For the 3rd year in a row, I’m posting (and re posting  some Black Friday tips)…and for the 30th year in a row, I will NOT be shopping on Good Friday.  I shall put up my Christmas decorations, get a mani/pedi with Meredith, force the kids (and Murph) into a festive holiday pose for the Christmas card, take Kevin to the airport, enjoy some fine wine, and thank the heavens that I am not in the Malls…and will be looking forward to Cyber Monday!!

After perusing the internet for many hours, these are the 3 sites I found with the best tips…some tips are duplicates but I thought I’d just post their entire list of tips…You can pick and choose the ones that work for you…like I shall pick the one that says I will stay in my jammies. 🙂

These tips come from the Atlanta Journal Constitution
1. Start your research online. Deckard suggests signing up for email newsletters from your favorite retailers now so you’ll be privy to the types of sales they’ll be offering on Black Friday. “When you’re on the retailer emails, you’ll learn about the sales and deals before the rest of the public,” she said. “This gives you a little more time to plan your strategy.
2. Make a strategic plan. It’s important to know which stores you want to visit ahead of time, as well as what items you want to purchase at each store. “This will ensure you are focusing on things you actually need, and saving the most,” Deckard said. “Savings Lifestyle even has a Black Friday price database that you can search quickly to find the best price on all Black Friday sale items as you create a shopping list.”
3. Scope the store out ahead of time. Deckard suggests doing a run-through of the stores you plan to visit on Black Friday before the day actually arrives. “Walk through and find the special Black Friday display sections for the items you want to purchase. Many times people make a mad dash for these areas because the most inventory is placed there. Don’t forget to check where the merchandise normally resides in the store, as well.”
4. Conduct price comparison searches. While Black Friday historically has the best prices, consider doing a quick online search to see if you can find the item priced the same, or lower, than the Black Friday sale price being offered. “Knowing who has the best price will help you determine if the trip out is worth it,” says Deckard. Similarly, when considering what you’d like to actually purchase on Black Friday, think about the items that are offering the biggest potential savings and get to those first. “Would you rather save $100 on a gaming system, or $20 on the blender,” says Deckard. “Only spend your time in line, and online, waiting to get those items that can help you save the most.”
5. Don’t forget online shopping. “I’m a big online Black Friday shopper,” says Deckard. “Several years ago we contemplated going out for one of the door busters on Black Friday, but when we passed the store at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the line was already entirely too long. I was willing to give up the $200 savings to not camp out the night before.” It’s important to consider the value of your time over money when it comes to these deals as well, and shopping online can be an excellent alternative to going in-person. Plus, as an added bonus, Savings.com can help you find exclusive coupon codes for retailers, so you can save even more.
6. Stock up on discount gift cards ahead of time. If you know you’d like to shop at certain stores this season, consider purchasing discounted gift cards in advance from places like eBay Auctions, Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Rescue. Sites like these allow you to purchase the gift cards at anywhere from 5%-25% off the value of the card. Just check ahead of time that you can use the card on already on-sale items before planning to use them all up on Black Friday.

These tips come from Hip2Save, which is a great website for saving money everyday…Not only on  Black Friday!

(1) Be prepared. Before you head out to the store, research the Black Friday ads (which I will be posting as the become available) and outline exactly what you would like to purchase. And to be extra prepared, you can even research the layout of your store, so you’ll know exactly where to head to grab the items on your list.

(2) Be ready to stand in line for quite a long time. Wear comfy shoes and appropriate outerwear and consider leaving the kiddos at home (if this is not possible, bring toys or other items to keep them entertained while shopping).

(3) Know your store’s hours (some stores are opening on Thanksgiving night while others are waiting until the wee hours of Friday morning). Again, I will be posting store-specific information in the coming days.

(4) Familiarize yourself with each store’s price matching and/or coupon policy. Keep in mind that many stores have created special price matching policies specific for Black Friday.

(5) Make a list! This will keep you focused and will definitely help to prevent you from being tempted to purchase additional items that are not on the list.

(6) Remember to ask yourself whether the great deal you see is actually a great deal for you. Check out this post for more on this topic. You may also want to research online prices versus in-store prices, as you can often snag better deals online even when you factor in shipping costs. Plus, think about the time and gas saved when shopping online! Love that!

(7) Keep those receipts! After the adrenaline rush is over, you may realize that you got caught up in the Black Friday craziness and purchased items that you really do not want. As long as you have the receipt, you should be able to return them and get a full refund.

(8) Go with your mom, sister, or a friend. Plan ahead and plan to split up so you can snag items for each other. It’s the only way I’ve figured out to help you be in two places at once! If you don’t want to go to separate stores, you can each start out on separate ends of the same store and meet in the middle after you’ve snatched up as many of the things on your (and each other’s) lists as you could along the way.

(9) Gas up the night before so you don’t waste precious sleep OR shopping time at the pump. Also, map out your route based on store opening times to minimize backtracking and missing out on door buster items you’re planning to purchase.

(10) Don’t give up! If the item you are looking for is not on the shelf or display, check the front of the store where other shoppers may have left items they weren’t sure about before checking out. Or, check with your cashier to see if someone happened to change their mind at the register and leave the item you were looking for there.

(11) Be friendly. You will be amazed at how people will help each other, even in the craziness, if they are approached with kindness.

(12 ) And my favorite tip of all… skip Black Friday and shop Cyber Monday instead! There is nothing better than snagging *HOT* deals from the comfort of your own home in your favorite PJ’s!  This is Terry’s #1 Favorite Tip as well!

And the Third site I went to, and found some snappy tips:

www.creativeprincessbrandi.com

BLACK FRIDAY STORE OPENING HOURS 

*If no store hours listed, store closed on Thanksgiving Day.

And one more reason to love Nordstrom…they won’t be Decking their Halls till Black Friday.

And, if you’d like to revisit my last 2 years of Black Friday posts…for your viewing pleasure!

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/black-friday/

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/black-friday-part-deux/

Happy Shopping.  Be Safe.  Please mind your manners. 🙂

And to one of my most loyal blog followers…Happy Birthday LAP!!

May you and yours have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

xoxo,

T.