Cheap Blondes: Approach Black Friday with a plan

If shopping were a sport, Black Friday would be the Olympics.

To get the best deals, you have to be at the door well before the store opens, which is most often at around 2 a.m. in the cold. Then shop with a mob of people, all of whom are grumpy and coming out of a Thanksgiving feast coma. So you really have to want to compete.

You also have to be knowledgeable and prepared; being fast and aggressive doesn't hurt either.

If you have never shopped Black Friday, you need to know that it is an entirely different animal than everyday shopping. Expect mobs of people, long lines and for many of the extremely low-priced items, they will go very fast (sometimes within minutes of the store opening in the wee hours of the morning). Be prepared for disappointment, you may not get that deeply discounted item.

So is Black Friday shopping worth it? Our answer: sometimes, depending on what you are purchasing.For example, is it worth getting out of bed at 3 a.m., standing in the cold and then waiting in line at the register for an hour to save $15 on a toaster? We don't think so. However, it is worth it to save $200 on a laptop.

You just have to weigh that for yourself.

We suggest prioritizing your purchases based on the amount of money you save versus the percentage of discount that is being offered. Where you go on Black Friday should be determined first on what you need and secondly based on how much money you will save.

In this economy, really great bargains are not hard to find. However, you want to find the lowest price and Black Friday may be your best bet because stores offer limited time items at significantly reduced prices to get you in the door. It's just a matter of being one of the first through the door and to that item.

Preparing for Black Friday is key. You can view "leaked sales circulars" online at a plethora of sites. This can help you begin to formulate a strategy, but do not rely on those sales until you see the actual print ad in the Thanksgiving newspaper.

You can also verify sales on the store's Web site. When checking sale prices, realize that a retailer's online store does not always match the deal you will find in the store, that's why getting your local newspaper is so critical.