Black Friday Shopping Survival Guide

Check out our expert tips on how to save time and money.

Make a Budget and Stick to It - Blind shopping — or planning a mega shopping trip such as Black Friday without making a budget — could be financial suicide. Go online and price your favorite items before you hit the stores. Also do an assessment of your finances to determine how much you can spend per item. You can stick to a budget with the Christmas List app here.(Photo: Jamie Grill/Getty Images)
Getting Digital - Online courses at colleges and universities offer flexible options for busy students, and millions of students nationwide are taking advantage. In the 2012 Survey of Online Learning published by the Babson Survey Research Group on Jan. 8, more than 6.7 million students said they took at least one online course during the fall 2011 term, up 570,000 students from the previous year. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)
/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/08/Health/080112-health-sexual-healtha-pp-cell-phones-women-health-std-texting.jpgCheck Out Hotels’ Direct Websites for Deals - The national travel aggregators (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, etc.) would like you to believe that they offer the best possible deals, but the reality is that hotels often post even better prices and/or packages on their own websites. Before you hit "buy now" on that package deal through an aggregator, be sure to check out the hotel’s website first.(Photo: OJO Images/Getty Images)

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Decide Exactly What You Want - "Whether walking into a store on Black Friday or sitting down to shop online on Cyber Monday, know what it is you plan to buy for your friends and family. While it's nice to have a plan, be sure to shop-and-smell-the-roses, too! Be inspired by the unique products you'll come across, knowing that you'll be a hero over the holidays if you go "off list" and delight your recipients with clever products they didn't know they needed." —MaryAnn Bekkedahl, President and Co-Founder of theSwizzle (Photo: GettyImages)

Photo By Photo: Jamie Grill/Getty Images

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