A beginners guide to shopping Black Friday

Published: Thursday, November 17, 2011

Updated: Thursday, November 17, 2011 18:11

After every Thanksgiving holiday comes the most horrendous shopping day of the year, Black Friday. For some, Black Friday is the best day of the year, tons of deals are to be made and shoppers can get everything on their lists for a fraction of the usual cost but at what cost?

Shopping on Black Friday is an art, a science that requires planning, patience and dedication. Shopping on Black Friday doesn't begin the day of. It should begin about a week in advance.

Plan ahead

The first part of shopping on this dreaded day is preparation. A week, or at the very least, a few days in advance, you need to check out deals online. It's important to figure out what you want to buy and where you can get it for the best price. This is when sites like http://bfads.net (the official Black Friday ad site plus iPhone app) come in handy.

Map it out

Everyone is going to be shopping on Black Friday which means traffic is going to be horrendous. You should map out which stores you want to hit ahead of time. It is also good to find out when they open, when they close and if there is a particular time of day where the sales will be the best. For larger purchases like flat screen televisions or lets say a bicycle, you should make sure you have ample room in your car before you hit the stores.

Black Friday starts Thursday

Most stores will begin their Black Friday deals on Thursday on their websites. You should check out your favorite online stores like amazon.com the day before Black Friday. Some stores like Walmart and BestBuy will also give hints towards secret in-store deals for Black Friday a day early on their websites, that they didn't post in their circular advertisements the week before.

Be proactive

Find out the stores return policy before doing this. If there's a particular item on your list that you must have, buy it before Black Friday. If the item you bought is cheaper on Black Friday return it and then re-purchase it for the discounted price. Also, don't forget about price matching, find a deal for your item in another store, your store should match it.

The early bird gets the worm

Waiting in line is never fun and it will probably be cold but the earlier you get there the better your chances of getting what you want. Some big name stores like BestBuy or Macys might hand out vouchers to the first few people in line (a reward for camping out for hours ahead of time). It's basically free money to put towards your purchases.

The buddy system

Always bring a buddy to go Black Friday shopping with that way you have some one to hold your spot in line for bathroom or snack breaks. The best person for this job is a boyfriend or husband who has nothing they want to buy themselves. They can just follow you around and help wrestle gifts from a crazy shopper or two if need be.

Careful with rebates and warranties

A lot of deals will include large rebates but if you forget to mail them in that $500 gift with the $100 rebate will still be $500 dollars, not $400. Also be wary of warranties and home installations. These can cost a lot of money, making your on-sale gift closer to full price by the time your done.

Cyber Monday

Missed a gift on your Christmas list? Don't panic, Cyber Monday comes the following Monday after Black Friday and with endless amounts of online deals. Check out sites like Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and Bestbuy.com for serious savings.

Gift Receipts

Don't forget to get gift receipts. Theres nothing worse then getting three of the same present from your friends or family, but luckily you'll have a gift receipt. Extend that same courtesy to those you give gifts to as well.

Things not to buy on Black Friday

While it may appear that there are great deals for everything on Black Friday there are better times to buy certain items, including toys, jewelry and top-brand televsions.

1. Jewelry: although these perfect gift giving items may appear cheap on Black Friday they are much more affordable around seasons that aren't about gift giving.

2. Toys: your kid may be issuing serious threats if you don't get them the exact action figure they want for Christmas but these gifts are better purchased two weeks before Christmas, the deals will be even better then!

3. Top-Brand Televisions: there will be a ton of no-name brand televisions for sale at all sizes on Black Friday but who knows how well they will perform compared to their brand-name counterparts. It's better to wait until the real sets go on sale.

4. Christmas Decorations: you may think this is the perfect time to buy Christmas decorations, but hold out till Cyber Monday (the Monday after Black Friday) to get better online deals. There is a reason it was the highest spending day in 2010.

Black Friday major store hours