Are You Ready for Black Friday?

I know some people (and I'm not naming any names) who take Black Friday very seriously. For some of these folks, Thanksgiving Day is simply the Thursday before Black Friday. For others, Thanksgiving is an actual nuisance because it interferes with the planning, plotting, and preparatory sleeping that needs to occur in advance of Black Friday. These are the people who begin lining up at Walmart at midnight, just to save a few dollars on that new Blu-Ray player or digital camera.

I don't mean to suggest that this is an effort in futility by any means. In fact, in one black Friday ad, I saw a T.V. comparable to the one my husband just bought--but it cost $200 less than he paid for ours (sorry, Honey). The truth of the matter is, there are some great deals to be had as long as you are willing to sacrifice a lot of time and a little sanity to get them.

With that in mind, I spoke with some of those die hard Black Friday shoppers who graciously offered their insight and experiences. From there, I assembled some tips and strategies to help you make the most of this nearly-official shopping holiday. From chasing down the ads to chasing down the deals, here are the best ways to plan for Black Friday.