With Thanksgiving fast approaching, Black Friday is almost upon us, also known as the one day a year where you can shop to your heart’s content without feeling as guilty. Sometimes, however, we can go a little bit overboard and have some regrets about what we purchased. Here’s a list of things you can do now to plan ahead and make sure you don’t spend more than you can! 

Set a budget 

Although this can seem like a no-brainer, it’s important to set a budget ahead of time so you don’t make too many impulse purchases that end up costing you a ton. Try to look ahead at the average prices of the items you want to buy and set a reasonable budget you could definitely afford. You can base your budget items for yourself and gifts for loves ones. Make sure to consider your current saved money with rent and other fixed spending. 

Have a general idea of the gifts you want to buy 

Try to plan out what gifts you want to buy for your friends and family. Will you be wanting to buy larger items or a couple smaller gifts? Once you have this list, it’ll be easier for you to grab what you’re wanting without getting distracted looking at other items your family might not want or need. You can also try to list out the average price range of these gifts when they aren’t on sale so you can compare prices to the sales that they have the day of! 

Make a list of items you want to buy that might be on sale

Let’s face it, we all have things we want to buy for ourselves on Black Friday which is why it’s important to make a list! Since it is the one day a year many high-demand items are on sale, it’s important to know exactly what you want and where you can find it on sale. You can also sort the list by the items you want the most to the items that aren’t as necessary, which will help you narrow down what to take out of your cart if you go over. 

Look around at other stores before buying anything

Although it can be tempting to buy the first item you want and see on sale at a store, it’s important to look around before making a purchase. Especially if you’re in a big mall with tons of stores having deals. For some stores, Black Friday purchases are nonrefundable so it will help you save money if you look around beforehand. Although this is a good rule to follow, there are some exceptions. If you see an item running out quickly, then try to grab it when you can so you don’t miss out on any deals. 

Make a list of stores/websites you want to check out

We all have the stores we love and always buy things from. So, it’s best to look at the ads those stores may have that list out their Black Friday deals. Once you know the deals you want to check out, it is much easier to look for them quickly online or in-store. Some websites like Amazon may have pre-Black Friday deals as well, so it’s important to start looking out for them early. Doing your research and planning ahead is the only way to go! 

With this list, we hope you are ready to shop until you drop this Black Friday while staying on budget. If you are going to stores in person, always make sure to be kind, considerate, and safe in the midst of large crowds. As college students, it’s extra important to make sure we stick to our budgets so we hope this list helped. Happy shopping!