Tech tips for Black Friday shoppers

I understand that trying to wake up after a day full of gorging yourself on turkey, carbs, and a bit more turkey is a difficult. The deep tryptophan sleep is hard enough to shake off so you can watch a football game or maybe one of those holiday specials that they started airing far too early this year.

Coming out of your food coma before the break of dawn to stand in line with overly caffeinated shoppers is pushing it. However, there are ways to make it so the shopping time between waking up and going home to take a nap goes a lot more smoothly.

Here are some key tips on how to stay sane, safe, and swift during your Black Friday expedition:

1. There’s an app for that – Have an iPhone or an Android? Track your favorite stores and their Black Friday deals with the Black Friday app. Scroll through deals and create a shopping list so you are organized and not trying to remember which stores had the best deals in your 4 a.m. haze.

2. No wandering aimlessly – Plan ahead! There are plenty of websites which list Black Friday deals as soon as they are leaked to the public. Black Friday is not a time for browsing. If you have something specific you want to get a good deal on, do some research and find where it is being sold for the best deal and go quickly! A great website that I came across is blackfriday2010.com. This guy doesn’t mess around when it comes to Black Friday; find ads, store hours, and Black Friday tips all here.

3. Stay Social – Keep an eye on popular Social Media networks. Conversations on Black Friday will give you insight on where great deals are happening and possibly if some deals are not worth checking out. The website: gershoni.com/black-friday gives live feeds of 12 different popular companies so you can follow the trends all in one place!

If you do brave the darkness of the morning and are able to stay awake long enough to cart yourself to the mall, have fun! Black Friday can actually be an enjoyable experience when shared with friends and family. Plus, it’s a great feeling when you finish all of your shopping in one day!

Matt Schuierer (@mschuierer) is part of the Project Management team at Mom Central.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.