, they have 50% off the original ticket prices.
8) Sign up at Black Friday deals here to know about all the deals around.
11/24 UPDATE: 9) Corningware Corelle has 50% off their select dinner ware (not dinner-sets).

Recently, I discovered a great blog by a fellow Indian blogger who is also based in the US as me. I have to say I am sorta hooked to her fashion, food, home decor blog; lovely pictures and very informative. The Zars is written by Ash and she has done special posts on Black Friday deals for make up/beauty products as well as clothing. Do check out her blog here.

So what are you waiting for you people, go ahead - shop till you drop! 'cause some body rightly said - Retail Therapy is the best therapy in the world! :D

11/24 UPDATE: This year we tried another trick to save the extra bucks on shopping, all thanks to hubs (it was his idea). Though I finished major shopping on Wednesday in-stores and online on Thursday, there were still some things left on my list (cross-body bag, kitchen items). On Friday (being a working day for me :(..), we headed to the premium/factory outlet mall quite late in the evening (around 6ish). This meant we had only 3-4 hours to shop so instead of binge-shopping, we actually shopped for items that we absolutely needed and were on the list. Time-constrained shopping is another way to make sure you don't go overboard your budget and stay on track. Also, the state of some stores was so pathetic (clothes strewn everywhere) that it actually put me off to try or shop anything. The BR factory store looked like Hurricane Sandy had just passed through it! Well, anything that works to shop in limits, right :)