When you do your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping don’t just think of things for the upcoming holidays — think long-term!

Many sales are at their best on these days. Black Friday kicks off the big end-of-the-year holiday shopping frenzy and lots of people use it as an opportunity to stock up on gifts for the coming season.

But you can also take advantage now and buy items for events and purposes throughout the year. That’s right, you should think long-term when you plan out your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping.

Many a time has passed where I thought I’d see an item on sale again but it ended up not being as good as the Black Friday or Cyber Monday price. Damn! Missed out.

Of course, for this to work you have to have money in your budget to buy extra now for the rest of the year. It’s silly to put great deals on credit if you are going to end up paying credit card interest later on.

If you think out it and plan well, buying now can save you money, and time, for the upcoming year.

Here Are Some Great Occasions to Shop for On Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

Birthdays

We all have people we need to buy birthday gifts for. Why wait until the last minute? Plan out what birthdays you want to buy for and see if you can’t get gifts now at reduced prices.

Anniversary

Who can put a price on love? Maybe you can’t put a price on it but that doesn’t mean you won’t end up in debt!

Consider shopping now for an anniversary gift. You can get something special for your spouse at a reduced price.

Does that sound cheap? It shouldn’t.

But you can look at it another way — you can get more value for your money.

Maybe instead of one great gift, you can get one big one and a couple of small gifts? Also, buying a gift now means you won’t forget or wait until the last minute.



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Valentine’s Day

So if Black Friday has lower prices where do retailers make up for the sales?

One time is Valentine’s Day where prices get jacked up to take advantage of consumers who need to buy something romantic.

Don’t fall for that.

Get a valentine’s gift now when prices are reasonable (prices drop the day after Valentine’s Day but don’t try explaining that to your significant other!).

The classic chocolate-filled heart may not be found but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other great, more original gifts.

Home Office Supplies and Software

Take advantage of low prices to stock up for the coming year. If you think you may need to upgrade some equipment or furniture then get in on the lower prices.

You can usually do well with office supplies at the start of the school year but Black Friday has great deals too. I like to use Leuchtturm journals. Just about every year they have some Black Friday deal that I use to stock up for the year.

Another example I’ve used in the past is upgrading software I use. I’ve gotten great deals on plugins, themes, hosting, and more through Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.

Work Wardrobe

How are your work clothes? Could you use a suit in the coming year? Maybe pants, shirts, sweaters, shoes, socks? (I hate buying dress socks by the way.)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday make for a great way to improve your work wardrobe at lower prices. (For example, I’ve found khakis dirt cheap in Black Friday sales).

Kids Clothes

Know what’s annoying with kid’s clothes? They either wear them out or they quickly outgrow them.

You think you have enough then the next thing you know they have nothing that fits or is presentable.

Stock up now on clothes. But don’t just buy for now, buy for later. See what you can get in the next size up or even a couple of sizes up.

Here’s How I Think It Out

I keep a mental list if a few items I know will be useful for the year. Usually, this is clothes for me or something work-related. If I’m out shopping on Black Friday (yes, I’ve gone out and lived to tell about it) I’ll keep an eye out for great deals. Otherwise, I’ll see if there’s anything really good online.

But I’ll only buy if 1) I can afford it, and 2) it’s an excellent deal I don’t expect to see again.

I’m only looking for things that are useful to me and they are cheap. That’s it. There are lots of tempting deals out there but without guidelines, like a budget, it’s easy to go overboard and end up with a bunch of stuff you really don’t need.

Final Word On Planning Long-Term for Black Friday

So when you start out on that crazy, hectic day known as Black Friday, keep more than the holidays in mind when you do your shopping. Get creative as you see the great deals rearing their heads.

Use Black Friday as a way to save for the whole year!

What other purposes can you think of shopping for on Black Friday?