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Eight Tips for Surviving Black Friday

If you're celebrating Thanksgiving today, you might be considering venturing out to the Black Friday sales tomorrow morning. After all, there will be at least a few great deals—and you can do all your holiday gift shopping in one crazy sprint. In order to make it out with your sanity—and your wallet—intact, there are a few Black Friday tips I'd like to share.

1. Make Your Shopping List First

When I was little, I could sit for hours with the Black Friday ads (especially Toys R Us), telling whoever was listening that I wanted pretty much everything on each page. I may have grown out of Toys R Us, but I still see plenty I want flipping through the sales papers. Sometimes, I can even convince myself that I really need some great gadget（小玩意儿）that I hadn't actually intended to buy. So, before I even start browsing through the sales papers, I make a list of items that I'm particularly looking for. While I might adapt my list to what's on sale—maybe swap out a movie title or choose a different video game based on what is available.

2. Check the Online Deals

Many retailers offer online deals for Black Friday. When you add in gas money and the time you might spend standing in line on Friday morning, online sales are even better. Before you brave the crowds, take a look at your favorite websites—and the stores you're planning to visit. Many sales will kick in at midnight, so you'll be able to check no matter how early you're planning on getting in line at the local big box retailer. For some stores, you can order items online and pay the Black Friday price, then pick them up at your local store.

3. Pick a Shopping Buddy Who Will Match Your Pace

My mother will be getting up at 4 a.m. Friday morning. While I admire her dedication, her Black Friday will be much longer than mine. I prefer to shop at a more comfortable pace, though, so I'll be going with a different shopping buddy. My mom and my sister—both power shoppers—are much happier pairing up and letting the slow poke (that's me) go on my own. I do think that having a buddy does make the whole process much easier, though: one person can stand in line while the other person grabs whatever is on the list. Even better, a buddy can help you stick to your list and your budget, avoiding unnecessary spending.

4. Bring Your Ads with You

There's a chance that your discounted item may not ring up as on sale when you actually get up to the cash register. Instead of trying to recall exactly what the sale paper said, pull that ad out and ask the clerk to double check it. You can avoid confusion by carrying your ads with you—and, if you go to a store with a price-matching policy, you may be able to get the same prices that another store is offering. If you're relying on ads you found online, you might have a harder time getting a deal, though. Some stores won't even honor the prices listed on their own websites. Printing off the ad can help you convince a clerk, but it's not guaranteed.

5. Be Prepared for Returns

Returns policies seem to get tighter every year, and they can be worse for Black Friday. For some items, stores may have only a short return policy—and they may charge you a restocking fee. If you aren't sure if you've bought the right size(or are otherwise considering a return), plan on making your return as soon as possible. Keep your receipt handy and pick up gift receipts where necessary.

6. Use Your Credit Card

Normally, I'm against using a credit card for most purchases. It's too easy to run up a big bill, but there are some definite benefits to using plastic on Black Friday. Many credit card companies have much better return protection than stores: a purchase made on your credit card may have guaranteed refund up to 90 days. Credit cards often offer warranty coverage for free on purchases—a much better deal than most of the service contracts offered by stores. Lastly, some cards offer sale price protection. If the price of your purchase is marked down further than the price you paid within a certain time frame, you can get a refund of the difference.

7. Forget the Big Electronics

If you're planning to find a great deal on an HDTV on Black Friday, I'm afraid that you're out of luck. Even on Black Friday, it's rare to see much in the way of sales on big ticket electronics. The small sales are generally just not worth the hassle of trying to get a sales person to help you with anything time intensive when they're getting slammed with hundreds of shoppers.

8. Skip It Entirely

There's nothing wrong with skipping the Black Friday sales. If there's nothing on sale that you're interested in, why bother? The entire day is set up to let retailers sell as much stuff as they can—to take as much of your money as they can. But there's no better place for your money than in your wallet or bank account. So, stay Home, relax and take advantage of your leftovers. You'll be saving money even if you wind up making a few full price purchases down the road.

