8 Ways Your Smartphone Can Save You Money

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

A cell phone is not just a phone anymore – that’s for sure! It’s getting more difficult to decide which one you need (maybe the cellphone with the best coupons will do?) because of the sheer number of choices and features available. Although some people find that a cell phone that just makes calls is sufficient for their needs, most contemplate whether a smartphone is worth the extra expense. Perhaps you already have a smartphone and are looking to get the most from its ‘superpowers.’ Here are some ways you can use your smartphone to actually save money:

Coupon Apps – There are a multitude of coupon applications available for smartphones which make you aware of discounts and allow you to access them directly from your phone. Even Groupons you’ve purchased from your computer can be redeemed from your smartphone, eliminating the need for printing and carrying them with you. Some apps integrate with your GPS to display local discounts (or even the cheapest gas prices) based upon your current location.
QR Codes – Quick Response Codes are those black and white symbols (similar to UPC codes but made of small squares) that are showing up everywhere from magazine pages to product packaging to signs in stores. Simply scan these QR Codes with your phone; among other things, they can trigger an opportunity to sign up for email notifications of discounts, coupons and other savings opportunities on the spot.
Texts – Especially in restaurants, it’s common to see signs that read something like, “Text 1234SAVE for savings.” I recently did so at a restaurant and immediately received a return text entitling me to 10% off the meal I was there to enjoy. Others may text you notifications of upcoming specials.
Foursquare – This is one of the location notification apps for smartphones. When you arrive at a destination, like a store, restaurant or gas station, for example, you can “check in” – which means you notify the application of your whereabouts. The business you are visiting may have provided a Foursquare coupon which will display on your smartphone upon check-in. I recently received a 20% off coupon when I checked in at JC Penney, getting me a discount on clothes.
UPC scanning – An organization program called Sprinpad, which can be accessed on your smartphone, can help you compare prices among online stores. Scan the UPC code on a product and Springpad will inform you of pricing on a variety of sites.
Price history – Even without an app, you can keep a list of prices on your smartphone to remind you of pricing on products you want to compare. Having a record, for instance, of a good price for laundry detergent will help you make an informed buying decision when you come across the product at another store or in a different sized package.
Calculator – If you have your smartphone with you, you have a calculator at your disposal to easily figure out price per unit, keep a running total of your purchases or calculate a percentage to help you purchase wisely and keep track of your spending.
Shopping List – At the very least, a smartphone provides a place to keep a shopping list you’ll – most likely – always have with you. Maintaining and shopping with a list saves money and time.

A smartphone can be a significant expense; it’s up to you to make it pay off by utilizing its capabilities to help you save money. My personal goal is to have my smartphone pay for itself over time by taking advantage of all the savings opportunities it can help me find and redeem.

How do you use your smartphone to save money and spend more wisely?

9 Rewards Sites to Take Advantage of During Shopping Season

by Miranda Marquit · 1 comment

During the holiday shopping season, it’s easy to lose track of the situation and spend more than you planned. Even if you do have a spending plan for the holiday season, things can get expensive. You can alleviate some of the financial pressure, though, when you sign up for cash back rewards sites.

Cash Back Rewards Sites

These web sites offer your rebates, points and cash back when you use them for your shopping. You can use these sites all year for your shopping needs, and cash in your rewards during the holidays, and you can also use them to offset some of your spending this year. Here are some of the more popular cash back rewards sites:

Mr. Rebates: You can get up to 30% back on each dollar you spend at certain retailers. On top of that, there is a $5 registration bonus right now, so you start out with $5 in cash back.
Ebates: This is a popular and well-known web site that is offering a $10 gift card bonus to new sign ups. You can choose from Target, Barnes & Noble and others. Get up to 35% back on some stores, or find great deals.
Swagbucks: With Swagbacks, you earn points for your purchases, and then you redeem them for products and services that you use regularly. The current sign-up bonus is 30 Swagbucks.
FatWallet: As long as you use FatWallet as a starting point for your holiday shopping, you can earn cash back from featured retailers. FatWallet also offers instant coupons and other deals.
ShopAtHome: Get access to online promo codes and great deals. On top of that, you can also get cash back. Thousands of holiday deals, and even free shipping offers.
MyPoints: Shop your favorite stores and earn points. When you use the deals, coupons and shop at partner retailers, you receive points. Your points can then be redeemed for gift cards, travel, and more.
Big Crumbs: This cash back rewards web site will also reward you for referrals. Boost your cash back when friends and relatives sign up through your referral code.
Bing Rewards: The search engine is working on growing market share by offering rewards. You earn rewards for each purchase, and get points that can be redeemed for movies, dining, travel and more.
Upromise: You can use this web site to help build up money for your child’s college education. Invest your cash back earnings in a 529 so that it goes further. You can also request a check.

