Black Friday: Are You Ready?

Now, I've never been one to hit the stores at 4 a.m. after Thanksgiving, but I can see why people do it. There are some great deals to be had! This year there are also lots of Black Friday deals offered online, saving you the work of standing in line and fighting the crowds.

If you do go, remember these tips:

1. Wear comfortable clothing, shoes. This is akin to an athletic even and you don't want to be uncomfortable or overheated!

2. Bring the ads with you. Sometimes stores will do price-matching.

3. Double-check the model number/features of the item you want to buy. Stores offer "limited supplies" of the loss leader items to get you in the door, then often substitute a comparable item when they run out. Just be sure it's not missing a key feature that you were looking for.

4. Keep your receipts! I've heard that many retailers will be more strict this season about returns.

Here's some other info to get you prepared -- remember to get that newspaper, too!

• Preview Black Friday ads here.
• Don't forget Friday deals at your local grocery store.
• The Simple Dollar's tips for Black Friday shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping!

Tip of the Day: BB&B Coupons

Recently we've been trying to spruce up our bedroom and bathroom, which naturally involves a trip or seven to our local Bed Bath & Beyond store. You know all those 20% off and $10 off coupons that come in the mail? Well, hang on to them, if you don't already!

Here's why:

• You can use them even after the expiration date [the policy on their site differs, but the cashier recently confirmed this for me]
• You can use more than 1 at checkout -- believe this has to be on multiple items, but clarify with the store manager
• If you forget the coupon at home, they'll let you come back and refund the discount at a later time

I think those are some very pro-customer policies that make me want to shop there! Plus, did you know they now sell drugstore items like shampoo, soap and toothpaste? Apparently that's only in select stores, but the south Austin (Brodie) store has it. Convenient!