Black Friday Tips

It's late but I figure I can pass on wisdom for next year.

(1) Get a Thursday paper, scan the ads and decide who has the best deals.
(2) Make sure you have a babysitter because dragging kids around isn't enjoyable for you or them.
(3) Eat breakfast, though if not hungry toss a snack in a zippie and keep it with you.
(4) Carry cash/credit cards in your front pocket, purses are easily stolen when your distracted.
(5) Don't overlook stores in strip malls. I hit a Bealls Outlet and got 75% off any clearanced items, so I basically paid 1/4 of the original price tag.
(6) Don't shop off your list, buy only what you need, call your husband/wife to get second opinions.
(7) Do buy ahead in clothing for your children, generally children will gain 2 inches each year.
(8) If buying ahead, remember what season it will be for a particular age. No one can wear sweat pants in a FL summer.
(9) Don't underestimate Black Friday shoppers, they *will* steal your purse, shopping cart, and items right out of your shopping cart.
(10) Don't hit the mall, all the young people go there and it's so much worse around holidays
(11) If you plan on hitting Target or Walmart, plan to walk, wait and walk some more
(12) Keep a list of what family members enjoy, that way if you can't find one item you had hoped for, you can fall back on another one.
(13) Don't buy toys if they aren't age appropriate.
(14) Be nice! Your a sinner and salvation was needed for you. So, remember kindness and patience are Godly and go a long way.
(15) Don't shop for other people. If they aren't with you, don't take a laundry list of "to buy" things, because you will have enough of a time finding your own stuff much less theirs.
(16) Your goal is frugality, so don't hit food vendors or soda machines because your spending money when your trying to save it.
(17) Walkie-Talkies are a lifesaver if you have a set, that way you can communicate with your friend/family/spouse on one end while they hit the other.
(18) If you haven't seen Aunt Betsy sporting a neon green parka, then she probably wouldn't want one even if it were 90% off.
(19) Kids have enough toys given to them throughout the year, rear them up to enjoy Christmas as a time of celebrating Christ, spending time with family and enjoying the gift of giving. I promise you they *really* don't need a Wii but most American kids could use a bicycle, books or a jump rope.
(20) If you don't find a specific item(s) at one store, move on and don't waste time.
(21) If 3 gifts worked for Jesus, it can work for each of your children. :-)
(22) Don't underestimate church rummage sales, I've found brand new, in the box items for $1 or $2 but would have paid $15-$20 even on sale during Black Friday.
(23) Pack a few bottles of water to rehydrate you throughout the day.
(24) A huge percentage of gifts are thrown out, given to rummage sales (thanks by the way!), or sit on a shelf until it's thrown out or given away, so be about 99% sure that gift your buying will be used. If Aunt Suzie is diabetic, she doesn't need Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix in a Reindeer Bag.
(25) Stores that are not popular (like Pier 1, Circuit City, K-Mart, etc) and usually don't have alot of cars in the parking lot on normal days, are *great* to hit on Black Friday and in the coming weeks. While most people are hitting Walmart, Target, and the Mall, you can check out the deals in the less visited stores.