Black Friday and Cyber Monday Holiday Shopping Tips

Coupon clippers get a few days relief each year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday arrive. For once, it's not imperative to find that special coupon to earn substantial savings on the product that has caught your eye. All you need is patience and a plan to make sure you don't miss out on those limited quality hot-items that are sure to go quick. Although the savings are amazing, follow these easy tips to ensure you receive that special gift or item you're interested in. Deciding on a plan before the day arrives will save you hassles and help you obtain exactly what you're after.

Browse the Black Friday & Cyber Monday ads early online

Several weeks in advance websites devoted to Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday shopping post ads online. This allows you to browse all the deals and find the door busters and amazing deals you really want. A simple search engine search for 'black friday 2010 ads' will provide an abundance of websites to choose from. Pay attention to the door busters, these are special deals with substantial savings listed to get you to visit the store. These items are limited quantity and go quick! If it's Cyber Monday your interested in, find out exactly when the online stores allow you to begin purchasing the items, they go extremely fast.

Prepare a list of must have items

After reviewing the listed ads online or in the weekly mailing just before the holiday, make sure to make an item list starting with the product you want the most. List the store next to each item and if you see that you want several from the same store, you may have more luck visiting that store first. The list will keep you on track and allow you to flow from store to store with importance in mind. Door busters are usually sold out after the initial rush, but not always so if you're interested in door busters from a few different stores, make sure you hit them first.

Arrive as early as possible

How early is an educated guess that will vary depending on several factors. 2009 black friday I received a Panasonic Blu-ray player door buster over two hours after Wal-Mart opened the doors. However this was in a small town with much less demand then a larger city or metropolitan area. For the best products, you may have to arrive several hours before the sale starts with some people electing to camp over night for their must have item.

Inquire about quantity available prior to the sale

It doesn't hurt to call the store that has the holiday shopping item that's caught your eye and inquire about how many they plan to have available. Some stores lure you in with that special item even when they only have an extremely limited supply. As little as five may be available. Learning the quantity will allow you to decide if you still want to try for that product or move on to a different store which may have more door busters available for customers.

List the opening times of each store on your list

Most stores open at 5 a.m. but this isn't set in stone. Each year some stores open earlier to beat out other stores for the rush of customers, while some may choose to open at a later time. I've notice earlier and earlier times recently , sometimes as soon as 3 a.m. If you're planning your trip while viewing the ads online, you may not know the opening times so make sure you call and ask.

Since you don't have to worry about coupon clipping, use the extra time to prepare a perfect plan to make sure you obtain all the special savings this holiday season.