Christmas Feature: 5 Essential Tips to Christmas Shopping

Christmas is the busiest time in terms of shopping because everybody has to make some type of purchase whether gifts, decorations or food in addition to the everyday essentials that we all need to buy. Thus, you can't just randomly roam around; you have to know what you're doing.
Let me just start you off with a few general shopping tips that can be applied at any time of the year, whether Black Friday, Christmas or Boxing Day:

Top 10 Tips
Top 10 Clothing Shops
Top 10 What Not To Do

Now, for the uniquely Christmas tips:

5. Brand names are important.

Some may not admit it but everyone likes brand names simply because of the popularity (although quality is often better as well). Whether it's shampoo, clothing or coffee, everyone wants the real stuff. And Christmas isn't a time to be pinch pennies; it's a time to show your love and care for people.

4. Hurry in the stores, not on the roads.

I know you're in a rush and I know you have better things to do but for your own safety, don't try cutting through hundreds of cars on your way to the mall to save a few minutes. In the winter especially, it's a hazard because of the slippery, wet conditions as well as the low visibility.

3. Remember to wrap.

Not putting wrapping paper on your gifts makes the recipient feel uncared for so just take a few moments to properly wrap what you give.

2. Shop on weekdays if you can.

The weekends see malls crowded with people each scurrying their own little way, and not caring who they irritate while they do this. On the other hand, weekdays are a lot more peaceful without the stink, heat and crowds of Saturday and Sunday. Parking spots are available and you don't have to worry as much about thieves either.

1. Know what you need.

It's easy to blow a holiday budget and even the most frugal of people can do it. I understand that you want to be a generous as possible but you have to stop at a certain point. So gather all the wishlists, make your own shopping list of things you need to buy for the big party and go armed with these. Inevitably, you're going to spend a bit more but it's always better to have a few guidelines.

One More: Don't be distracted by Christmas displays or events.

There's always going to be Santa Claus visits, special decorations and what not but you have more important things to do. Refrain from strolling around a shopping center examining each little Christmassy item.

Black Friday Featured Shopping Tips: Top 10 Best Black Friday Stores

10. Staples

With a number of HP printers 40% off and a 26" LCD HDTV at only $299 (online), Staples really has made its mark in the world of Black Friday shopping. And it isn't just pencils and erasers either.

9. Home Depot

The orange "Do-it-Yourself" guys at the Home Depot are offering some great deals today. Magic Chef 1000-Watt Countertop microwaves are starting from only $69.99 and assorted Christmas decorations start at only $9.99. Also, tons of tools feature huge markdowns such as a 52-Piece Dewalt Drill and Driver Set for just $9.97.

8. Toys R Us

America's largest toy store is giving you some pretty big discounts with DVDs at half price, World of Warcraft games at half price and Annabell dolls and accessories at 60% off. But hurry in because these deals won't last long.

7. Ikea

I'm not particularly fond of Ikea's furniture but this store is definitely offering some pretty big discounts. For instance, a "Malm Queen Bed Frame" is only $99.99 and the "Arstid Table Lamp" is priced at $19.99.

6. Sears

You'll be surprised at how low the prices go here. This is not usually an incredibly popular store but I imagine that today will be quite different. Sears is giving away $60 gift cards with purchases of 4 Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone or BFGoodrich Tires, 7-piece towel sets for only $3.19 as well as women's fleece and activewear at 60% off. In fact, you'll find almost the entire store at 50-60% off.

5. Aeropostale

Aeropostale, one of the premier teen clothing shops, is slashing prices by 50% on everything in the store with the exception of clearance items. That means all of your favorite hoodies, t-shirts and fragrances from this brand will be half price.

4. Best Buy

Get a Toshiba Satellite Laptop for a mere $379.99 ($270 off) or a Sony Cybershot 10.1 MP Digital Camera for only $299.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy. You can save hundreds of dollars on pretty much everything in the store so try to jam into a crowded Best Buy to get these huge savings.

3. Sports Authority

You can go to Dick's Sporting Goods and get average deals or you can go to the Sports Authority to get the real deals. Close to all the athletic equipment in the store is marked down by at least 25% such as the entire stock of youth Nike and Adidas apparel for 25% off as well as the an Everlast Heavybag Kit for only $49.99.

2. Amazon

This year, Amazon, has decided to offer Black Friday deals on pretty much all of their items including their form of the doorcrasher, which they call the Lightning Deal. You don't have to stand in long line-ups or tire yourself roaming through mall after mall; just head to Amazon and you've got all you need. They'll give you a Canon Powershot 10 MP digital camera for $159.94 ($70.05 off) and a Magellan 4.3-inch display GPS System for only $199.99 (67% off).

1. Every Other Store

Don't stop at what I just mentioned, go to any and every store you want to go to because each one will have its unique savings.

Black Friday Shopping Tips: Top 10 Things Not To Do When Shopping

10. Do not get grumpy.

It's not going to help you to let your emotions run high. The only things doing this will accomplish is discouraging you and bringing down others around you.

9. Do not look for good parking spot.

Face it. You're simply not going to find the few spots right beside the entrances. Don't waste your time and get to the shopping. Settle for any spot you can find; a little bit of walking can't hurt you.

8. Do not bring your kids.

First of all, the huge crowds are extremely dangerous; children can easily get lost or even get kidnapped. Moreover, the little ones have the stores that they want to go into and stay in forever, which becomes a huge hassle. Allow them to make a list of things they want and take that with you during your shopping spree.

7. Do not bring valuable things.

There will be an amazing number of people in the malls on Black Friday and there's bound to be at least a few crooks in each one. You don't want to get your most precious jewelery stolen or lost.

