Frugal Family: The Insider's Guide to Black Friday and Beyond

Some of you may scoff at the thought of braving the crowds and rushing out to shop on Black Friday. Love or hate it, Black Friday is where it all begins—the sales, the deals and the holiday excitement. It is a great chance to get a jump start on your shopping, so you can save the rest of December for enjoying yourself.

And running through Toys R Us at midnight is a great way to burn off that third helping of stuffing.

Like last year, Black Friday officially kicks off a little early, on Thursday night. The stores get crowded and the lines can be long; however with a little advance planning you can have a great night and save yourself big bucks.

Make your List
Approach Black Friday like you would grocery shopping: first make a list of what you need to get; then cross reference all the store advertisements. If you don’t have hard copies: never fear--everything is online. Try websites like BFAds or The Black Friday  which has scanned copies of store ads. Also look at store websites for sales ads and at store Facebook Fan pages. Retailers like The Disney Store will reveal their Black Friday deals (which are typically 20-30 percent off the entire store!) on Thursday to their Facebook fans.

After you’ve price checked, make a list for each store. Then. . .

Plan your strategy
So, you have a shopping list. Now, you have to strategize. Store opening times are all over the map. Toys R Us will open at 9 p.m. on Thursday; while Walmart deals start at 10 p.m., the Deptford Mall is opening at Midnight and stores in the are not opening until 5 a.m. Plus, many stores have specific time ranges for deals--like Toys R Us with deals that last until 10 a.m. Friday. Create a timeline, map it out and think through how you will go store to store.

You also print out a store map to Walmart from their website to save time and hours searching for the correct department.

If you plan on heading to store for a “door buster”, plan on arriving a few hours early to wait in line. At Toys R Us, crowds will begin forming at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Stores will only let a certain amount of people in at a time, so plan on extra time in line.

Also, don’t expect to able to snap up every mega deal at the stores. Most retailers, like Walmart, create lines inside the store for hot deals on TVs, camera and video game systems. You have to pick a product and a line--and since you can’t be two places at once, you must prioritize.

Bring a Buddy
If you have a buddy or a group of shopping friends, Black Friday can be a blast. Parking is crazy, so car pool. In the store, you can help each other out, divide and conquer and totally dominate the sales as a team. Since you will be waiting in line, you will have plenty of time to coordinate and strategize.

Also, plan a meeting place in each store. Things get crazy. Cell phones die or signals drop--make sure you have a spot to regroup when the shopping is done.

Pack your bag
Every good shopper has a toolkit. Grab an easy to carry tote bag and bring along cash, credit cards, coupons (yes! you can use store coupons at retailers like Gymboree to score extra savings), your shopping list, store ads, water and a flashlight. After all--you might end up camping outside for a couple hours and you need to see your shopping list!

And don’t forget Saturday!
We all love the convenience and consistency of Big Box stores, but shopping locally is where it is at. Not only do you get to support local businesses--but you can find some of the most unique and special gifts for all those on your shopping list. This year marks the second annual “Small Business Saturday,” so swing by downtown Blackwood or take a look through the Patch Business Directory. It is a great way to support local businesses and avoid the crowded mall parking lot.