7 Tips For Surviving Black Friday

Black Friday is only a few days away! Will you be going out or staying home? If you're someone who can't live without those great deals, I have some tips that might make that day a little easier on you.

1. Check out the ads. Stuffed like the Turkey, your newspaper will be full of Black Friday ads on Thanksgiving. On The Discount Hero site, I have posted a ton of ads that you can look at instead of waiting for the newspaper. These ads will help you organize your shopping trip. You'll know exactly what you're looking for and aside from waiting in long lines, you'll be able to save quite a bit of time browsing around the store. You will also have a better chance of getting exactly what you want rather than looking around and then realizing the 10 people in front of you already picked up what you wanted and there's none left. You'll also know exactly what deals are for what times. For example, a specific discount may only be given between certain hours. You will want to make sure you're at that store at that time so you don't miss out!

2. Do your research. Check out Consumer Reports and various other sites for product reviews. No matter how cheap something is, it isn't worth getting if it doesn't work well or won't last long.

3. Compare prices. You may see an item cheaper at one store than it is at another. However, sometimes the store with the cheaper item won't include the extra parts needed to use the item. Sometimes paying $10 or $20 more for a game system that includes games and controllers is better than buying the cheaper game system and still having to buy games that aren't on sale!

4. Night Owl Discounts. Some stores will be offering overnight sales - mostly online. You may even be able to order online and pick it up at the store. Pay attention to the hours of sale. Many retailers will open earlier than others in hopes of getting your holiday dollars before their competitors do.

5. Bring your ads. Many stores will offer "low price guarantee" but you must have the ad to prove the price. Stores can be very picky about a low price guarantee though so make sure the items are exactly the same size, color, and have the same accessories or you will be wasting your time.

6. Know store policies. You're going to want to pay close attention to return policies. Many stores are cracking down on needing to see a receipt when you return an item. This will be especially true for Black Friday sales. Stores are not going to accept you buying it at one sale price and trying to take it back the next day without a receipt and hoping to get back the non-sale price. So please, KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS and know your store policies when giving gifts.

7. Shop early. One of the best tips I know for shopping Black Friday sales is to get your items early!! Don't worry about not getting what you want. Get it the day before. Hold on to your receipt. Then on Black Friday, go in to get a price adjustment from customer service. This will usually be a much shorter line. If your store won't do a price adjustment, just return your items and buy them back right there at the sale price. The only downside to this is that you'll have to have a hefty chunk of money to buy the items pre-sale. This can be especially difficult when you're going to be saving hundreds of dollars on that television deal. If you have the extra money though, go for it! Your sanity just might be saved!