by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: November 01, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2009

Traditionally Black Friday is the day that kicks off the holiday shopping season. Economist use the day after Thanksgiving as a barometer to measure just how successful this years holiday shopping season will be. Retailers are counting on shoppers wanting to get a jump on the season and using this day off to begin their holiday shopping. Shoppers are on the hunt for the great deals and retailers hope to sell shoppers lots of big ticket items. No wonder it is called Black Friday.

Fliers come out early to entice you to get up at 3am and rush to your local stores hoping that you will be one of the shoppers who really makes a killing. Past experience has shown that retailers will have a limited number of any items that are offered at an almost unbelievable price and that you will have to be a superman or woman to get one of these items. Waiting in line for hours and fighting off the competition. How bad you want one of these items will determine if it is worth it to you.

Before you go to these extremes you might want to check online and compare the prices being offered by all the other retailers. Typically electronics are the items that will be offered at ridiculously low prices. Time is money and your time is worth something. You will have to decide if you are willing to give up a night of sleep and hours in line to possibly save a couple hundred dollars. You need to be an educated consumer to recognize if the items being offered are exactly what you want and if the savings are legitimate.

Most retailers will be offering sales all day on Black Friday. At the crack of dawn there will be lines and huge crowds for the few particular items that are sharply discounted. Savvy shoppers are going to start their shopping on Black Friday at the off price stores where the stock is discounted everyday. You may find that you don't even need to head into the more crowded stores. Outlet shopping is a good way to share in the Black Friday experience. This is only a good option if they haven't been advertising any additional discounts. If they have you will find that crowds are just as huge there as everywhere else.

Black Friday has become a traditional shopping day across the United States. If you are willing to fight the crowd, push and shove and run in the door to try to grab one of the items you particularly want then get up at 3am and go for it. But if you want to enjoy your shopping, find some good buys, get your holiday season off to a great start then sleep in, go to the off price stores and outlets, have a leisurely lunch and come home with your arms filled with packages and bags and your sanity intact. Who knows, you may even enjoy the holidays this year. Maybe for you it won't be a Black Friday at all.

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