Business & Tech

How to Survive Black Friday

For one Rochester Hills mom, it's a tradition. Here, she shares her best tips for getting yourself organized and managing the day.

Most people have a strong opinion of Black Friday – they either love it or hate it.

Donna Lindley of Rochester Hills admits to being one who loves it — while she's not planning to , she says Black Friday is a shopping tradition that she and her husband look forward to each year.

"We do get an early start, spend the morning hanging out shopping together, and complete a significant portion of our holiday shopping," said Lindley.

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It helps that each year Lindley has a plan — as she should. She's a certified professional organizer and owner of the Rochester Hills-based Organize Your World.

We asked Lindley to share her best tips for suviving the day. Here's her advice:

1. Choose Your Recipients: Decide who you are going to buy for. Do you buy for everyone in your family or do you draw names? What about your boss/co-workers? Kids’ teachers or coaches? Postal Carrier or hair stylist? Do you need hostess gifts for any holiday parties? This is a great time to purchase toys, clothes, etc. to donate to your favorite charity. Whoever you choose, write them down so you don’t forget anyone.

2. Set a Budget: Whenever you go shopping, it is easy to get carried away if you haven’t set a budget. Do this before you go shopping, and stick to it!

3. Review the Deals: Next, look through the ads or go online to discover the deals.

4. Write Down Ideas: For each of your recipients, write down the gift idea and where you plan to purchase it. Black Friday can spiral out of control very quickly if you start buying every great deal you see. It can be especially tempting when you are standing in line next to all of their racks of promotions.

5. Create a Plan: Now that you have gathered all of the above information, you can start to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The last step is to create your shopping plan. The stores are so chaotic, that if you go into them without an organized plan, you are likely to waste significant time and money. Make a list for each store and decide what order you will visit the stores. Remember, on Black Friday, you also have to factor in timing. Some sales are from 8-10 a.m., others are from 8 a.m.-noon. Plan your route based on what items are available at what times. Once you figure out the timing, plan the shortest route possible to save time and gas.

6. Be Reasonable: Often the hot items are on sale at several different stores. Even if an item costs a little less at another store, try to group your purchases to reduce the number of stops you make. Remember, each stop is another line.

7. Keep it Fun! Now that you have your shopping plan in hand, grab a buddy and go have fun. The lines don’t seem nearly as long when you have a friend to chat with. You can even take turns getting in line while the other one goes and gets the items on their list. We always schedule a nice lunch to get a break from the craziness.

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