Black Friday & Cyber Monday...Ya'll Ready For This?

Hello Friends!!

*** I do NOT own this photo ***

Hello Everyone!! 

As we all know, Black Friday & Cyber Monday are upon us! For some of us, these are days we plan for far in advance, trolling all the ads and having a detailed systematic approach. For others, we squeeze in a post-dinner cram session after Thanksgiving in preparation for the night ahead. And still, for others, we wing it all the way and try to enjoy the adrenaline and hope we stumble upon some great deals! 

I am a definite mixture of all three! My sister however is definitely the first! For those of you participating, whether seriously or lackadaisically, I have some tips I have learned from my own personal Yoda of a sister, as well as links to some of the Black Friday ads for your comparison convenience! 

TIP 1: Wear gym shoes or boots

      Here in the Midwest, sandals are out of the question during this season, but gym shoes/boots are the best types of shoes to wear anyways as they will best protect your toesies from being hammered by fellow heathens, I mean, shoppers ;) 

TIP 2: Crossbody bags are the way to go

    Crossbody bags are the most convenient style for stampede style shopping. Once you throw it on you can forget about it until you hit the register. Totes, satchels, and oversized bags can become cumbersome, feel heavier as the day goes on, and be generally annoying as you are trying to grasp your items. 

TIP 3: Park in the FIRST spot you find 

    We are all guilty of circling around parking lots trying to find the closest spot available. Today is NOT the day to do that! While you're waiting to satisfy your lazy-gene, other people are inside making the rounds and grabbing your gifts!! And what better way is there to work off those heavy Thanksgiving calories than to get in some extra cardio?? :) sneaky exercise is the best exercise!

TIP 4: Pack bandaids and a couple of mints 

    Seriously. I have seen some scary stuff go down on Black Friday, and a bandaid may be necessary. Even accidental incidents can occur, like a box scraping your finger by the cuticle (major OUCH), someone rams the back of your foot with a cart (that's really never an accident though am I right?), either way, if something happens and you need a bandaid, you will be happy to have one. 

      The mints are for nausea. Anyone else get nauseous when they get hot? In the wee hours of the morning, there will be no time to snack, so a mint may help in case of nausea due to intense running, body piles, minor tug-of-wars, etc. And again, if you feel hungry or nauseous, won't you be happy you packed the mint? :)

TIP 5: Bring a water bottle 

      This is definitely important because you need to stay hydrated during all the mayhem! I think the best way to do so is bring a large water bottle, and drink in between stores. Bringing the water bottle in the store will leave you with one less free hand, so leaving it in the car between stores, (where it will stay cold - especially for us Midwesterners) is a great way make sure you keep hydrated! This will also be a time saver! Instead of running to Starbucks, or a grocery store, gas station, vending machine, etc. You have your hydration ready to go and waiting for you in the car between stops! Fast and free! :) 

TIP 6: Bring your car charger 

    This may seem like a no brainer, but definitely make sure to have your phone car charger in your car and ready to go! If you are in for a long night, you definitely want to make sure your phone lasts, especially if you are shopping with a group! Also, with so many shopping apps available, you won't want to miss out on extra discounts! 

      My FAVORITE shopping apps are SHOPKICK and SHOPULAR! Both are FREE apps and collect stores ads and coupons right at your fingertips! 

      Shopkick is great because you can earn points at certain stores just for walking in! You can then redeem your points for gift cards to a variety of places! It's THAT EASY!!! I personally have used this app for years now and have redeemed my points for places like Target, Old Navy, American Eagle, and the movies!! 

      Shopular is fantastic because this app lets you select your favorite stores, alerts you when you are nearby, and shows you coupons and their latest ads! Almost every time I visit one of my favorite stores Shopular has a coupon for me to use!

          

Below are some Black Friday ads for your comparison convenience! 

1. TARGET: Black Friday Ad

2. Best Buy: Black Friday Ad & Doorbuster Preview

3. WalMart: Black Friday Ad

4. Macys: Black Friday Ad

5. Toys R Us: Black Friday Ad

6. Kohls: Black Friday Ad

Cyber Monday CASH BACK!!!

If you are more of an at home shopper, then Cyber Monday is your day to shine! This year, Cyber Monday falls on December 1st. Cyber Monday, if you don't know, is the day all online stores have fantastic, exclusive deals online!! So not only do you get to skip the crowds and shop in your jammies, but the items will be shipped directly to your home! 

What could be better than that? LET ME TELL YOU!!! 

Would you like to earn CASH BACK on your online purchases?? So yes, I'm saying you can skip the crowds, shop in your jammies, have your items delivered to your home AND earn cash back!! So you are making money to shop from home!! Too good to be true right? WRONGGGGGGGGGG!!! 

Now let me tell you how I earn CASH BACK on my online purchases! 

I use EBATES! 

You can click the link above to join, or the link I have below! The setup is simple, just an email and password. Then choose the stores you like best, shop through EBATES and they will send you a check quarterly with your earnings! 

There are TONS of stores that work with Ebates, such as Target, Carters, Old Navy, Kohls, Ebay, WalMart, Best Buy, Toys R Us, the list goes on and on!! 

As if that isn't enough, right now Ebates is allowing all new members to make up to $75 just by having their friends sign up! So after your join, make sure to send your link to your friends!

If you are a little wary, don't worry, I definitely was too! There are plenty of reviews about the website and after using EBATES myself for the past year, I definitely agree that it is a reputable and reliable company and it just doesn't make sense to go back to online shopping without it! 

Ebates does NOT ask for credit card information, they simply redirect you to your shopping website of choice to document the transaction and calculate your earnings that way. 

What have you got to lose? Start earning your cash back on your online purchases! You will never shop without EBATES once you start!!

Sign up here !!

Where are you heading for Black Friday? Do you have any good tips for me? 

Let me know if you sign up for Ebates! Let me know what you think! 

Safe Shopping everyone!! 

And as always, THANK YOU for following, commenting, sharing, supporting!!!!!!!!!!