Black Friday Shopping

The absolute thrill of Black Friday looms up long before the day actually appears on the front page of the wall calendar. In many ways, this day is often more exciting for people than the holiday of Christmas itself. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the first traditional day of the Christmas Shopping Season. Typically, this day is filled with some of the best bargains on merchandise anywhere and everywhere.

Â

As any seasoned shopper knows, the best bargains are had in the first few hours of the sales. The best way to maximize on these bargains is to have a plan of attack. People vary on their individual plans, but one thing that never varies is that the shoppers who dare to brave the early hours prior to sunrise are going to get the best bargains.

Â

Nothing compares to waiting in line out in the cold, crisp November air for the thrill of the hunt. It isn't even always about a specific item or brand, but rather, about the opportunity to get a bargain, any bargain, to bring home and brag about to anyone you can corner long enough to tell your tales of shopping glory.

Â

The most important aspect of any plan of attack is to compile a written itinerary that includes the name of the store, its location, the time that the store opens, the time that the bargains end, and the bargains (items with purchase price) that you are searching for in each store. It's best to create a separate list for each store as well, listing the items in the order of importance or in the order in which you will most likely find them.

Â

Be sure to put clear headings on each list for easy recognition. In fact, make duplicate copies for each one of your cohorts of shopping frenzy so that you don't accidentally lose the list when you loan it out for review. Numbering the individual lists for each store that you will be stopping at in the order that you will be visiting them is also a good idea.

Â

Although a few of the stores will advertise their Black Friday bargains online or in the Wednesday newspaper, it's best to pick up a copy of the Thanksgiving Day paper for the store advertisements. As you go through the ads, circle the items that interest you. Since you won't be able to find every store in each area that you could travel to, it's important to determine which stores have the most important bargains for you.

Â

Plan your attack wisely. Bring along someone strong to help carry the packages. Bring along a few granola bars or bottles of water to avoid stopping for breakfast or lunch. Now all you have to do is wait for Black Friday to arrive.