Black Friday shopping tips

Halloween items barely made their exit from store shelves before the holiday shopping season invaded. And today, colloquially known by shoppers as Black Friday — is considered the biggest shopping day of the year.

The National Retail Federation predicts the 2009 holiday shopping season will be leaner than it was in 2008, which was the worst in 42 years. Efforts to sway your dollar have retailers scrambling to promote the best deals — good news for shoppers looking to purchase more for less.

Many say successful Black Friday shopping is an art. If your deal-sniffing skills aren't up to par, consider the following tips to help make your experience more productive and less exhausting.

Research

Write down the gift ideas you'll be shopping for. Scan the store newspaper ads to determine where you'll get the best deals for the items.

Know your budget

Determine your gift shopping budget. Write these figures down and take them with you. Doing so will help you avoid spur-of-the-moment purchases on gadgets you never planned to buy.

Avoid opening store credit cards

Saving 10 percent sounds great. A bill that totals $100 falls to $90 in the blink of an eye. Regardless, more credit cards only produce more debt. When the credit card bill arrives in January, the $10 savings won't matter any more.

Plan your route

Decide what stores you plan to visit. Start with ones opening the earliest and proceed down the list ending with stores opening last.

Know clothing sizes

Once you're in the store, there's no time to figure out what size pants to get your nephew or what size boots your niece wears.

Shop in numbers

Bring friends or family. It's tough to stand in multiple lines at once. Make sure everyone has cell phones with fully charged batteries.

Take rations

Bottled water and snacks like crackers, fruit, nuts or granola bars work best. Otherwise, you'll be hitting the food court or local doughnut shop, spending money and time where you don't need to.

Dress properly

You'll be walking in parking lots, strolling through aisles and standing in long lines, so wear comfortable shoes. Consider wearing layers you can easily shed as the day goes on and the temperature rises.

Be safe

Bring only the credit cards, debit cards, checkbook or money you plan to use. Consider putting them in a fanny pack or money clip kept in your front pocket. The Black Friday crowd is a pick-pocket's dream.

Know what you're getting into

If large crowds and possibly encountering rude people stress you out, Black Friday might not be your scene. Anticipate lots of people who are in a hurry. Take deep breaths, and know your turn at the cash register is coming. Don't forget to smile and say thank you to the sales assistant.

Local Store Opening Hours for Black Friday

+ JC Penney (Signal Hill Mall, Statesville) 4 a.m.

+ Kohl's (Mooresville, Huntersville) 4 a.m.

+ Sears (Signal Hill Mall, Statesville) 4 a.m.

+ Best Buy (Mooresville) 5 a.m.

+ Target (Mooresville, Huntersville) 5 a.m.

+ Wal-Mart (Mooresville) 5 a.m.

+ Michael's (Mooresville) 6 a.m.

Web sites

www.BlackFriday2009.com

www.black-friday.net

www.theblackfriday.com

Can't make it to Black Friday? Consider the following tidbits:

+ Target is promoting its "low price comprise" deal this season, where stores will match locally advertised prices from competitors.

+ Wal-mart and Toys "R" Us are advertising 100 and 6,000 toys, respectively, for $10 or less.

+ Cyber Monday is Nov. 30. Online retailers will offer deep discounts through their Web sites.

+ Many online sites, such as Amazon.com, are offering deals on shipping.