The holiday shopping season officially commenced early this morning as shoppers hit the malls as early as 5 am. One Sears employee told me that lines had begun to form at around 4:30 am on Friday morning in order to take advantage of a $20 off store-wide Sears coupon. This kind of behavior is completely normal during the holidays, even my own mother hit the mall at around 7 o’clock this morning. But there is no way that I was waking up early after last night’s feast. Let’s just say, “I had my fill” at the dinner table.
Eventually I made my way to the shopping district, and although there were countless deals available, I managed to barely spend any money today. It’s times like these that I become very careful about how I spend my money. Generally, I always compile a shopping list to avoid being duped by numerous one-day specials and $10 off sales promotions. By jotting down a list in advance, it helps you focus on what you really need, not what you spontaneously want or have a craving for.
Another good tip is to hit the malls after 12pm. If you wake up extra early to shop, say around 7 or 8 am, then you’ll feel more inclined to make several purchases (or at least that’s how I feel). When I shop after 12pm, I always feel more focused and miserly. It my be boring and unexciting, but keeps me from making stupid purchases.
My tip will be – get your Christmas shopping done early and stay the next Black Friday home.