18 Tips to Having a Killer Black Friday

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so chances are you are creating your “to do” list for a memorable holiday dinner. Don’t forget that the day after Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, and to help consumers save as much money as they can, Ask Coupon Sherpa has released “18 Tips to Having a Killer Black Friday.”

“With the economy still slow and many Americans on a strict budget, retailers are going to be offering a lot of great deals this holiday season,” said Luke Knowles, co-founder of Coupon Sherpa, a comprehensive resource where consumers can find online coupons, printable coupons and grocery coupons along with a free, downloadable iPhone application that provides access to mobile coupons. Ask Coupon Sherpa is the site’s blog that publishes money-saving tips. “Black Friday is an ideal time to take advantage of deep discounts.”

Among the tips in the Ask Coupon Sherpa article about Black Friday are:

Buy the newspaper: There’s a reason the Thanksgiving Day newspaper is the fattest newspaper of the year. Advertisers annually stuff this paper with coupons and circulars advertising their best sales. You can increase your savings with online coupons. Just make sure they can be used in combination with in-store sales or newspaper coupons.

Do your research: If you have your eye on a particular item, surf the price-comparison Web sites and record the prices for reference while shopping. Don’t forget to add any fees to the price. Some stores allow you to place an order online for in-store pickup the next day. You’ll still want to hit that store pretty early, however, and bring your printed-out receipt as sales clerks may not focus on filling online orders when pressed by throngs of shoppers.

Develop a game-day plan: Draw up your shopping list and establish your priorities before you hit the stores. Decide which stores you want to shop and in what order.

Are all parts included? Is the sale item stripped down or sold with all necessary parts? For example, some stores will low-ball the price on a computer printer but not include a printer cartridge, which can run to a pretty hefty figure. As a matter of fact, you should always check the price of printer cartridges before buying a printer. A $50 printer isn’t a great deal when the cartridges cost $50 each and run out quickly.

Hitch a ride: Parking on Black Friday is a nightmare and can waste precious time. This is one instance, however, when biking or taking the bus doesn’t make sense as your arms will be weighed down with packages at the end of the day. Ask a friend or relative to drop you off and pick you up.

Stick to your list and budget: In the tumult of Black Friday, it’s easy to wander off target, so make sure you stick to your list. And NO personal shopping. Wait for post-Christmas sales to treat yourself.

“18 Tips to Having a Killer Black Friday” is a prime example of the engaging content that is found on Ask Coupon Sherpa, which was introduced by brothers Luke and Jesse Knowles. It was the Coupon Sherpa iPhone application that sparked the idea for the expanded Coupon Sherpa web site in August and the Ask Coupon Sherpa blog in September. Launched in April, the Coupon Sherpa iPhone application allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to access in-store coupons from their mobile device and present that coupon to the cashiers at participating merchants.

The Knowles received such an overwhelming response to the iPhone application that they decided to expand Coupon Sherpa into a one-stop online destination for coupons. The Ask Coupon Sherpa blog reflects the Knowles’ commitment to making the Coupon Sherpa site an engaging and fun community for cost-conscious consumers.

Information courtesy of Coupon Sherpa