How to Shop on Black Friday

Black Friday is the busiest shopping time of the year for consumers and retail businesses alike. The sales are great, the discounted items are in abundance and the holiday spirit is high. But so is the frustration from the pushing, waiting and the lack of parking. Follow these steps to shop on Black Friday.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Make a list. Know what you want to shop for and go get it on Black Friday. Be aggressive about pushing through crowds but be careful around children who may have joined their parents.

2. Arrive early. You will still have to face a line on Black Friday but it won't be nearly as long as it would be a couple of hours into the sale. If you arrive later, you also risk having the items you want to buy being sold out.

3. Get together all the sale papers so that you know what is on sale and where to find it. You do not want to waste any time browsing for items only to discover that they're not on sale. If you're shopping in one store, construct an informal map that leads you from floor to floor or department to department. Your organization will give you an advantage over other shoppers.

4. Continually consult your list of items so that if you see a long line for one product, you can go to another department that might be less crowded and buy something else.

5. Monitor your cart closely. Desperate people may snag sold-out items from your cart. After all, no parent wants to disappoint their child by coming home without TMX Elmo.

6. Shop online. At least there's no pushing, shoving or fighting and you can dress however you please.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to keep your wallet or purse close at hand. Unfortunately some people become desperate during the holidays and resort to desperate measures.