I can still remember the thrill of my first Black Friday experience. I was a sophomore in High School waiting in a line at Best Buy that wrapped around the building. I was one of hundreds of shoppers looking to get the best after Thanksgiving sales they could find. There were news choppers overhead and crews stopping along the line to interview those of us braving the early morning hours for the best deals in town. I felt like I was a part of something amazing, something bigger than myself, and when the doors burst open and we all rushed in, I pushed through the crowds to proudly buy my $5 Celine Dion Christmas CD! In my mind, I had stuck it to "the man" and went home satisfied at my amazing deal.

Hopefully, my 2011 Black Friday shopping will be a little bit more planned out, intensely good and worth much more of my time than a $5 CD! If you plan it right and do your research, you can get some amazing deals by targeting doorbuster sales and taking advantage of the phenomena we shoppers affectionately call Cyber Monday, not to mention the great deals that can be in after Christmas Sales. With careful planning, a lot of patience and even more persistence, you can buy all of your holiday gifts a year in advance for a fraction of the cost...and throw in a few extras for you! This article will help you plan and prepare for the after Thanksgiving sales you'll find in-stores on Black Friday and in-stores during after Christmas sales as well as after New Year sales. In addition, we'll also offer a few tips and tricks to help you navigate the overwhelming amount of discounts and deals that can now be found online during the 2011 Cyber Monday shopping season. Let's begin!

Phase I: Black Friday

One of the easiest traps that shoppers face on Black Friday is buying up good deals simply because they are a good deal. We can quickly lose focus of budget when the dollar signs are dropping! That's why the first step to prepare for Black Friday is making a list of specific gifts you are trying to find. This can be a simple spreadsheet that you plan out ahead of time or even the old pen and paper put to good use. Make sure to include any office gift exchanges, teachers, spiritual advisors, etc. Once you have a solid list, you are ready to start pouring through the ads!

The next most important thing you can do is purchase a copy of the newspaper Thanksgiving Day. While many of the ads are online, I still find it helpful to have a hard copy of all the sale flyers that I can mark up and use to plan my shopping trip. While the rest of the family is comatose on the couch from the turkey, I'm salivating over the ads, pouring through the coupons and marveling at the discounts! If, however, you prefer to look at the ads online, most of the major retailers will have posted after Thanksgiving ads on their websites. Check out sites like macys.com, sears.com, walmart.com and target.com when you are looking for ads.

Once you have the paper, take your time to carefully look at each ad. The deals on Black Friday are often hidden gems found in the most unlikely of places. Start by circling each and every item that interests you as a potential buy. Keep in mind the people on your list and begin to match the deals you are finding with the recipients that you believe would like the item.

Once you have finished looking at the ads, stack them according to store openings. For example, if you know that Macy's opens at 4am, then place that ad on top, followed by the stores that open at 5am, 6am, etc. Use this to determine when you should plan on arriving at each store. Remember that hot ticket items, especially electronics, will sell out very quickly. Chances are if you aren't waiting in the front of the line when the store opens, you are not going to get one of five in stock really cheap laptops! This is where planning becomes critical.

Once you know the order of the stores you would like to visit, start planning a realistic driving route to get from store to store. If there are multiple items that you need at each store, then it might be helpful to bring one or more shopping buddies (teenage children work great for this!) that can split off into different directions, grab items and meet back in the front to checkout.

Does this sound a little chaotic and crazy? Good! That's just part of the fun that after Thanksgiving shopping brings. For so many families, this becomes a tradition that they look forward to year after year. Hopefully you and your family can embrace the craziness enough to leap into the masses and hunt down the good deals that will save your family hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the coming year.

Phase II: Cyber Monday

In the past, traditional after Thanksgiving sales were reserved for those courageous enough to get up early and head out the door in the stillness of early morning. The Internet has completely changed the traditional view of Black Friday shopping and given rise to the popular holiday known as Cyber Monday that is geared specifically for online shopping. Cyber Monday happens the Monday after Thanksgiving when online retailers slash their prices (and often their shipping costs) to give consumers one more chance at amazing holiday deals.

While Black Friday might seem somewhat manageable, the amount of online retailers offering discount codes, promotions and deals can be quite overwhelming. If you're not careful, it can paralyze even the most savvy of consumers. Here's a little advice on how to handle the bounty of discounts.

A great online retailer to hit for Cyber Monday is Amazon.com. Amazon offers "Cyber Monday Lightning Deals" that run all day for short periods of time. They'll feature electronics, toys, clothing, and appliances - pretty much an interesting array of just about anything you need. The positive is that the prices can be very amazing. The negative is that, unlike Black Friday circular ads, you don't know what's coming. If you are in for the long haul, then Amazon.com is a good place to start. Just make sure you check the site multiple times throughout the day.