Combine with Rewards Credit Cards

You can up your efforts by combining your cash back rewards with a credit card strategy that works. A rewards credit card can help you maximize your cash back. For instance, I like to book trips by first going through Upromise, which connects me to Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and others. I get cash for my son’s college for booking through the sites, and then, when I pay with my Upromise rewards card, I get additional cash back.

This strategy can work with rewards sites as well. You can go to a site like Ebates, and make purchases with your cash back rewards credit card. You’ll get your rewards from the site, plus the cash back for your using your rewards card. With the right strategy, rewards sites and your credit cards can be part of your frugal lifestyle.

5 Reasons to Avoid Battery Operated Toys

by Tracy · 0 comments

Your child’s life doesn’t have to be battery operated.

We live in a modern world that moves ridiculously fast. Unfortunately, that means our children like things that go ridiculously fast, too. But that doesn’t mean you have to go as fast as they want you to, especially when you know what’s best.

Not every toy in your child’s toy chest needs batteries, and in fact you may be better off buying toys that don’t take them at all. From the cost of maintenance to general safety, battery-powered toys can sometimes cause more problems than they’re worth.

Here are 5 reasons why you should avoid battery-operated toys this holiday season.

1. Batteries MUST be included. If a child receives a gift that looks fun, yet they can’t play it because it didn’t come with batteries batteries, they can experience immediate and obvious disappointment. To avoid this inevitable disappointment, a gift giver is required to purchase an additional item to deliver with the gift. A toy without batteries is great right out of the box.

2. Batteries cost money, and there’s no avoiding it, eventually those batteries will need to be replaced. The more batteries a toy requires, or the bigger those batteries are, the more expensive it will be to keep the toy running. A toy that doesn’t take batteries is free to run forever. On the other hand, a toy that requires batteries will always cost money to maintain.

3. Batteries must be recycled. As soon as a battery dies, it loses its value and must be thrown away. But you’re not supposed to throw batteries directly in the trash because it can result in erosion and acid leaks, seeping harmful acids and chemicals into the earth. Yet, recycling isn’t always practical or easy, and many people don’t even know you’re not supposed to throw batteries in the trash. No batteries, no worries.

4. Batteries are artificial. If you like the idea of your child playing with natural wooden toys painted with non-toxic paints, you can forget about getting them anything battery operated. Battery operated toys are almost always plastic, and about as far from natural as a plastic banana. Few battery operated toys could ever invite the words “charming,” “old fashioned,” or “sweet.” Yes, the world moves fast, but sometimes you want your child to understand that play can still be charming, old fashioned, and just as sweet as can be.

5. Batteries equal noise. Every parent knows, battery-operated toys are usually an invitation to plenty of bright lights, loud sounds, and general annoyance. Not only does this sort of audio riot create an annoying environment for parents, it also erodes your child’s expectations for what they expect in their own environment. Plus, battery operated toys with loud noises and blinking lights tend to go off at the least opportune moments, like when you finally get your infant down for a nap.

Just because the world is moving at the speed of broadband, doesn’t mean your child has to spend every second of their childhood plugged in. Ditch the batteries so you can give your child toys that they’ll remember long after the batteries have died.

3 Areas to Consider When Making Financial New Year’s Resolutions

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

With the current year rapidly drawing to a close, thoughts turn to the new year and to the sense of renewal we feel and demonstrate by making New Year’s Resolutions. Many folks take this opportunity to begin new habits and quit bad ones. The dawn of a new year may be a prudent time for you to make some changes to improve your financial circumstances.

Three areas in which you can resolve to consider as you begin the new year are:

1. Resolve to care for your health:

Make appointments for your yearly medical checkups and screenings
Visit your dentist twice every year
Floss and brush your teeth regularly
Eat healthy
Take appropriate vitamins and supplements
Exercise regularly
Quit unhealthy habits like smoking and overindulging in alcohol or sweets

Each of these actions ultimately help you save money because you’ll be healthier overall, which will help reduce your healthcare costs. After all, dental floss, a new toothbrush and toothpaste cost far less than a root canal. Healthy food is more nutritious and cheaper than convenience food. Cigarettes and alcohol are not only unhealthy but expensive while the cost of vitamins and supplements are an investment in better overall health.

