Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
The end of October and first week of November have proven my predictions from early October correct. Several Black Friday ads have been leaked very early, with more being released daily. Among the already viewable ads are: Meijer, Staples, Petco, Macy’s, GameStop, Rite Aid, Dollar General, and Sam’s Club. Go to blackfriday.bradsdeals.com to see these and more as they are leaked.
As I also predicted, some businesses already started with Black Friday/Cyber Monday-like sales. A few of these are Office Depot/OfficeMax, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Plus, Target has brought back their 50% off Cartwheel offer for one featured toy every day of November. (Tip: Flip the toy sale list by percentage to quickly find the 50% off feature each day.)
An online shopper’s dream: free shipping and coupon codes are cropping up all over. As forecasted, stores are providing free shipping. Examples include: Target, who is offering free shipping with any order, and Toys “R” Us, who is shipping free with the very low minimum purchase of only $19.
Since my predictions for holiday shopping have been going so well, I thought I’d put a new one out there. Here is my shopping for Thanksgiving dinner prediction: If you don’t start this week, you’ll spend too much for your feast. Every year I encourage starting early. Those that take advantage of this advice pull off a bountiful Thanksgiving feast on a shoestring. Those that do not, end up blowing as much as twice the money for the same meal.
To help you be in the wise first group, I have 5 steps:
Step 1: Plan your menu and coordinate – Write down exactly what you want to have for Thanksgiving. Be detailed. Coordinate this week with family and friends to decide who will provide what dishes. Now you can pinpoint what you’ll need.
Step 2: Make a specific ingredient list – Locate the recipes you’ll use to create your dishes. While reviewing them, write down all the ingredients and amounts exactly, combining the totals of identical ingredients. This avoids three budget-vampires: costly and stressful mid-recipe store runs; “winging it” when you shop (and hoping you remember everything); and over (or under)-buying ingredients.
Bonus Tip: If a recipe calls for a specialty or expensive ingredient, figure out how to trim that cost down. Two suggestions: purchase only the amount needed (this is where it pays to know precisely how much you’ll need); or research online for a less expensive alternative.
Step 3: Take stock – Avoid buying things you already have by checking your pantry and freezer before doing any shopping. Take the time to check on all supplies, including spices, and even things like napkins. Once you’ve taken stock, you’ll have a complete, and true “need”, shopping list.
Step 4: Make room – With your ingredient list to reference, rearrange your pantry and freezer. Your goal is two-fold: to make room for ingredients you’ll be buying; and to set aside anything you plan to use. This keeps Thanksgiving meal ingredients separate from regular groceries so no one mistakenly uses them, plus makes it a snap when you need to get everything out to cook.
Step 5: Go shopping – This week, Meijer has turkeys on sale 50% off, any brand, any size, with an additional $20 purchase. Numerous other standard ingredients are also on sale, including butter, frozen vegetables, cheese, frozen pies, soda, baking ingredients, and more. Purchase the items you’ll need that are a good deal this week, and cross them off your list. Anything not a bargain, keep on your list to shop for over upcoming sale cycles, as more items are discounted. Watch for extra 2-day or weekend sales for additional saving opportunities.
Bonus Tip: Use coupons! Don’t simply assume there are no coupons for your ingredients. This time of year, there are hundreds of coupons for the makings of a typical Thanksgiving feast.
By shopping with a detailed list, not buying items you already have, protecting your ingredients from disappearing, and shopping early with coupons, I predict bountiful savings and one more thing for which to be thankful.
