Black Friday Deals

Black Friday can mean major savings when it comes to holiday shopping, but there are deals to be had that don’t involve waking up in the wee hours the morning after Thanksgiving and battling the crowds. The November 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, has a step-by-step guide to finding the best Black Friday sales without all the runaround.

“Multiplying deal deadlines can put a lot of pressure on shoppers leading up to Black Friday,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “With our five Black Friday shopping tips, people can avoid the pressure that would otherwise lead them to make irrational purchases and waste a lot of money.”

Start now
Thanks to “holiday creep” – the same phenomenon that puts Christmas decorations in stores before you’ve finished eating your Halloween candy – you can probably grab some Black Friday-style deals now. Last year, JCPenney, Sears, Staples, Target, Walmart, and others advertised big sales – some offering as much as 50 percent off – starting even before Halloween. So look online for info about preholiday sales.

Track the ads

Black Friday shopping sites make it easy. Check out www.BFads.net, link www.BlackFriday.info, link www.BlackFriday.net, link and www.TheBlackFriday.com, link as well as year-round sales aggregators such as www.FatWallet.com link and www.GottaDeal.com. link Also try mobile apps such as Black Friday.

Nab insider info
“Like” your favorite retailers on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for advance notice of special sales. You can also follow @DealCyberMonday on Twitter.

Shop Small Business Saturday
Many local merchants offer Black Friday specials as well as holiday deals on the following day. It’s dubbed Small Business Saturday and is sponsored by American Express as a reminder to shop at your friendly neighborhood retailers.

Get a jump on Cyber Monday
Amazon.com link is starting its holiday shopping blitz on Monday, Nov. 21, a week ahead of the traditional busiest day of the year for online shopping. You can follow online specials at various Cyber Monday websites, including www.CyberMonday2011.com, link www.Cyber.MondayDeals.net, link and www.DealsCyberMonday.org. link If you’re buying online, watch for free-shipping promos. FreeShipping.org is a good place to start.