How to Prepare for Shopping on Black Friday

With the holiday season right around the corner that can only mean one thing its time to gear up for the annual Black Friday events. What is Black Friday you might ask, it's the day after thanksgiving, the kick off of the holiday shopping season, a day you will find great deals, and lots of people. I f you have never done a black Friday before you will need to have a plan worked out ,you can start this by getting a notebook and all the ads from the stores in your area, they will come out on thanksgiving in your morning paper. There will also be lots of websites listing the ads weeks in advance this is great in choosing which stores you want to go to first. Here are a few sites to get you started in your quest for the perfect black Friday experience blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ , www.bf2005.com/ , www.bargainshare.com/index.php?showtopic=43186

If you just type Black Friday in your favorite search engine you will come up with several sites, a lot of them will have message boards where you can discuss with others who are experienced black Friday shoppers tips for making the most of the day.
Some tips I can recommend are leave the kids at home unless they are older and go to different ends of the store to help you get the items you want. Make sure you check the ads for times, most stores will open really early like 5 am and the sales will only last a certain amount of time like till 11AM or noon.

They will also have coupons in some for an extra amount off your purchase. Some stores also offer gifts to the first so many people in the door to get you to come into their store first. Next tip I can offer is to forget the buggies there will be hundreds of people all there for the same things you are and there will be no room to get a cart down the isles, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, not high heals this isn't the day to be dressed to impress, I have seen people in there pajamas. Don't carry a big purse get a fanny pack, with all the people there is bound to be some that are looking to rip off whatever they can while your back is turned and you don't want to take a chance of loosing all your credit cards and such right before the holidays.

Now lets get back to the notebook and ads, start by making a list of gifts you would like to get, then go through the ads and see which stores have them. Now you can make a plan as to which items you want the most and go there first. Stores only get a certain number of each item so you must be there in line waiting for the doors to open, I would recommend going to the store the day before and get an idea where the items you are looking for will be, you might find a friendly sales person and ask them, this way you wont be running all over to find something. People will be rude on black Friday, its early they are tired and they want there stuff, be prepared to be pushed and yelled at if you are the one holding the last of an item. Don't take it personal just keep going about your shopping.

Bring your ads with you to the stores some will offer price comparisons and they will match prices, some don't like to do this because its so busy but if you push a little or ask for a manager you shouldn't have a problem. Some stores will even offer a price match if you buy the item the day before and then come back during the morning sale and show them the receipt, again this can vary from store to store, be friendly and polite when first asking about it then if they seem like they are not going to try raising your voice a little. They usually will give in; they don't want an upset customer.

Internet shoppers can beat the Early Birds by shopping on line in the pre-dawn hours of Black Friday. Many retailers will be posting their Black Friday specials, which can be ordered, on line and picked-up at your local store. Special "Web Only" deals will also be available starting as early as Thanksgiving eve. The aggressive stores such as Comp USA will be opening at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday with Early Bird promotions in hopes of capturing your dollars before their competition has opened.

This will be an experience like no other shopping day people will camp out in front of the store all night to make sure they are first in line for the great deals, in the past I have seen items on sale for the whole day that they have said would only be included in the early sale but I don't like to take chances so I will be there in the cold waiting like all the rest of us who celebrate Black Friday just like a holiday
Heather Shockney