2. Resolve to de-clutter:

Evaluate and clean out your living environment. Chances are you have little idea of what you really have. You may be living among items you don’t remember having; or items that could be re-purposed rather than buying new. Once are aware of what you have, categorize your “extra” items into 3 categories:

items to keep (making sure you have a clear-cut reason)
items to sell
items to donate

To sell – At your earliest opportunity, sell the items at a garage sale, on eBay or Craigslist or through a classified ad. Just liquidate them so they’re not sitting around creating clutter. Selling them can give you a few extra dollars to spend on things you need – or to save.

To donate – Find a charity as soon as possible. You’ll appreciate a less cluttered environment for a large part of the new year and you’ll enjoy a tax write-off (be sure to get a receipt from the charity for the items you donate).

To keep – Resist the temptation to stick them back in a closet to become future clutter. Perhaps you need to buy craft supplies to create a scrapbook to turn all that memorabilia into something precious. Perhaps you need to take a class to learn how to turn those old sheets into curtains. Whatever you need to get or do – take action so the clutter you saved gets transformed into something that is of real value to you.

3. Resolve to take advantage of opportunities to spend less and save more:

Start using coupons
Make a yearly budget
Use a shopping list
Use a Flexible Spending Account if it’s available to you
Start or ramp up a savings plan
Pay up debt
Analyze your regular bills for potential savings
Dine out less often
Pay with cash or check rather than using credit whenever possible
Insulate your home
Service your appliances for optimal performance

These actions will ensure that you spend as wisely as possible and make the most of available opportunities to save.

A new year represents a brand new opportunity to make changes for the betterment of your financial situation. Even though the economy is still struggling, start fresh at the New Year to make the most of your resources in 2012.

How have you resolved to save more and spend less in the new year?

Looking for Big Savings in Your Household Budget

by Miranda Marquit · 1 comment

A lot of the time, when we think about frugal living, we think about pinching pennies and looking for little ways to save. While you can save money over time with such strategies, and even save some money in the short-term, it’s important not to get so focused on the penny-pinching that you neglect to remember that there are ways to save large sums of money.

Sweating the Big Stuff

You can, in fact, sweat the big stuff, and boost your monthly savings. Some of the ways that you can save large amounts of money include:

Evaluate your insurance: Look at your insurance policies, and figure out if there are ways to reduce what you pay in premiums each month. One thing you can do is raise your deductibles. From health insurance to auto insurance to home insurance other policies, you might be able to raise your deductible and save more money. If you can handle the higher deductible, go for; your cash flow each month will improve. You can also decide if you can drop some coverage, lowering your premiums.
Refinance your loans: Decide if it makes sense to refinance some of your loans. Mortgage rates and car loan rates are near historic lows. You can refinance your loans to lower rates and save each month. Refinance for the amount of time you have left, and only for the amount of money left. You might be surprised at what you can save with even just a 1% reduction in your rate — especially over time.
Subscriptions and publications: You might be surprised at how much you can save when you get rid of some of your publications and subscriptions. From expensive cable packages, to print publications, to monthly online subscriptions, all of those expenses can add up. Re-evaluate your publications and subscriptions and get rid of those you don’t need. Consider your cell phone subscriptions as well. Look at your usage, and be honest about it.

Frugal living doesn’t have to be just about pinching pennies and cutting out small daily pleasures. While the “Latte Factor” can help you save on a small scale, what you save may not add up to be enough to really change your cash flow. Instead, you can attempt to look for big savings. Some of these can result in between $200 and $500 each month. That’s some serious money that you can add to your budget to improve your overall cash flow.

And, of course, if you can save the bigger amounts of money you might not have to pinch some of your pennies. You don’t have to completely give up your indulgent $3 treat if you are saving $300 a month on your insurance premiums. Or, if you don’t want to spend the $3 a day, you can cut it back to three times a week, rather than cutting it out every day. Reducing the big costs can have a bigger impact on your monthly cash flow, and ease things a little bit more than a few dollars here and there can do.

Unique Giftwrap Ideas that Won’t Break the Budget

by Tracy · 0 comments

Who wants to spend more on gift-wrap than they did on the gift itself? On the other hand, there is no denying that an attractively wrapped gift is extra appealing and makes special occasions even more memorable. Here are a few inexpensive, creative gift-wrap ideas that can make your gifts really stand out.

