Common Black Friday mistakes people make

Black Friday is one of the most chaotic days of the year, so if you plan on venturing out and taking advantage of the deals, you need to have your game-face on. While every minute counts, you also don’t want to make hurried purchases you’ll regret later. Here, we round up some pitfalls to avoid so you’ll sleep soundly (most likely all day) the day after the day after Thanksgiving.

Mistake 1: Not inspecting your merchandise.

Shopping expert and SheFinds.com CEO Michelle Madhoktells usthat many companies make modified versions of electronics such as flatscreen TVs solelywith Black Friday in mind and these versions might not hold up to what you were expecting. While you may be tempted to shove the other shoppers out of the way and dump all the electronics on your list into your shopping cart, take time to really inspect them before you get to the register and make sure they have all the features you were expecting.

Mistake 2: Throwing your budget out the window.

A common shopping mistake people make year-round is buying items they wouldn’t normally buy just because they’re on sale. To avoid the financial stress that’s common during the holidays, prepare a list of who you need to buy gifts for and what you want to buy ahead of time and stick to it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a bunch of $10 DVDs you’ll never watch and another tablet you really don’t need.

Mistake 3: Buying toys.

It may sound strange, but toys are actually cheaper the first two weeks of December than they are on Black Friday, according to Time magazine. Focus on electronics, where doorbuster sales matter the most.

Mistake 4: Forgetting about Cyber Monday.

Many of the same great deals you can get in-stores will also be offered online – some sites will have even better deals. Follow your favorite brands on Facebook or Twitter to see what deals they’ll be offering. Then, pre-enter your billing information ahead of time so when Cyber Monday starts, all you have to do is select the items you want and click “checkout.”

Mistake 5: Waiting until Cyber Monday to save big online.

Contrary to the name, retailers aren’t waiting until December 1 to roll out their Cyber Monday deals; many start on Thanksgiving Day. Check out what items you want to buy ahead of time to make sure they are in stock and deliverable by Christmas. If they’re not and you plan on giving them as gifts, you need to know so you can comparison shop ahead of time before the deals start.