Clothes are a basic need but who says they can’t have style to them? Black Friday gives people an opportunity to splurge on otherwise non-affordable items. From people sleeping in a tent to eating sandwiches outside of the store, the holiday brings out a sense of stress to customers wanting to get sale items. When it comes to Black Friday shopping, it’s an all or nothing game. More often than not it’s students waiting to get the latest clothes.

A study from the National Retail Federation says, “30 percent of annual retail sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas.” The average money spent per shopper in 2017 predicted is $967.13, nationally totaling up to $682.0 billion! Just because items are on sale doesn’t mean it’s safe to spill out all of your money.

Diangelo Love, a senior at AVHS known for his style, explains budgeting while shopping.  “Everything has a cost so I think it’s very important for students to budget out their money if you don’t have enough money it’s not fun not to being able to go anywhere.” Saving money is just as crucial as spending it, but just when the season hits, it’s nice to treat yourself once in awhile, especially on clothes.

Here are 8 tips from Diangelo on how to shop clothing on Black Friday.

1) Know the Brands

“When I want cheaper but nice fashion I go to Polo which can range up to 70% off on deals and Tommy Hilfiger,” says Diangelo, “Calvin Klein can be pretty nice too but they really mark up their taxes so True Religion is a place I definitely recommend.”

2) Don’t Only Stick To the Trends

“Sometimes you don’t really need what’s trendy because not only is it expensive, it goes out of season faster, so get something timeless,” says Diangelo.

3) Upgrade Your Shoe Game Another Day

“Shoe stores don’t really have deals that are worth it, they don’t mark the nicer shoes that you want, they choose the rejected, out of season ones.”

4)When in Doubt, go H&M

“It’s a perfect store for students, they make high end quality items for bargain prices and from what I’m assuming students don’t make $1000 a year.”

5) Don’t Be Late

“You want to there right when the doors open, that’s when all of the items are still available,” says Diangelo, “Just don’t get too crowded in, space yourself out a little bit for your safety but always be sure to make it to the first line at the register, that’s what I do.”

6) Do Not Steal

“Know your budget, it’s tempting to go to super overpriced stores, just stay away from them if you know you can’t buy the items.” Explains Diangelo, “There’s a lot of people around, but you don’t want to be that person.”

7) Bring People With You

“I don’t really go with parents, I usually go with friends but I will say that it’s smart because you can work together to buy stuff.”

8) Don’t Bring All of Your Money With You

“Leave some money at home, don’t take it all with you.” Says Diangelo, “There’s always going to be something at a store that you might not even need but is at such a good deal compared to the original price that you’ll buy with that extra money at hand and you’ll probably never use it.” Diangelo explains that he always leaves at least $100 at home.  

“You don’t want to be broke after Black Friday,” Explains Diangelo, “Sure you’ll get all the stuff you want, but till next payday that’s going to be a nightmare to recover from.”

Diangelo explains the main reason why he makes sure to spend his money wisely when shopping, “Taking care of myself is important, rent and bills all add up so I know I can’t spend too much and not have enough for the necessities.” There’s no question there! Black Friday can be a place of opportunity to splurge on items, but remember to make choices that are worth it in the long run. It can be an all or nothing game, so tis the holiday to start playing. 

AVHS students, stay safe and happy shopping!