Lately, it seems that people are not hurrying to the Black Friday deals anymore. The fights, the cold, and the waiting seem to have taken their toll. Not to mention the fact that more and more people are switching to online shopping. The lure of lounging in your pajamas while simply moving items into your online shopping cart has taken away the thrill of snagging the last pair of 70% off boots.

Why has the long tradition of waiting in lines until midnight and playing bumper carts been pushed back into a corner? Most of it is likely from the online shopping factor, but it is also because no one knows where to go to find the best deals. Sure, Meijer and Walmart put their ads out a week in advance so you can go scope the location, but their deals aren’t the best on Black Friday.

So where do you go from there? Doing a lot of background checking so you can wake up at three in the morning only to find that all of the items you wanted are bought seems like a bit of a waste. Hopefully this list of the best places and the best ways to shop on Black Friday will help you out.

Stores to go to:

• JC Penney’s
• Kohl’s
• Macy’s
• Kmart
• OfficeMax/Office Depot

*Note that all of these stores were found off of consumerist.com

Ways to shop:

• Read all of the ads
• Know what stores you want to go to
• Visit those stores ahead of time
  • Memorize the locations of the items you want
• Doublecheck coupons, rebates, and store policies
• Wear warm clothes
  • Bring more than you think you’ll need. Take layers off if you get too warm
• Bring coffee (or other warm beverages)
• Don’t go solo
  • It gets boring waiting in long lines by yourself
  • Teamwork!
• Feel free to run
• Be wary of impulse buys
• Protect what you buy

*Note that all of these tips came from www.manhelper.com

Don’t forget the most important thing of all: spend time with your family! It is Thanksgiving weekend after all, so once you are done shopping, head home, make some hot chocolate, and have some quality family time. First, however, you have to survive the crowds and the cold. Happy Black Friday!