1. Try using plain craft paper or butcher’s paper as a base. A giant roll does cost quite a bit more upfront than dollar store wrapping paper however you’ll be able to use it to wrap gifts suitable for all occasions for years. The relatively thick paper allows for crisp corner and can look quite posh and luxurious if you use care in cutting and folding the paper.

The possibilities are almost endless. You can leave the paper plain and use beautiful ribbons, bows or accoutrements made of natural materials to make the gift stand out. Stamps and stencils can be used either before or after the gift is wrapped to customize the paper for the occasion or recipient. If you have children, do allow them to make their own wrapping paper with paints, crayons or markers to use on presents for family and friends.

2. Save recycled and up-cycled materials to use for wrapping, tags and cards. If you don’t have one already, find a box or bin to designated as a catch-all for those bits and pieces that are suitable for crafts. Most people already save gift bags for re-use, but you can also save greeting cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and other gift-wrapping accessories for re-use. Little charms and gee-gaws that come with packaged goods or gift baskets can also be re-used.

Your local library will have copies of books and magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Family Fun that can provide you with tons of inspiration. Grab a handful to bring home and flip through to help you decide how to best re-use your treasures.

3. Pieces of cloth, scarves, napkins and tea-towels can all be used as gift wrap. Bojagi is the Korean art of using cloth as an environmentally friendly way to wrap gifts. There are many videos on YouTube that can teach you the basic techniques. The best part about wrapping with cloth is that the wrapping becomes part of the gift. You can get creative with themes, for example using a tea-towel to wrap up a cooking-related gift or a vintage scarf to wrap up a matching brooch.

While you can buy special cloths made for the purpose, a more frugal idea is to look for suitable clothes at thrift stores, dollar stores, clearance racks and your own attic.

4. Similar to using cloth to wrap, you can also sew your own gift bags or sacks out of fabric. This can be a great solution to wrapping those awkwardly shaped gift. Again, using re-purposed or re-cycled fabric can make this a very frugal solution. As a bonus, the recipient can re-use the gift bag next year for wrapping their gifts! Larger bags can be used as laundry bags or for storage. A simple websearch can help you find a pattern suitable for the size and shape of gift that you are trying to wrap.

5. Visit a restaurant supply store for inexpensive cardboard boxes, disposable loaf pans, Chinese food cartons and other containers that can be used to wrap gifts. While these are ideal for wrapping up homemade goodies, they can be used for wrapping anything. They can also be a great place to find unique containers to use as goody bags or favors for parties.

Don’t forget to keep all of your gift wrapping supplies and tools well-organized so that you’ll be able to find everything when you need it. You’ll save a lot of time and money if you keep your supplies in a designated place and keep them safe from moisture, pets, children and water damage.

Simple, and Frugal, Thanksgiving Decorations

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

I love this time of year. I love autumn — the colors, the crispness in the air, the decor that is often associated with this time of year. And, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday that is all about bounty, and gratitude, and enjoying good food and loved ones. It’s not supposed to be about materialism (although it can be if you’re frantically trying to figure out your Black Friday route). This is why I’m not fond of complicated and expensive Thanksgiving decorations.

While you do want to have some decorations that add a festive mood to your table and home, there is no reason to go overboard, spending a lot of money and over-decorating. If you want to keep your Thanksgiving a simple and frugal reminder to be grateful for all you have, here are some ideas for decorations:

Gourds: I love gourds. There are som many different looks they can have, and they come in a variety of colors. I have three rather unique gourds rather charmingly grouped as a centerpiece right now. You can also put small gourds on bookshelves, replacing knick-knacks during this time of year.
Acorns: Fill small vases with acorns, or pile them in the middle of your table. You could fill a vase partway with acorns, and then stick bunches of dried flowers or dried wheat in them.
Pinecones: Get differently sized pinecones if you want, and use them as centerpieces, or put them in vases. You can also add a little gold, brown or orange glitter to the pinecones to give them a little sparkle.
Bittersweet: If you have access, branches of bittersweet can be great additions. Fill a vase or pitcher with water, and place the branches in the water. The bright berries will add a festive air to your Thanksgiving proceedings.
Leaves: If you have brightly colored leaves from your trees, you can gather them and create bouquets, or scatter them around. There are ways to preserve them so that they don’t get dry and crumbly, and you can press them so that they last longer, looking beautiful.
Cornstalks: I don’t like the idea of dried cornstalks inside the house, but they can make fun and festive decorations for the outside. Bundle the dried stalks (you can even add wheat to the bundle for variety) and place them on either side of your entrance. This can be a great way to welcome guests to your Thanksgiving feast.
Cornucopia: If you do want a traditional cornucopia as a decoration, they can be bought fairly inexpensively. Then, you can use your own homegrown decorations to fill it.

