I haven’t missed a “Black Friday” shopping Day in years. Come to think about it, I have never not shopped on Black Friday. Even as a little girl, Black Friday was an “event” in our house. Waking up early. Scoring deals. Getting ready for the Holidays! I just love the energy and excitement of Black Friday, it has always kick started my countdown to Christmas, especially now being a mother of 4 little boys. I’ll never forget waking up at 4AM in Pittsburgh, PA when William was a mere 3 months old to go find that season’s must-have baby toys. It’s was my first year shopping as “Santa”… and I wanted the Holiday to be incredible, even for this 3 month old baby, who… at that point was just learning to hold his own bottle! But I LOVED being out that early, braving the wind and the cold.. waiting in line at Toys R Us for an hour(!)… and feeling so happy (and lucky!) when I was able to score the items I wanted at some pretty cool prices.

So… “Santa” has continued the Black Friday tradition for now the last 5 years, waking up at the crack of dawn to head out and get some must-have items. Or, at least… just to be apart of the “Day” (yes, you can call me crazy!).

Here are 5 Tips for Shopping on Black Friday that will make your life easier:

1. Have a PLAN. This may sound like such easy advice, but it’s true. Start scouring the circulars a few days before. Know the stores you want to go to. Know the hours of the stores. Know what you want to buy. And know (if you can ahead of time) a layout of the store – believe me, this helps immensely.

2. GO ALONE. (OK… only if you can.) If your husband can stay home with the kids, or you have someone that can watch them, leave the kids at home. It’s too crowded and too crazy for kids to be out with you. Last year I was in line with a woman who was out with her 2 little kids at Kohl’s (they were about 2 and 4 years old), they were not happy waiting in line, one kept wanting to run off… it was too much. So – if you can… head out solo! Not to mention, your attention isn’t focused on shopping (because it shouldn’t be) when you’re with your kids.

3. SET YOUR ALARM. The early bird gets the best deals on Black Friday. Many times the stock runs out quickly… especially for some “hot” items. Make sure you set your alarm, or if you feel so inclined – don’t sleep! 😉

4. COMPARE SHOP ahead of time. You will be inundated with sales and deals – if there is something (or things) in particular that you are trying to “score,” do some research ahead of time on the internet and compare prices. Make sure you’re actually getting the best deal out there.

5. BRING THE ADS with you. I cannot tell you how many times this has helped me out at the registers. Many times the items aren’t scanned with the “right” prices ahead of time. It’s always important to bring the ads/circulars so you can cross-check it if something is coming up as a different price than you bargained for.

(Last… you can always INTERNET shop on Black Friday!)