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What is your Holiday Shopping Plan?

Am I the only one who is in shock that it's November 10, and that Thanksgiving is only 16 (SIXTEEN!!!) days away?!?  No?  OK.  Good.
Am I also the only one in shock that I've been seeing 'Black Friday' TV Ads, Emails, and Social Media ads for at least oh, two weeks now?  No.  OK.  Good.  Well, not.  But, that's a different topic. :)

So, it's made me realize that with Black Friday sales coming so insanely early this year -and in some cases with some pretty good deals to be had already-that I don't even know what to make of it,  And, that the plan I normally have (you've seen a few posts already about Holiday Shopping Must Haves or a general Shopping Game Plan) may need a re-think. Or, if not a re-think, then perhaps an update.  Because, while I think that the earliness of this year's sales is because retailers are super nervous...now that this cat is out of the bag, there is no going back. 

I still stand by my OG commentary about having your shopping plan:  
  • Start a list of gift cards/certificates now that, if you could get them at 20% off -or with a 20% bonus-you'd purchase.
  • Start a list of  'everyday items' that some brands consider gifts (shampoo, perfume, socks) that if, on sale would make sense for you to stock up on
  • Start your holiday grocery list for your Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hannukah, holiday snacking needs.

To this, I now add one more tip:
  • For those items that you plan on buying as gifts/a splurge/a treat this year, add a column to that list called 'Target Price'..and, because you've been reading my blog for the past year, you know that *paying attention* to prices is fundamental to getting a good deal.   
What's also fundamental is also understanding (for you), what price is good enough to pull the trigger-and feel good about the price, even if you see the price go down even more.   Now, let me be clear:  20% is table stakes these days for a holiday sale (and has been for years), so I would encourage you to hold out for something better than that-unless it's a brand that doesn't normally discount more (if at all).  After that, you'll need to rely on what you know about the brand, their sales history, and your personal perspective to know when to shop.  It's not clear to me yet if  'Black Friday' or 'Cyber Monday' will offer better deals than now for some brands, so this is going to be a learning experience for all of us!

One other thing to consider:  Does the brand/store offer a refund on a purchase (within X days) if the price goes down even more?  If so, that's absolutely something to bake into your equation.

That's it.  So, while this is normally the 'sit and wait' time of year for shopping-historically, if you could hold out, I don't know why anyone would pay full price this time of year....this year may be decidedly different.

Let me know how you get on:  When did you purchase, what/where, how much of a discount did you get...and did you see the prices drop even further?  We're in unchartered territory this year, so I can't wait to hear from all of you about your experiences and shopping successes!
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