Tips to stay in the black during Black Friday

The folks over at CouponShack.com, a coupon savings site similar to Tgiblackfriday.com and FatWallet.com, offer a few tips to help consumers make the most out of the upcoming Black Friday shopping weekend.

"The best advice I have for consumers this holiday season is the early bird catches the worm so plan ahead on your holiday shopping," says Sok Verdery, CEO of CouponShack.com.

Here are the tips:

1. Get a notebook and make a list the week before of everyone you have to shop for. Jot down some ideas and set a budget for each person. Create a plan and don't deviate from the plan.
2. Price compare the Black Friday prices with online prices by using CouponShack.com's coupon price comparison search engine.
3. Shop for the deal and avoid the add-ons. Some retailers will entice you into the deal and charge you more for the accessories.
4. Don't buy the extended warranty. It's usually not worth the extra cost and many credit card companies like American Express provide warranties on purchase made with their credit card.
5. Mark the items of interest and bring the Black Friday ads with you. This keeps you focused and allows you to comparison shop.
6. Bring cash. Shoppers who pay for purchases with cash are estimated to save about 20% versus using a credit card. If you are disciplined, then this does not matter as much.
7. Check the store for price-matching policies. If they offer price match, bring the ad or printout with you.
8. Check the store's return policy. That way, if you find it cheaper elsewhere, you can return it and purchase from the cheaper store.
9. If the store drops the price of the item at a later date, find out if the store will honor the new lower price.
10. Once you have decided which stores you will purchase from on Black Friday, check out sites like CouponShack.com, TgiBlackFriday.com and FatWallet.com for printable coupons to take with you.

Click here for the lowdown.