Black Friday Survival Tips!

I think I expressed my love for Black Friday in a previous post and I think I am going to do it again this year. I get really excited for the newspaper that comes on Thanksgiving Day because it has all of the sale ads for Black Friday. Part of my Thanksgiving includes planning out my shopping day. This includes what stores I plan to go to, what time they open and exactly what I want. I also prioritize what I want to buy and hit those stores up first. I am not one of the hard core Black Friday shoppers that will sleep outside in a tent for a week to get a $100 TV but I do enjoy getting good deals.

I have figured out some tricks to surviving Black Friday so I will be using those again this year.  Here are some of the tips that I want to share with you:

1. Be Prepared!It is almost impossible to get everything you want because the door busters sell out quick so you have to join forces with family and friends. You have to know what you want and then you have to split up and hit up the stores individually. I go one direction, my other half goes another. My sister and I do a lot of cross country shopping as well. She looks for things for me and I look for things for her and we keep in contact via text messaging.
2. Find a baby sitter for the kids or leave them home with Dad if he is not a shopper!  Some of those Black Friday shoppers get crazy and I know you have heard the stories of people getting trampled at Walmart. Other reasons to leave the kids with behind include long lines at the check out and the restrooms. Kids also get tired and hungry and it is just not an enjoyable experience for them.
3. Know the layout of the stores you plan to hit up. I usually hit up my local stores so I already know where everything is at but if you are shopping in a place where you don't usually shop check it out ahead of time so you can go directly to the location of the items you are shopping for.
4. If you pay close attention, there are certain lines for people buying certain things and if you are actually buying one of those items, you are lucky but I am usually unlucky. I have another strategy that may or may not be so honest. I usually just purchase one of the items that has the special line,which is usually an hour or two shorter, and then return it the following week!
5.  Keep your eyes open for items that people have ditched and do not want.  I have found some of the door busters that are sold out thrown about in various locations the store.
6. Lines can be pretty long so if you have a shopping partner with you, sometimes it pays to have them jump in line while you are shopping around. This can save you lots of time and allow more time to head to the next store!
7. Watch your cart carefully! I have had people try to remove things from my cart when I looked away for a moment. I guess they figure that the best place to find the door busters is in another person's shopping cart.
8. Watch your purse! The stores are crowded and it's very easy to lose sight of your purse.  Never leave it in the cart attended. I carry a smaller purse with me on Black Friday and never leave my purse in a cart no matter what.
9. Shopping carts are hard to come by on Black Friday so the best place to get a cart is from someone who is exiting the store. I sometimes follow people out to their car so I can take their cart. Of course I ask them but this is sometimes the only way to get a shopping cart.
10. Put all of your shopping bags in the trunk of your car and out of view! I have heard stories of people being robbed of their goods left in the car.  
11. Finally, rest up since most sales start at midnight and you will not be sleeping but shopping instead. Bring water and snacks with you since Black Friday shopping will consume quite a few hours of your day. 
12. For the Non-Black Friday shoppers, stay away from the stores on this day! Make sure you take care of any errands you have today and you will avoid the craziness! 

So now that I have given you all of the tips, who is going Black Friday shopping? ME!!!