With the holiday season just around the corner, I have started planning all my shopping and gift giving. I am a HUGE Black Friday shopper, it is when I will get about 99% of all my holiday shopping done. Since it is usually an early morning of craziness, I try to be as organized and prepared as possible.

I started following Black Friday Ads on Facebook. They post the Black Friday flyers and specials weeks before. It helps to see what some of the deals will be and be able to compare with other stores.

Before I head out shopping on Black Friday, I like to have a plan in place because anyone who has shopped on this day knows how crazy it can be. I start compiling my list the first week in November with a list of people who I am purchasing/making gifts for. It’s not fancy, just a simple and quick list of names.

I then break each person down individually using a template I created that lists the Person, Gift, Store, Cost, Coupon, Price and Total.

I have a budget and it can be difficult at times to stick to it especially with all the tempting sales. Having the price for each gift helps me keep in check.

I then take the information and put it on my store template.

This way here when I am shopping at a particular store, I can easily see what I need. This cuts down on the confusion and I am able to shop more quickly. I included the Person, Gift, Department, Price, Coupon and Notes. If I know the layout of the store, I will try and put the items in order of the departments to make it that much easier.

When my lists are filled out, I take everything and put it in a plastic sleeve along with the Black Friday ads and coupons to keep everything from getting damaged and on my way I go!

I found that this way works for me and helps to keep me organized. I know there are apps out there that can do all this but the good old pen and paper seem to work best for me. If you feel the same, download the lists and give them a try.

Happy Shopping!