Do’s and don’ts for Black Friday shopping

It’s finally here. The Black Friday deals we’ve been waiting for.

But, is a deal actually a deal? Or, it is, as I warn frequently, marked way up and marked way down?

Here are some Black Friday do’s and don’ts:

Do’s

• Compare prices continually. Make sure you’re actually getting a bargain.

• Stick to your budget. The best Black Friday deals are for items you’ve been planning to purchase. If you see something that catches your eye, you may be disappointed later that it wasn’t that great of a deal.

• Pick your favorite retailers. Look over the ads to see what the best prices are for the items on your list.

• Use your credit card for purchases. If the purchase ends up being a fraud, you’re likely to get your money back through your credit card.

• Use coupons. Check online for Black Friday and other coupons.

• Check the warranty. For larger purchases, see what the warranty covers.

• Keep receipts. You’ll likely need them for returns.

• Ask about the return policy. The product may be the wrong size or faulty.

Don’ts

• Don’t take your kids. They may be distracting and difficult to manage in crowds of people.

• Don’t sign up for a retail credit card just to get money off. The interest rates are sky high, often more than 30 percent now. If you don’t pay the balance monthly, your debts will grow quickly.

• Watch out for unrecognizable TV brands. The huge deals may be for TVs of questionable quality.

• Don’t buy toys. It’s likely you’ll see better deals as the holidays approach. However, for popular toys or new toys that are trending, you may want to buy them as soon as you see them as supplies may run out.
  

• Don’t count on finishing your holiday shopping list. Popular items go fast, so have backup plans in place.

• Don’t despair if you missed a big deal. Cyber Monday, now a bigger sale day, is coming up soon.

So, I hope you’re having fun shopping, that you maybe took someone with you and even had time for a coffee or tea break.

Update: A person said you can save 100 percent on Black Friday if you don't buy anything. Good point.