Have a Happy Black Friday: How to Beat the Crowds And Find the Best Holiday Shopping Deals

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner, and while many are looking forward to a relaxing day of digesting on the couch and watching football the following Friday, the savvy holiday shopper will be up bright and early (or even out late at night), shopping list in hand, trying to find the best deals on the hottest toys before they sell out.

Only 35 Shopping Days Till Christmas

Yes, Black Friday, as the official start to the Christmas shopping season is often called, is only a week away, and already there have been ad campaigns and flayers advertising the deals available to those who take the initiative and get their shopping done early. To help you organize your shopping day, we have found pertinent Black Friday information from the biggest holiday retailers, and provided you with easy reference so that you can be prepared for next week. Good luck!

1.  Wal-Mart
Doors open: 5 am
Weekly Deals Circular here.

Wal-Mart is focusing on safety this year, after last year someone was trampled to death at one of their stores in the Black Friday rush. This includes staying open 24 hours on Thanksgiving, as well as a week of Post-Thanksgiving like prices this coming week. Wal-Mart also has a special holiday savings section online.

2.  K-Mart
Doors open: 6 am
Weekly Deals Circular here.

K-Mart’s has a 40 page Black Friday ad, and so many of the deals are available online. There is a great toy deal that offers free shipping on toy orders of $49 or more.

3.  Target
Doors open: 5 am
Weekly Deals Circular here.

Target’s craziest Black Friday deal is the reported $3 kitchen appliances deal. Also, target is offering a $10 gift card whenever you spend over $100 on Black Friday, so you can keep the shopping spree going.

4.  Best Buy
Doors open: 5 am
Weekly Deals Circular here.

Best Buy offers maybe the most comprehensive Black Friday package, including tips on how to have a successful shopping day. They also have a “Why I Love Black Friday” essay contest that awards prizes including a $1000 gift card, a digital camera, and maybe most importantly, entry into the store a half hour before everyone else.

5.  Staples
Doors open: 6 am
Weekly Deals Circular here.

Most of the Staples deal are under wraps, but there are some good deals on electronic such as computers and digital cameras. Staples also has a site dedicated to holiday savings here.

Well, there you have our shortlist of the Black Friday deals you won’t want to miss. For a more comprehensive look at the Black Friday sources our there, Bank of America has sponsored a comprehensive Black Friday 2009 page on WalletPop.

For complete scans of the official Black Friday ads that have leaked out, from a large variety of stores, visit www.blackfriday.info, a wbesite dedicated to everything Black Friday. Let the countdown begin, and have a safe and happy shopping holiday!

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Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other. It operates in 32 states, the District of Columbia and 30 foreign countries.

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