Black Friday is just two days away and the anticipation is killing me. I wait for this day all year long. But this year is a little different, now that consumers are pinching pennies its time to get all your shopping done at Door Buster prices. They’re a few key steps to survive the dreaded Early Bird Specials.

Make A Budget - Create a budget of how much you want to spend this year and stick to that budget. You might surprise your self if you calculate it all up and you might have a little left over to get something for yourself.

Do Your Homework - Look through all the Black Friday ads and make a detailed list of what you would like to get. You can’t get it all so don’t stress out about it. Some stores have great Thanksgiving Day and Saturday sales too. Here is my favorite Black Friday Sale website (BlackFriday.info).

Compare Prices - Look to make sure you are really getting a deal or if you are just paying for a marked up product. They’re many shopping sites like Shopzilla, Shopping.com, PriceGrabber.com, or NexTag.com.

Set Up A Plan Of Attack - All the stores open at different times, so set up a plan to hit the earliest ones first. Make sure you get there early if you want to be towards the front of the line.

Prepare For The Elements - I have been doing this for a long time now and i have learned over the years that a regular jacket and gloves just doesn’t cut it. Wear a lot of layers to stay warm. Also if you are going to be there awhile you might want to bring a snack and some form of entertainment. The best form of entertainment is a friend or loved one, and when you get real cold you can get close and warm up.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions - Once you are in the store make sure you locate your item as soon as possible. If you don’t find it right away ask so you don’t end up empty handed. Some stores hand out tickets or have certain lines for high-priority items.

Don’t Panic And Stay Calm - If you miss out on a item from your list don’t worry about it, everything happens for a reason. Electronic prices are constantly falling and it will be no time before you can get that HDTV or Blu-ray player you wanted.

Watch Out For… - Many deals are price so low that you over look small details. One thing to watch out for is mail-in-rebates, ask your self if you are really the kind of person to fill one out and send it in? If not then just let that sale slide and look for something else. Another thing to watch out for are pushy sales associates that try to trick you into an item you really don’t need. Check your receipt, if you don’t get the price advertise don’t be afraid to ask a manager or supervisor.

Remember after every Black Friday there is Cyber Monday the official kick off to the online holiday shopping season. So if you can get up Friday after all that turkey on Thursday, then just sleep it off and be ready for amazing online deals on Monday.

[via Gizmodo]

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