Dealnews.com: Black Friday Strategy Guide

If your one of the many shoppers looking forward to Black Friday this year, Dealnews.com has quite a few strategic tips to help you get the best bargains this year and the most for your dollar:

This year’s holiday shopping season is expected to be a bargain hunter’s paradise. With struggling vendors and a sagging economy, everyone’s vying for your dollar. But unless you know how to score the best deals, chances are you can wind up spending more than you wanted. Follow our Black Friday Strategy Guide before heading outside and you’ll not only find the best deals, but you’ll do so without breaking a sweat.

Start your Black Friday on Thursday
The “big-box” stores will have most of their Black Friday sales online on Thursday. In fact, in years past, we’ve seen some deals sell out before Black Friday. dealnews’ #1 Black Friday tip is to begin shopping online on Thursday, as early as possible (if you live on the West Coast, start Wednesday night).

You should also pre-shop Black Friday doorbusters online. Once you decide on an in-store only doorbuster you want, search dealnews to be sure no one else has a deal on that or a very similar product. Then, use price comparison engines like PriceGrabber or Shopping.com to make sure that the alleged doorbuster is in fact the lowest available price. Still a good deal? It might be worth a trip to the store then.

Shop online on Black Friday too
Major online retailers like newegg.com, Staples, JR.com, and Amazon.com have pre-announced Black Friday sales. Expect to find aggressively-priced electronics from each store, but let us cut through the clutter for you with our updated Black Friday Deals Page, all confirmed and price-checked.

Do your homework
No one wants to sit in traffic on Black Friday, so make sure to map out the stores that you want to hit. Know when they open, when they close, and if applicable, what hours during the day their best sales will take place. Plan on buying a massive flat-panel TV? Make sure your car has the space you need to store it so that you don’t waste time shuttling purchases back home. It also pays to make lists of what you want. Review them while you’re in line. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask employees for help or to check inventory when you can’t find something.

Be first in line
Some stores will hand out first-in-line vouchers for shoppers who wake up at the crack of dawn and stand in line outside their store. These deals are typically substantial, but very limited. The only way to get them is getting up early so you can get a leg up on the competition. Hey, there’s a reason we listed that sleeping bag/tent bundle last week.

These are just a few ways to plan for the biggest Holiday Shopping Day of the Year, find more money saving strategies for Black Friday at Dealnews.com, where everyday is Black Friday!