How to Prepare for Black Friday Shopping Like a Football Game

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By Cherie L. Steffen
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Prepare for Black Friday shopping like a football game!

For some of us, it can be the biggest event of the year... not the Super Bowl, but Black Friday! You may have watched a great game of football on Thanksgiving, but didn't realize how similar it is to this major shopping day. If you break it down, with strategy and hard work, you can win at this if you know how to prepare for Black Friday shopping like a football game.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A plan
A list
Transportation
Endurance
Computer
Food
Sleep
Comfy Clothing

Step 1

Check out all the ads!

Have a game plan.

Start collecting advertisements for the different stores you'd like to shop on Black Friday. You can also look online at the websites for the stores. Decide which ones offer the items you like at the best deals. Also, what time do you need to wake up to be at the store and in line in an early enough of amount of time? Are the stores near each other, or are you going to have to add more time to your schedule for traveling?
Step 2

Wake up, sleepy head!

Get a good night's sleep the night before the big day.

Cash in on the tryptophan in your system and go to bed. Rest your body so that you'll be ready to have a long morning ahead of you. You'll be more alert while you're shopping and will better handle the extremely early ringing of that whistling alarm clock.
Step 3

Make it a good breakfast!

Fuel up with the right foods.

Make sure that you've eaten a good breakfast to prepare for Black Friday shopping. You don't want to have such a heavy meal that you're going to be lagging behind or not have enough food so that you'll be too hungry to keep shopping. Also, go easy on the liquids if you're the type to have to go to the bathroom often; you could miss out on a great deal if you have to leave your cart unattended.
Step 4

Pick how you want to do it.

Decide who you want on your team.

Do you want to shop with your friends and family members or go it alone? It depends. Do you have a star receiver on your shopping team who is the go-to person to help you find the best deals or a quick check-out line? Or do you have a running back on your team that is too busy running off in his own direction and dropping the ball? It can be fun to shop in a big group, but it can also be nice to have some alone time to get the shopping done that you need.
Step 5

That's a loooooong line to be standing in heels...

Wear the right equipment.

This is all about being safe and comfortable. You want to make sure you're wearing the right shoes and clothing to be in it for the long haul. You may be comfortable in heeled shoes, but are you going to be able to run to catch a good deal on a flatscreen tv? Don some comfy, broken-in sneakers so you won't be complaining that your feet hurt. Also, you may have to wait outside the store in some long line, so you'll want a jacket or heavy hoodie sweatshirt. Once you get in the store, you may get hot from all of the running around and may need to shed that layer. Overall, your best bet is to wear your most breathable, comfortable outfit.
Step 6

Strap it on. Don't be ashamed.

Protect the ball.

Or in this case, your wallet or purse. They may not be fashionable anymore, but a fanny pack is a good way to have your hands free and you won't have to worry about leaving your purse sitting in an unattended cart. It's 5am and there's no need to worry about pleasing the fashion police; you're in there to shop wisely and quickly and move on to the next location. Having to work with the real police because your purse was stolen out of your cart is not a fun way to spend Black Friday.
Step 7

Watch out!

Watch out for the blitz.

The last thing you want is to be walking to your car in the dark, arms full of packages, and some dangerous person sneaks up on you from behind. Be safe and protect yourself at all times by looking around at your surroundings, especially if you've decided to make the trip solo.
Step 8

Make it a good day!

Treat it like the Super Bowl.

This day only comes once a year, so you have to be ready for it. Keep focused from start to finish. You're out to get the best deals you can and a few costly mistakes can cost you that low price on a laptop or iPod. Play fair, but always keep the eye on the prize! If you learn how to prepare for black friday shopping like a football game, you'll prove to be a big winner in the end.

Comments

monica82 said

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on 8/4/2009 Great article and I love the NFL theme. I look forward to Black Friday every year! After going through the ads, I make lists of every place I want to go, what they have that I want, and the prices. Oftentimes, different stores have deals on similar items. If one store is sold out of something, I know where else I can get it! 5*