Okay, so let’s chat Black Friday shopping strategies….
With sales starting earlier and earlier, and the entire online world telling us what we will die without, it can seem like we need to shop like crazy and grab these deals or be left behind. I don’t want to be that person for you! I really just want to share the things I have owned and love, and share when they are at a cheaper pricepoint. However, none of us ever NEED any of this stuff, so one good rule of thumb is…
“If you wouldn’t buy something for full price, then you don’t need it on sale.”
My strategy is to only buy the things I have been looking at for a long time, use daily, and that I would pay full price for (or HAVE paid full price for!) I typically buy more expensive things on Black Friday, brands that rarely go on sale and I know are quality and worth it. So many brands have sales all of the time, and unless I see something crazy awesome, I won’t shop there for Black Friday (Old Navy, American Eagle, Target, etc…) I also save up for these splurges and pay cash, there is never a need to go in debt for clothes, in my opinion. (Or anything!)
Here is what I am personally eyeing for Black Friday, as well as a couple things I have and love and feel are worth it!
*Tip! Save this post with these links for easy access to links as items go on sale!
1) Free People sweaters and thermals
You guys, I LOVE Free People, but they are a bit pricey for my everyday budget. I find that if I am patient enough, I can snag my favorite pieces on sale. Macys.com has the best sales that I have seen, you just have to be diligent about checking the site once a day or so as their sales can go fast. But they do restock! I grabbed the sweater above last year for 50% off and it is perfection. Nordstrom almost always counters and does price matching. I will do my best to alert you about these sales on Instastories if you follow me over there (@meaganrigney)
I am wearing this sweater above and I love it! Thinking of grabbing it in black or mauve this year. Or maybe even a bright pink?!
I have been eyeing this sweater for months as it is very popular this year! I’ll probably snag it in black.
I also have this tunic sweater that looks great with leggings!
Free People makes the best oversized thermals! I like this one and this longer one.
2) Zella leggings and Spanx faux leather leggings (wearing both above!)
These are both the only leggings I wear! I have also owned both for 3+ years and they look like new and work for so many occasions.
Let’s chat Zella leggings first! (Wearing them above with the sweater and the gray thermal.)These are amazing everyday leggings in my opinion. You can wear them to work out in, too, but I don’t. I love that they fit high waisted and look like new even though I have worn them and washed them many, many times. They stand up as leggings you can wear in the workplace with a longer top, or at home lounging. I paid full price for them and would again, but I did see that they will be on sale for $38 (versus $59) over on Nordstrom for BF, so check back for that. I wear a size small and they are perfect!
And the Spanx! These are pricey and I did buy them full price, but they sometimes go on sale and will be on Nordstrom during BF! These are amazing leggings! They look great dressed up or down (I have worn them under dresses and lacy tunics, as well as with simple sweaters!) They are comfortable as regular leggings, but look like faux leather. They are definitely worth the investment!
3) Madewell Medium transport tote with leopard strap
I don’t have a picture of this because I don’t own it, BUT I have been coveting it for YEARS. I do have a knockoff one that I have used for years and because I know I reach for it a lot, I know that the more expensive one is worth it. I have been torn between the tote and the medium sized one, and I think the medium one will be better in the long run.
Madewell usually starts their BF sale the week of Thanksgiving and stuff sells out fast. I tend to purchase when I see the storewide sale is 40% + off all items!
4) Madewell jeans and shoes
I love Madewell jeans and I love getting them on sale lol. I spend a lot of time reading reviews to determine sizing, and have also tried on a bunch, too, which helps when ordering! When in doubt, order two sizes on sale and return what doesn’t fit.
I have these pair above (the blue) and they are so good! They are the “curvy” style and I really like how they fit. I am wearing a size 28 and they feel really good, so they are true to size.
I also have the ripped black skinnies in “black sea” and also love them, however, they are a size 27 and while they fit I think I’d prefer a size up. I am considering selling mine and grabbing the 28’s!
I am eyeing these buton fly black skinnies this year! From what the reviews said it looks like I should size down, so I will probably order a 27 +28 and see which ones fit better. I love the hems of these jeans.
Last year I ordered these slippers and LOVE them, they just came out with an updated pair. And you can’t go wrong with a neutral slip on shoe. I grabbed the ones I have last year during BF.
5) Cute outerwear/jackets
While I don’t need a ton of jackets in Alabama right now, I did need them when we lived in Michigan for 4 years (and may move back again!) Jackets are LIFE and it is fun to own a bunch during the colder months.
I just ordered this teddy jacket from Gap at 50% off last night. They had one similar last year that I missed out on and that never came back in stock, so I snagged it quick this year! It is perfect for the winter temps here.
Land’s End has great WARM jackets for those of you who live in freezing temps. They typically do massive 50% off sales, so stay on the lookout! (It looks like they have a sale right now!) I own a black down jacket that kept me toasty warm in Northem Michigan that I snagged on major sale.
6) Brand name winter boots
This is the time to grab nicer boots and shoes! You guys know I love Target for a lot of my needs, but it is also nice to own quality boots.
These Sorel boots are similar to the ones in the top pic above!
If you are in need of serious Winter boots, these Joan of Artics do the trick. They are heavy to wear, but work for crazy snowall and warmth.
J Crew has great BF sales (25% of as of now…), so just keep checking in! Love these and these!
I have three pairs of Sorel boots that I wore almost daily in Michigan that I bought on sale. Around this time of year I start googling “Sorel boots on sale” or “Ugg boots on sale” to see what comes up. Check Backcounty, Zappos, 6pm, Amazon, etc.
That’s it! I mean, I also buy gifts during this time as well (mostly for my kids and mostly electronic stuff…), but this is list of things I buy myself as a gift to me from me lol.
What are you looking for to buy on Black Friday?
