Best Places to Shop on Black Friday

Every year I wake up at 4 am on the Friday after Thanksgiving to go shopping with my Mom, her sisters, and my grandmother. We all sit down the night before and go through the advertisements that have been sent out with sales for Black Friday. When we set out that morning we have plans to visit several stores, with high hopes of coming home that night with exciting finds at great prices. Here are the top 5 stores that I suggest you shop at this year on the Friday after Thanksgiving:

1- Wal-Mart

You can never go wrong by making Wal-Mart your first stop on Black Friday. With sales in every department from electronics to clothing, you will surely save a lot of money and find some great items. Also, some Wal-Mart's are open 24 hours so you have the advantage of standing next to the item you want, or trying to find it ahead of time so that when Black Friday officially begins, you can be the first at the scene.

2- Staples

If you are looking for a computer, printer, GPS, or flash drive this Christmas, I would suggest making Staples one of your stops on Black Friday. We go to this store every year, and I have always gotten a great deal. Last year I got a GPS that was originally $250 for $100. You have to get there early, though, in order to get the amazing deals. There is also usually only one offer per customer so if you are trying to get multiple items, I would suggest taking people with you.

3- Kohls

Kohls is a great place to shop on Black Friday if you are looking for kitchen utensils, cooking equipment, children's toys and clothing, bedroom accessories, and a whole lot more. This is a very diverse store with many awesome deals on the day after Thanksgiving, so it would definitely be worth your while to check it out.

4- Big Lots

I know, you think Big Lots is already a discount store with cheap items anyway, however you would be surprised at what you can find on Black Friday. We visit this store every year, and I always walk away with some kind of little surprise that I got a great deal on and it makes my gift giving that much better.

5- Target

Target, like Wal-Mart, is a store where you can find sales on just about anything. This is a must see for the day after Thanksgiving. I typically go to Target to get digital cameras on Black Friday because they offer such great deals.