Of course, you can combine these ideas any way you like, or even create your own centerpieces with them. It’s easy to feel gratitude when reminded of how blessed we are during this season, and it’s fairly easy to decorate inexpensively with the results of nature’s bounty — and your home will look great for Thanksgiving.
What are some of your favorite ways to decorate for Thanksgiving?

Ideas to Earn Cash for the Holidays

by Tracy · 1 comment

These days, many of us are on budgets so tight that all of our pennies have already been pinched to the breaking point. With the cost of food and gas and heating remaining high, it’s hard enough to afford the necessities, let alone extras like holiday gifts and entertainment. Although there is nothing wrong with having a frugal Christmas, there is also nothing wrong with wanting to treat your families to some small luxury, especially if you’ve been bare bones all year.

Here are a few ideas for earning some extra cash this holiday season:

Babysitting

There are many extra opportunities for childcare jobs during the holiday season. Many parents need childcare to fill in the gaps left by schools and daycare closing for vacation. In addition, childcare is needed to attend holiday parties and sometimes to get a few hours to shop or do other holiday preparations without the children.

Word of mouth is often the best way to get babysitting jobs, as many parents are reluctant to hire complete strangers. Let everyone know that you are interested in babysitting jobs and your qualifications and experience. You can also put ads on Craiglist or sign up for placement websites like sittercity.com or care.com.

Handyman (or woman!) Work

Can you put up holiday lights and other decorations? Deliver and set up a Christmas tree? Do yardwork? Make minor home repairs? You can translate these skills into doing odd jobs for people who are too busy or physically incapable of doing them on their own.

Again, word of mouth can be a great way to get work. Do place ads in Craigslist and other free, local sites. You can also ask if you can put small flyers on bulletin boards in local stores, churches and community centers.

Housecleaning

Many people want their houses to sparkle for their holiday gatherings and will gladly pay for somebody to come in and clean those baseboards and dust light fixtures and all the other little jobs that get neglected during the year.

If you’re not comfortable trying to find work on your own, contact local housecleaning services and ask if they need any seasonal help due to increased demand and/or their regular cleaners needing time off.

Seasonal Employment

If you’d like to get a seasonal part-time job working retail, warehouse work or deliveries, the earlier you start applying the better. Competition for these jobs can be fierce, especially with the economy being in such bad shape.

Treat looking for seasonal work as seriously as you would any other job. Don’t just rely on the newspaper classifieds or online sites to find work. Hit the pavement and make phone calls. Don’t forget about temp agencies and event staffing services, they often need extra people on call during the holidays and some jobs, like banquet serving and bartending, might even yield tips.

Make Money Online

This one is tricky, not only do you have to be on the lookout for scams, some online money making methods, such as displaying ads on your blog or website or doing paid surveys, might not pay out in time for the holiday season.

Two legitimate ways to make money online that do pay fairly quickly are writing for certain content sites and doing microjobs for sites like Amazon Mechanical Turk and CrowdCloud have low payout minimums. Be aware that the work is likely to be tedious and not terribly lucrative.

Think about Your Skills

Can you craft personalized gifts? Bake and decorate amazing cakes, cupcakes and cookies? Cater a meal for 12? Sew Christmas pageant costumes? Wrap beautiful gifts? Run errands? Chauffeur seniors and the disabled? Take care of pets and plants? Assemble toys, furniture or other things? Set up an aquarium?

Chances are that you do have skills that other people would be willing to pay for. Sit down and make a list of the skills and resources that you have at your disposal and figure out a way to make them pay.

Affordable and Thoughtful Holiday Gifts from Your Kitchen

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

Holiday gifts are a huge expense every year. No one wants to feel like Scrooge, though, even when our gift budgets are tight. What can we do to spread holiday cheer without spreading ourselves too thin?

Rather than throwing precious money at anonymous retailers, consider making gifts yourself. In a world that’s pre-made and mass-manufactured, handmade gifts have even greater charm and significance. There are many thoughtful gifts you can make right in your own kitchen, costing just a little money, inspiration and creativity.

