Syracuse Parent and CNY Family

Jennifer Wing, editor of "Syracuse Parent" and "Mother Knows Best," lives in Manlius with her husband, Eric, and children, Cassidy, 7, and Jacob, 5. She has worked at Eagle Newspapers since 2005. You can leave comments below. She may also be reached at editor@syracuseparent.net

Shoppers, start your engines…
Posted on Fri, November 6th, 2009
Written by: Jennifer Wing, Editor
email: editor@syracuseparent.net

The temperatures are starting to dip and the last leaves of summer are jumping off of the spindly branches of trees, It is late fall, and one of the busiest time for retailers approaches.
It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is just around the corner, but stores are sure to remind us, with Christmas decorations, music and sales already popping up in shopping centers and big box stores throughout Central New York.
As a seasoned shopper who truly enjoys the thrill of the hunt for the perfect gift at the best price, I am already mapping out what I need to get for each person on my list.
Some items will never really go on sale – the in-demand video game, DVD or game system – but some definitely will, and those items that make their way onto my list will be the focus of my shopping trip on that day of days – Black Friday.
For die-hard bargain hunters like myself, there is much planning to be done.
First of all, there are the online sources available to the computer-savvy. Blackfriday.info is plugged into my favorites list, and I have signed on to their notifications list, so they will let me know each time a Black Friday ad has been added to their site.
Secondly, I will drum up my shopping “posse,” most likely my mother, mother-in-law, my friend Kate and her mother. It’s important to shop with others on this big day, not only for the fun of having others with you, but also for the benefit of a divide-and-conquer game plan.
Then I will write up my shopping list by person, item and where I plan to purchase the gift. Once I have each and every local Black Friday ad in hand, I will be able to fill in the blanks and perhaps add a few, well-priced items.
The night of Thanksgiving, I will have a meeting of the minds with my co-conspirators and come up with a schedule for the shopping outing. Loosely, it should be something like:
1. Arrange for someone to watch the kids.
2. Make sure your vehicle is gassed up and has enough room for multiple purchases. There’s nothing like making that great deal and not being able to fit it into your car. (Most likely this is not a problem, as many stores will hold your purchase until you come back.)
3. Wake up mega-early. Shower and dress comfortably.
4. Put on warm clothes, including gloves, as waiting in lines outside can be tough.
5. Slip into some appropriate footwear (sneakers work best, as you may be on your feet for a while.)
6. Grab a coffee (if you are a coffee drinker)
7. Make sure to have: Money, shopping list, assorted ads, cell phone (to use when separated from your party or to ask people opinions on gifts), bottled water or soda.
8. Wait to be picked up (or if you are the driver, go and pick up the members of your “group.”
9. When your shopping is all done, reward yourself with a nice lunch out at a favorite eatery.
Happy shopping!

Jennifer Wing, editor of "Syracuse Parent" and "Mother Knows Best," lives in Manlius with her husband, Eric, and children, Cassidy, 7, and Jacob, 5. She has worked at Eagle Newspapers since 2005.