Black Friday shopping tips and tactics for getting the best buys

We are barely done sorting through the Halloween candy haul the kids brought home, and already it’s time to start thinking about Black Friday and holiday shopping.  Here are some shopping tips on making the best use of your time to save the most money, from the website BlackFriday2011 —

• Research: start your Black Friday 2011 sale research now, so you are ready for the sales that begin as early as the day before Thanksgiving — ToysRUS already has announced it will open for Black Friday at 10 PM Thursday, and Target and Macy’s are  opening at Midnight Thursday.
• Make a plan: identify what you want to buy, which stores have the best sales on Black Friday, and what time they open.
• Timing is everything: arrange your on-site shopping by opening time, from early to late.  And do as much shopping as you can on-line to avoid the crowds.
• A fool and his money: be wary of Black Friday deals with quantity limits. If a store advertises it has only ten items of something you want, go elsewhere.
• Visualize: know where your items are in the store.
• Stay Safe: In past years, Black Friday sales were honestly deadly; even with beefed up security, use common sense and common courtesy
• Power of numbers: go with a team and attack separate stores or separate sections of the same store. Stay in touch by cellphone, and designate a meeting place.
• Bring a snack: only amateurs stop at the food court on Black Friday.  Don’t waste time waiting on line.  Actually, lunchtime is a great time to shop — while others are scrafing down the calories, you are getting the shopping bargains.

I’ll be posting more Black Friday shopping deals and discounts in coming days.  Subscribe to NYC on the Cheap — it’s FREE — so you don’t miss anything.  And check the new NYCOTC DAILY DEALS round-up page for great voucher deals from Groupon, Living Social, Juice in the City and Gilt Groupe.  Just click the DAILY DEALS tab at the top of this page.