More Black Friday

    If you need to go to one of the mass market retailers, also known as big box stores, see if you can find one that is open 24 hours.  That way, you can wait inside, where it is toasty, instead of outside in the cold.  Download the store map ahead of time, or pick one up on arrival.  Make a quick tour of the store to make sure the items you are seeking are at those locations, and then station yourself at the spot of your top desired item.  If it is a television, or another super hot item, call the store the day before to see if it will be handing out numbers or some other method of determining order.  Confirm with an employee at the store when you arrive to make sure nothing has changed.  Then, commence Guerrilla shopping!

Black Friday

I have been shopping Black Friday long before it was even called Black Friday; first with my mom and now with my daughters and their friends.  Times and techniques have changed as well.  It used to involve checking out the store the day before to locate all the merchandise that you hoped would be on sale, then getting up early on Thanksgiving to get the local paper to check out the ads to see if what you wanted to buy was on sale, waiting in line in the cold, pre-dawn hours until the store opened, usually at its regular time, and then blocking and running to snag your items.
Now, we can register for email updates with a number of Black Friday sites, check all the ads well in advance of the big day, find your best deals, and download store maps to locate your items.  You will still have to stand in line, and race to get your items.
Fully embrace the changes!  Don't hesitate to take advantage of the online sales and save yourself some frustration, if you can.  For example, this year, my twin nephews wanted Madden NFL 2013 for Xbox 360 and NBA Y2K13 for Xbox 360.  Walmart had the best advertised price at $25.00 each title.  A quick check of Amazon.com established that both titles would be featured in Amazon's lightning deals on Thanksgiving.  I signed in a few minutes before the time the sale started and waited for the countdown.  I was able to get both titles in my cart and checked out within three minutes.  I got the games for the same price as Walmart, but I did not have to pay sales tax, a savings of approximately $5.00, I didn't have to wait in line or fight the crowds for the games, and best of all, they will be delivered right to my front door.  By agreeing to waive the two-day shipping at Amazon, I received a $1.00 credit per item purchased to use for future rentals or purchases.
So, do your homework, and don't be afraid to shop online.

Welcome to Mama Frugalista!

Welcome to Mama Frugalista!  I am the mother of two young women, and I have always been interested in getting the best bargains for my family.  I'll be posting great bargains that I've found, doing the math for you to see if the deal is as great as it seems, and looking forward to your comments as well.   Let's get frugal!