A gift from the kitchen is a particularly thoughtful gift for those who may not have the time – or inclination – to cook, bake or create for themselves. Many years ago, I received – as a gift – a book called, “Gifts of Good Taste,” by Anne Young. It contains recipes (and creative and attractive presentational ideas) for gifts you can create in your own kitchen, running the gamut of sweet to savory flavors.

My favorite recipe from the book is for Keeping Cake. I like to present it to friends because it incorporates seasonal flavors (cranberry, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves…), makes a tasty, wholesome breakfast or snack and keeps well past the holidays (thus its name).

Keeping Cake

3 cups cranberries (rinsed and divided)
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups cranberries, sugar and orange peel. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until berries pops and mixture thickens (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Chop remaining cranberries and add to the cranberry mixture; cool.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs with sour cream. Stir egg mixture into dry mixture. Stir in butter, cranberry mixture and pecans. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8 ½ x 4 ½ loaf pans and bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pans 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks. Wrap cakes in aluminum foil and allow to age 1 week. The flavor will continue to improve over several weeks. The cakes will keep for up to 3 months in a cool, dry place.

Yield: 2 cakes

To help get your creative gift-giving juices flowing, the book also includes recipes for homemade:

Cheese spread
Pancake / baking mixes
Candies and Fudge
Muffins
Cookies
Mulled wine
Flavored popcorn
Spiced nuts
Seasoned oils and vinegars
Marinated vegetable blends
Flavored butters and spreads
Jellies
Dog treats

The best gifts appeal to the recipient’s senses: In addition to edible gifts, many people make lovely and fragrant homemade candles and soaps from the kitchen. A particularly lovely idea is a growing gift. Plant herbs in an appropriate container, like a coffee cup or soup bowl as a gift of flavor.

Perhaps these ideas will inspire you to create your own gifts from the kitchen. If you have a “gift” for creating something wonderful in your kitchen, you can create your own homemade gifts. Your talents and creativity are a gift you can – and should – share at the holidays and all year around. It’s the most affordable – and ultimately the most thoughtful – way to give gifts.

What gifts could you cook up in your kitchen?

Planning to Survive the Black Friday Shopping Frenzy

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

Chances are, you are considering your Black Friday options right now. And it makes sense. After all, Black Friday has become a monumental shopping day. Retailers whip up a frenzy surrounding certain items, sales and deals. If you want the best, in some cases, you have to be willing to wait for hours in the cold, and fight your way through the crowds.

Indeed, Black Friday has become an occasion that requires a great deal of advance planning. If you are interested in going out on Black Friday, here are some tips for helping you survive the shopping frenzy:

Look online for the advance deals: The first step is to check out advance deals. Many retailers release what they plan to offer online. You can also go to web sites that specialize in offering updates on Black Friday offerings to get an idea of what will be offered — and where.
Sign up for alerts: If you have a favorite store, you can sign up for e-mail alerts — or even text alerts. Watch for exclusive deals and coupons when you sign up for these alerts. You will find out the latest, and find it out fairly early.
Return policies and price guarantees: Before Black Friday arrives, make sure that you understand the return policy, and price guarantee policies. Find out which stores offer to allow you to return item bought on Black Friday, as well as special restrictions on returning electronics or games. Also, ask about price guarantees, and how long you have to find a lower price elsewhere.
Plan your route ahead of time: Armed with the information you find online, and with other information you have, you can plan your route. Figure out what is most important to you. That is the store you will start with, standing in line for hours, waiting for your first-choice doorbuster. Then, plan your route from there, hitting stores in the order of importance, or if you aren’t too picky, the order that makes for the most efficient route.
Snacks and water: Be prepared ahead of time, keeping snacks and water in your car. That way, you won’t have to worry about when you are going to eat, and you will keep hydrated throughout. Keep yourself going in between stores.
Leave people home: Don’t try to drag the kids along, and don’t bring your spouse if he or she is not into Black Friday like you are. All that will happen is that you will be hampered, and your family will be miserable.

Do You Really Need to Go Out on Black Friday?

Of course, the ultimate survival tip is to just stay home on Black Friday. I’m not a huge fan of going out on Black Friday — I don’t think it’s worth my time. You can actually get a lot of great deals online. Do your shopping without leaving the couch. And, in many cases, you will even get free shipping when you make online purchases.

Another consideration is that Black Friday might not actually help you have a frugal Christmas. You might want to reconsider your Black Friday habits, and whether or not you actually need Black Friday to have a successful Christmas.

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