Do you plan to hit the stores on Black Friday? 

The Friday after Thanksgiving is no longer the busiest shopping day of the year, but the stores will still be extremely crowded. Many stores will open before sunrise and have special sales to those who arrive earliest. 

If you are going to the hit the stores, you need a plan.  Make sure you grab a newspaper on Thursday since it will be full of ads and special coupons.  Between turkey bastes, you can scan the ads and decide which stores you want to visit.  Make sure that you read the small print in the ads.  Some stores may have only one or two of an item at the sale price.

Fill an envelope with any coupons you will need.  Put the envelope in a fanny pack along with the cash or credit cards you plan to use, photo ID, your keys, and some chocolate (it’s a long day).  You don’t want to be searching for things in the wee hours.

Have a plan of attack.    Decide what your priorities are and hit the top priority first, working your way down the list.  Expect large crowds and long lines.  Be patient.  No sale is worth is worth a fight.  If the crowds are going to stress you out, sleep in on Friday and wait for the markdowns that will hit later in the season.  Gift-giving should be filled with joy, not hand-to-hand combat.

And if you see an Elf while you are out shopping, do stop and say Hi!