Ten Tips for Black Friday Shopping Success

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is nearly a month away, but in between the two holidays is a day many consider just as important. The morning after Thanksgiving known to most as "Black Friday" has become traditional, but for many financially strapped families, it has also become a necessity. So, if you are headed out shopping that morning, here are some tips to help your trip be more successful.

1.) Get Up Early - Stores are opening earlier and earlier in the morning to get this day started and if you hope to be successful at saving some money, you need to be there when they open. Most stores offer a limited quantity of some of their best deals the minute their doors open and these items will not last long. If getting a deal is important to you, set that alarm clock and head to the stores well before dawn.

2.)Be Organized - The process of preparing for "Black Friday" is almost as important as the shopping itself. In the days before the sales, you should begin doing some research. Check on the Internet for early released advertisements and also which items will be available on-line. Then, the day before Thanksgiving, be sure to get the newspaper. It is important to look through each store circular and to pinpoint where the best deal is on each item and at what time of day. Write it all down, clip out any coupons, and organize any gift cards or promotions you might already have obtained. This tip alone can save you a lot of time and money when the doors open.

3.) Skip Giveaways - Many stores will advertise small promotional items such as ornaments or toys to get customers through their door first on "Black Friday" and unless it is an item you just have to have, I recommend skipping it. While you stand in line to get these items that cost very little, you are missing out on savings of sometimes up to 50% or better on large and expensive items from your list. Common sense tells us that getting an item worth $1.00 while missing a deal where you would save $100.00 just doesn't make sense.

4.) Don't Shop Alone - First of all, it is way more fun to share in this day with someone else, but more importantly, you are going to need these other people and they will need you. Sometimes we want those early morning deals at more than one place and if you travel in a group it is much easier. Everyone gets their store and picks up as many items for their group as they are able to while the others are doing the same elsewhere. This works best with people that you are close enough to that they won't be angry if you can't get something or that you can trust to pay you back immediately when you catch up with them at the next location. Shopping with others will also allow one person to sit with a large item while the other pushes through the crowd for smaller items.

5.)Exchange Cell Phone Numbers - This tip will save a lot of time and frustration as the day gets started. There is nothing worse than standing in a group of hundreds and not being able to find those you came with or needing to go to another store before the deals end, but being stuck while waiting for others. The cell phones make this all easier. You simply call each other and update where you are and what is going on at any particular moment. One caveat that we found out the hard way is that you need to make sure everyone has their cell phone turned on.

6.)Have Fun - In hard economic times, people take saving money very seriously and that is fine. However, it is so important to have a good time and keep a positive attitude. When push comes to shove the spirit of the season is not about how many gifts or how expensive of gifts you can purchase. If you miss a deal this day, there will be other sales before the holiday. It simply isn't worth getting upset or having a miserable day over. The stores will be crowded and the day may be cold, but don't let that turn you into someone that nobody wants to know.

So, the day is approaching and I have given you some very easy, practical tips for saving time and money on "Black Friday." Once the leftover turkey is in the fridge and the dishes are washed, it is time to set the alarm and get to bed so that you are ready for the day that gives all new meaning to holiday tradition.