1. While the author looks through the sales papers, she may _____.

A. make a shopping list

B. make change on her shopping list

C. stick to her shopping list

D. prefer a new video game

2. You can buy items online and then get them at the local store _____.

A. with Black Friday price

B. at midnight

C. with full price

D. as early as possible

3. The author's mother prefers shopping with her sister because the author _____.

A. is not good at shopping

B. prefers to shop alone

C. is slow

D. is too powerful

4. When shopping, it is better to bring the ads with you because _____.

A. some item on it may not be on sale yet

B. you can get discount by it

C. cashier wants to check it

D. it can be paid for discounted item

5. To get a deal for discounted items easily, it is better to _____.

A. pay by your credit card

B. visit different stores before buying

C. ask the clerks for help

D. print off the ads you found online

6. For items with short return policy, you have a risk of paying for _____.

A. damage fee

B. restocking fee

C. tax

D. transportation fee

7. The author suggests people use a credit card, which usually can guarantee a(n) _____ refund period.

A. 60-day

B. 80-day

C. 90-day

D. 50-day

8. You can't find a great deal on an HDTV on Black Friday because it is unnecessary for the stores to hassle for _____.

9. Skipping the Black Friday sales means you are _____.

10. In order to help you spend your money more reasonably on Black Friday, the author shares a few _____.

文章精要：

本文的作者给要在黑色星期五购物的人们提出了八条建议，帮助人们更容易买到物美价廉的商品。（注：“黑色星期五”是美国感恩节后第一天，标志传统圣诞节购物季的开始。）

答案解析：

1. B　由题干中的the sales papers定位到第一个小标题下。文章指出，作者在浏览促销广告单之前，会先列一个购物清单，但她会根据促销商品的情况来调整购物清单的内容。故本题选B。

2. A　由题干信息词at the local store定位到第二个小标题下的最后一句。该段讲到，有些商店开通网上服务，可以先在网上订货，物价和黑色星期五那天的一样，然后到你附近的实体店提货，故A正确。

3. C　根据题干信息词mother可定位到文章第三个小标题下的第四句。文章提到，我妈妈和妹妹都是购物狂，她们喜欢搭伴购物，但嫌我太慢，让我自己去，故C正确。

4. A　根据题干信息词bring和ads定位到第四个小标题下的前两句。文章谈到，如果你去购物，最好随身携带着那些广告，因为有时打折商品与宣传单上的促销信息不一致，故选A。

5. D　根据题干信息词discounted items可定位到第四个小标题。文章指出，如果你指望网站上的广告，你可能很难买到物美价廉的商品，最好将广告打印出来，这样也许能说服售货员把东西按广告上的价格卖给你，但这种方法并不能保证让你买到便宜的商品，故选D。

6. B　根据题干信息词short return policy可定位到第五个小标题下的第二句。文章提到，退换政策越来越严格了，尤其是一些退换期比较短的商品，商家可能还要收取再度库存费，故本题选B。

7. C　根据题干信息词credit card和refund可定位到第六个小标题下的第三句。文章提到，在黑色星期五购物时用信用卡付款有一定的好处，那就是很多信用卡提供长达90天的退款期，故本题选C。

8. the small sales。由题干信息词hassle定位到第七个小标题下第三句。文章提到，如果你想在黑色星期五买到合适的高清电视的话，那你可能不走运了，因为在那一天很少能看到像电子产品这样的大型商品的促销活动，商店不可能不顾其他大量顾客，而为了那么一丁点儿销售额派专门的销售人员来做大量的宣传，故得答案the small sales。

9. saving money。根据题干信息词skipping可定位到第八个小标题下第一句。文中提到，如果你没有买到称心的东西，也不要烦恼，就当你在省钱了，故得答案saving money。

10. shopping tips。本题考查全文主旨。根据题干信息词Black Friday可定位到首段最后一句。文章指出，为了帮助人们在黑色星期五那天更理智地购买物超所值的东西，作者与大家分享了一些购物注意事项，故答案为shopping tips。