While many online shoppers hit the major retailers on Cyber Monday, that's not always the best strategy. Often, it can be better to go directly to the independent company's websites to look for products. For example, if you are trying to find a new pair of Ugg Boots for your daughter, you might find a better deal at uggaustralia.com then you would on Amazon. dell.com and shopping.hp.com might be running Cyber Monday deals on computers and accessories that equal if not surpass those offered on major retailer sites. The same goes for cell phone carriers. Try to visit sprint.com, verizonwireless.com, etc. rather than hitting the major retailing sites like BestBuy.com. Cyber Monday is a holiday that it pays to think smaller.

This applies to smaller specialty sites as well. While you may not get to Babies R Us the day after Thanksgiving, it doesn't hurt to check out websites like paradisegalleries.com. You might also forego art supply stores like Michaels or JoAnns and see if dickblick.com has anything better to offer. Sites like mabel.ca can also help you find boutique type products that are discounted for Cyber Monday. It also pays to look up hobby specific sites like telescope.com and rockymountainatvmc.com to find expensive hobby gear for discounted prices.

Also, in addition to the slashed prices, many online retailers will offer promo codes and/or coupon codes that can be combined with the already low deals. Websites like coupons9999.com offer consumers an extended database of all current online coupon codes. Be sure to check out a discount code site before purchasing anything online for Cyber Monday.

Finally, Cyber Monday is a day to think outside the box. In addition to products, travel websites can also be offering discounts. For example, in 2010, Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Aruba was offering a Buy 2 Nights get 2 Nights FREE deal on Cyber Monday. Buy two nights at the leisure rate and get two nights free, in addition to discounts on the bedding, bath and body products offered in their hotels through their online website, shopmarriott.com. Smartdestinations.com, Proform.com, Laithwaiteswine.com is another great online travel website that offers deals all Thanksgiving weekend.

In addition to travel, weight loss companies offer enticing deals for their programs (especially tempting after the engorgement that just happened four days prior!). Sites like Medifast or healthy food delivery and preparation companies like efoodsdirect.com, thereadystore.com, wisefoodstorage.com, emergencyreserve.com should all be considered in your Cyber Monday experience.

The last, but most important, rule for Cyber Monday (or any online shopping for that matter) is that you should avoid paying shipping at all costs. Make sure you factor in shipping costs before hitting the "purchase" button as many times any discount you might have received will be negated with inflated shipping and handling charges.

Phase III: Green Monday

If you still find yourself giftless as you move into the month of December, then you will gladly welcome Green Monday! Much like Cyber Monday, Green Monday is the second Monday in December and has become yet another day of online deals galore. Don't let the name fool you - this day is not about saving the planet! It's more about adding money to the coffers of businesses.

Coined by the company eBay, Green Monday was originally used to describe their best sales day in the month of December before Christmas. For whatever reason, it seems that about 10 days before Christmas things really start to heat up, consumers panic so the deals are unleashed once again as stores try to reach their target sales goals. 2011 Green Monday will happen Monday, December 12th. The same suggestions for Cyber Monday are applicable for Green Monday.

Phase IV: Free Shipping Day

It seems that each year the economy suffers, retailers come up with more and more creative solutions to get us to buy, buy, buy. Thus, the birth of Free Shipping Day. Free Shipping Day began in 2007 and falls the Friday before Christmas. On this day, thousands of online retailers join together to offer FREE shipping that is guaranteed to arrive on your doorstep by Christmas Eve. 2011 Free Shipping Day falls on December 16, 2011.

While Free Shipping Day might have some lucrative deals, it is wise to make this your last resort for those hard-to-shop-for people on your list. In general, the deals on Free Shipping Day are okay but not great. For a full list of online retailers participating in the 2011 Free Shipping Day, visit freeshippingday.com

Phase V: After Christmas and New Years Sales

Just in case you haven't had your fill of shopping by Christmas, you can also find amazing deals in-stores after the holidays are over. Especially if you are looking for discounted toys (Target is wonderful for this) or Christmas decorations (try Walmart) then now is the time to grab. Many times savings will reach 75% off as stores are scurrying to clear shelves to make room for spring merchandise.

Some people swear by the after Christmas deals they can find and savings do reach high levels. The one negative is that by this time, merchandise has been picked over for the holidays so you might have to dig deep to find good deals.

If you are planning head out the day after Christmas or New Years Day to start your year off shopping, the same concepts apply: familiarize yourself with the deals, decide which ones you want and then plan your time and route accordingly.

Hopefully this information has inspired rather than overwhelmed. The main thing to keep in mind is to have fun. Gift giving by its very nature should be a delight and not drudgery and, quite honestly, the more money you can save the more fun you will have. Really, who needs to know that the $150 purse your sister-in-law is unwrapping only cost you $30?!?

So, happy shopping! Go out (or stay in) and enjoy the deals you can find this holiday season!

Posted by: Staff on Fri, October 21, 2011 10:59 AM