Shopping Tips (Black Friday + Cyber Monday)

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1. Make a list.

I make lists for everything, so this is a no brainer for me. But I think some people find Black Friday and Cyber Monday so stressful because they are overwhelmed by the quantity of things on sale. By making a list you can organize the things you want and make it easier when searching for your sales. I keep a list in my purse that I continuously add to as I think of things - right now it's a fur vest, red cardigan, Frends headphones, and some polkadot tights. For the holidays, I write out the people I am going shop for, and then think of multiple things I could get them. Because this is the weekend where things sell out in a single minute, so I always have a plan B. This takes the stress of searching for things the day of and finding something you want only for it to be sold out.

2. Make a budget.

This is an obvious tip, but one that is often overlooked. With all these sales in stores and online, you can spend your entire pay check in a minute. Because your mindset is, "Well, this is on a huge sale so I need to get it today." But, there are sales all the time, so be smart about your money.

3. Research.

I do this continuously. I have a set of sites that I look on at least once a week to keep up with their inventory and sales. When you know what you want, checking multiple sites that sell it, and keeping an eye on them from Thanksgiving until the Wednesday after Cyber Monday. 

4. Check pre-sales and sales the day of.

These days, everyone is having "pre-Thanksgiving" sales. So make sure you start checking your sites today! Some of my favorite sales going on are:

C. Wonder: 40% off everything + free shipping

J. Crew: 30% off everything + 40% off sale 

CODE: HOLIDAY

J. Crew Factory: 50% off everything + free shipping

CODE: THANKS 

Loren Hope: 20% off everything

CODE: THANKFULLY 

Tory Burch: Up to 30% off

CODE: LUCKY

Nordstrom: 40% off select styles

Shopbop: up to 25% off

CODE: GOBIG14

Piperlime: 25% off

CODE: THANKFULLY 

Kate Spade: up to 75% off

Saks 5th Ave: up to 60% off select styles

Saks Off 5th Ave: 50% off select styles

Sole Society: 30% off footwear

Kendra Scott: 15% off everything

CODE: BFCM2014

  

Banana Republic: 50% off full priced item + 40% off site wide

CODE: BRFIFTY | CODE: BRFORT

Design Darling: 20% off everything

CODE: MANYTHANKS

Kate Spade Saturday: 30% off

CODE: DEALME

Lord & Taylor: 20% off almost everything

CODE: THANKS

ModCloth: 50% off new arrivals

Bloomingdales: Up to 50% off + $25 off every $200 spent

Neiman Marcus: 50% off select items + 20% off already reduced items

Gap + Old Navy: 50% off everything

5. Shop early - but keep checking all day.

You got this one. Know what's on sale, but keep checking all day. Sometimes stores give certain sales at certain times, like Wal-Mart. I keep the sites I want to check open on my browser, and then about every hour I just hit refresh on the home page to see if new sales are up.

Have fun shopping & good luck! And as Ellen says, be kind to one another.