Black Friday, should I really brave it?!?

Well, I have a biased opinion to that-it's YES!!!  This coming from someone who has worked retail on that day and for the last about 10 years has shopped it.

Look through the ads.  AFullCup has a complete list.  Look under Forum and then Hot Threads.  Is there something there you want/need?

Look through that list that you made from my first post.  What specific items are you looking for?

If you go out on Black Friday without a plan, it is guaranteed that you will come home with tons of junk you didn't need.  But if you go out with a plan (and stick to it!) you can save tons of money.  Yes, the deals are that good!

Go with a partner!  Scope out your deals ahead of time.  Have one of you wait in line and the other shop.  Or divide and conquer, one of you head to the toy department and the other to the electronics.

Go early but not too early!  The majority of the screaming deals are the Early Bird specials.  Now, I'm crazy for Black Friday but I'm also a little sneaky!  I go exactly (or 5 minutes before) the store opens.  Why wait outside and freeze to just get there a few minutes earlier?

Only shop at stores that are well stocked!  One year I waited in line at Toys R Us for an item for my daughter for 2 hours (I violated my rule and waited in line REALLY early!).  Once I got in the store I found out that they only had 5 of the advertised item for the whole store!  Then I left Toys R Us and went to Radio Shack (they opened an hour later-so again out in the cold) and found out that the store I went to was too small for the item I wanted to get.  Talk to your stores this week.  I went in to Target and was assured that there would be tons of stock of the TV that my husband and I really want.  Historically, Target has a great stock so I'm heading there for sure!!  Read the fine print.  If it says 10 items per store and you're not camping out, it's unlikely you're going to get that item.

Go with a great attitude!  People will be tired and grumpy, ignore them.  Caffeine yourself up, stop for some little snacks and laugh off the grumps.  Wear comfy shoes and warm layers (it gets hotter in the mall so prepare to peel your layers). 

Most importantly, if you don't get that item you wanted-It's OK!  You've live your life thus far without it, you'll be just fine!

(In case you can't read the words on the comic above it says, You didn't tell me you were going camping this weekend.....Where are you going this time?  Best Buy.)