6. Do not wear high-heels.

Ladies, this will be a long day especially if you're one of the really enthusiastic breeds of shoppers. Where comfortable running shoes that you will not become quickly tired in and brace yourself for a ton of walking.

5. Do not become intrigued by items you know you can't buy.

Hey, here's a rule: Engage yourself in stuff you will buy but ignore the stuff that you won't. It's just a waste of time and energy occupying yourself in admiring an awesome $20,000 swimming pool when you live in a condo.

4. Do not get out of line in frustration.

Every store is inevitably going to have unbelievably long line-ups that you simply cannot avoid. If you really want something, trust me, it's a good idea to wait in line for a while because there is not other time where you can purchase it at such a low price.

3. Do not go to stores with less than 20% off.

Retailers have sales all the time but generally not of this magnitude. However, some companies are a bit cheap and are only offering say 10% off its stock. You can get 10% off any time you want! Look for the exceptional deals with say 50% discounts.

2. Do not use a credit card for everything.

You've been witnessing the second worst economic meltdown in the history of the United States and financialists are dubbing it the "credit crisis". As you probably have distiguished, the reason for this is the fact that people are constantly not spending cash but using credit, which often gets them into big trouble.

1. Do not not shop.

This is pretty self-explantory. If you don't shop you're losing out on the biggest sales of the year. You should be hungry for these with the recent inflation levels.

Black Friday Feature: Why You Shouldn't Go Shopping at Walmart on Black Friday

Let's face it, Walmart has not only become a force in the economy but a building block of our everyday lives. Pretty much everybody goes to one of these huge department stores at least once in a while to purchase many things such as food, clothing and beauty supplies. The main reason so many consumers flee to such a store is obviously because of its low price guarantee. Americans, Canadians and for that matter Indonesians know that Walmart usually offers some pretty big discounts.
On the other hand, if you're considering visiting Walmart on Black Friday, it isn't such a great idea.
To begin with, as some people know, the actions of this corporation aren't exactly the most righteous and often, I find myself questioning shopping at all at such an immoral place.
Now, going back to the topic of Black Friday. First of all, this date is simply not the time to be making petty purchases of such things as candy and postcards; you should be thinking big. This is not to say Walmart does not have "big" things but its version of these products simply do not have the same quality as many other stores. Black Friday is a time where the price of everything drops dramatically and therefore, you can afford to buy that maple desk or gold wristwatch instead of the cheap stuff. Instead of going to Walmart for a hoodie or t-shirt, head over to Aeropostale, which is, by the way, offering 50% off pretty much everything in stock according to some sources.
In addition, I'll bet you can find better products at other specialty stores for even lower prices that what they are at Walmart. Sure, I'll admit that this retail chain has the best deals for the majority of the year. But for a few days, you should have no doubt in your mind that Best Buy is where you should go for electronics and Dick's Sporting Goods is where you should go for athletic equipment.
Last but not least, most people don't understand what I'm telling you right now so they're going to be running into Walmarts all across the country. This in turn means that the line-ups and crowds at your local "We Sell For Less Everyday" store will be enormous, humongous, gargantuan etc. Thus, it'll be unsafe if you're bringing children along and it'll also be a unnerving hassle just manoevering through isles.
With all this, on Black Friday, Walmart should not be on your list of shops to go to.

Black Friday Feature: Top 10 Tips You Need To Know Before Shopping

10. Bring Refreshments

Hey, believe it or not, shopping can be pretty tiring. I suggest you bring a few bottles of water, a few granola bars and some soda to keep from waiting in the long line-ups at snack places.

9. Take it Off

Black Friday is one day you can't afford to miss. In fact, some employers are even deciding to allow workers to have this day off with pay. And even if this isn't the case, the money you will save will still compensate for any lost salary.

8. Find a Shopping Location that Suits Most of Your Needs

You don't want to be wandering from one mall to another, wasting gas, time and energy. Just look for somewhere that has everything on your wishlist, from clothing to electronics to furniture to sports equipment.

7. Try to Purchase Bigger, More Important Items for Greater Savings

Black Friday is not the day to be buying cartons of milk or bags of chips; you should be thinking to make major purchases to really take advantage of the low prices. For instance, that TV you've been wanting might be something you'll want to shop for.

6. Plan a Route of Stores You Want to Visit to Save Time

This is a biggie. It would be dumb and frustrating, and not to mention exhausting to be scurrying in circles through an enormous shopping center, filled with people. Take a bit of time beforehand to go to your Black Friday destination's website and print a map to lay out your trek.

5. Search Through "Official Black Friday" Websites to Find the Best Deals

Although pretty much all stores will have humongous mark-downs, you should see that you get the best prices on the best items. Some websites can be found with a simple search of "black friday" on Google can lead to good pages.

4. Make a Shopping List

This can determine how much you can buy and can be based on priority, considering your budget. As well, a shopping list can help you with your route.

3. Grab a Few Coupons

I think this is pretty self-explanatory; coupons are money in the bank and no experienced shopper can go without them. You might not think these are important on such a day but you might regret not printing a few off.

2. Don't Try To Buy Everything

This is a mistake many shoppers are bound to make and it's quite inevitable that you will spend more than what you planned but keep in mind that even with the incredible sale prices, you don't have all the money in the world. You probably shouldn't purchase the products that are 5-10% off because there are many that are 70-80% off.

1. Don't Waste Your Time

Looking at products that you have no intention of buying is absolutely off limits on such a hunt for things. Black Friday is no time to dawdling, glancing over everything that "interests" you because trust me, there will be a lot of cool stuff. Also, if you want ultimate efficiency, you might want to split up if you are a large group, organizing a meeting place. After this, you can enter stores that cater to what you want.