It’s the biggest shopping day of the year, one that strikes excitement and fear into shoppers and employees everywhere – it’s Black Friday. So how do you make the most of it, and in some cases, just survive the Black Friday shopping experience?

Make a List

Figure out who you need to shop for and what you’d like to get them. This will make it easier for you to determine what retailers you need to look at, plus shopping with a list makes impulse buying less tempting.

Start Checking Your Favorite Stores Now

Black Friday may still be the day after Thanksgiving, but retailers will start promoting the event (and sometimes even start their sales) early in November. If you’d made a list, start trying to figure out what you can expect to pay.

Use Print and Online Sources

Retailers will sometimes advertise different sales on their website and circulars. Be sure to look at both, or you might miss a great deal.

Compare Prices

Creating your list early gives you plenty of opportunity to shop for the best price. It’s even easier if you use sites like PriceGrabber or Shopzilla. And if you want to compare prices while you’re out shopping, download the ShopSavvy app.

Stay Secure

If you plan to do a lot of online shopping, don’t forget to take necessary precautions to keep your information secure.  Our free ID Protection service, available to all TVACCU Checking Account Holders makes it easier for you to stay ahead of today’s ever-increasing security challenges. Click here for more information on this free service!

Follow Your Favorites on Social Media

Many retailers will now offer exclusive sales and discounts for their social media fans. Simply “like” the pages of your favorite retailers, and you’ll be able to see these offers.

Check Reviews

The great deal you found might not be so good if the item itself is poor quality. Fortunately, you can easily look up reviews and see what others have to say about it.