Black Friday Tips and Store Openings!

Are you planning on staying up late or getting up early on Black Friday? For some people, it's a tradition to go out late or early and feed the shopping frenzy that takes place. I personally have never shopped really late or really early, I usually tried to avoid Black Friday. But for those of you who do like to go out, there are some Black Friday Do's and Don'ts.   Thanks to consumer expert Andrea Woroch for these great tips! DO

• Do Strategize Check out all the preview ads for your favorite stores. And consider shopping at a mall instead of a stand- alone store — you will have more options and less driving. Be sure to dress in layers to avoid over heating or freezing. And keep snacks handy.
• Do Make a Detailed List Be very specific about what you are looking for. Keep a list on paper or on your phone. You need to be able to access details like model numbers or sizes.
• Do Track the Deals You can already find Black Friday deals listed. Amazon and Target already have pages on their website dedicated to Black Friday. If you study you favorite stores deals, you will not be surprised when you get to the store.
• Do Shop Online Unless you really love getting up early or just like to be involved in Black Friday shopping, this is a better way to go. And now most online stores will match prices you find and offer free shipping. So you never have to leave your home.
• Do Look for Coupons Surprisingly there are some great coupons available for Black Friday deals. For example, you can find coupon codes for free shipping.
• Do Socialize While you are standing in line, you will have plenty of time to keep up with Facebook and Twitter pages for instant updates on deals and hourly promotions.

DON’T

• Don’t Drown in Numbers Always ask a sales associate if you are confused by all the markdowns. Make sure you are clear on the price before taking it up to the register. Download the Sale Saver app which features a price calculator that factors in all discounts, including store-wide or product sales, along with coupon savings and any other promotional offers.
• Don’t Spend Unnecessarily Don't be fooled by price reductions “ sometimes you are not always getting a deal. Many stores drop prices on unpopular items to clear out inventory. Always have an understanding of what something costs so you don't spend too much.
• Don’t Give Up If you missed any deals on Black Friday, you will still have plenty of opportunities to find huge discounts. Don't forget Cyber Monday follows Black Friday.
• Don’t Get Trampled Remember this is just shopping. It's not worth getting trampled. Take your time entering the stores. Target plans on cutting back on the chaos by allowing only 30 shoppers to enter the store at a time.
• Don't Go It Alone Bring a friend or family member with you. It's nice to have a place holder when you need to use the restroom or a snack runner when you get hungry.
• Don't Forget the Small Stores If the mall may be a little overwhelming for you, remember to shop the smaller stores. This is also a great way to support the local economy!

Thanks Andrea! Now I ™m sure you want to know when your favorite stores open. Here's a list I came up with. Always double check to make sure your local store is opening at these times. Here are the Black Friday opening hours: Thanksgiving 10 pm Toys R Us Walmart 12 am Best Buy Kohl's Old Navy Target 4 am JC Penney Sears 5 am Babies R Us Cabela's Home Depot Michael's Sam's Club 6 am Bass Pro Shops CVS Jo-Ann Lowes Office Max Staples 7 am Petsmart Walgreens Happy Shopping Everyone!