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As I asked in the last post, how many of you have been scouring the web for leaked deals? I read a Yahoo.com article detailing some of the leaked ads that made their way to the internet. Not a big surprise. I think it’s in the favor of the shopping center to put these ads out there. It creates buzz and helps them push product. Let’s take a quick look at some of this year’s deals from major retailers.

According to the Yahoo.com article, Best Buy will be offering a 50″ Plasma TV for $647. Other retailers have great deals too, like Walmart’s Tom Tom GPS unit for $59 or Apple’s rumored 25% off all laptops. There’s still one week left before the lines and the deals start pouring in, so what you can do in the meantime is develop your budget for your Christmas shopping and mark out the deals you want to take advantage of first.

If you’re like me, then you likely have a limited amount to spend this Christmas. With the economy the way it is, it should be no surprise that many have a smaller amount to spend. Surprisingly enough, the people who monitor and estimate the amount we’re likely to spend during the holiday shopping season only see us spending $20 less than last year, at $682 per household. I didn’t come close to that much last year, but my household was smaller than most. I know I won’t be nearing that mark this year either. So I have to figure out how much I’ll be coughing up and work that amount into the deals I find.

A sure-fire way to save money when going shopping — I leave the credit cards at home. If I have a road map of the deals I want to buy, and a fixed budget then I should be ahead of the curve. It wouldn’t make sense for me to charge a deal on a credit card only to have to pay off the balance until May of 2010. Stick to cash, know what I’m going to buy, and get out — that’s my gameplan. It’s simple, right?

I’ve compiled a short list of sites that offer Black Friday information for all to consume. If you have a link you want me to add, just email me at jb@savemoney.com. I’ll update the post when I get new information. Happy hunting everyone!

Sites that offer Black Friday information:

• TGI Black Friday.com
• BFads.com
• Black Friday.info
• The Black Friday

I realized today that I’ll be enjoying a nice four day weekend in just a little over a week. Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays, but for my readers here, it may well be a simple stepping stone to a great shopping day, Black Friday. How many of you have scoured the web for leaked information about deals that day? There has to be a few. I know I peek at a few websites that have leaked ad copy. It’s the time of year you can expect most high dollar items to see a price break. For instance, flat screen TVs typically go on sale during this time period, and the prices you can find them for find their way into the market for the remainder of the holiday season. If you’re planning on braving cool temperatures and long lines the Friday after Thanksgiving then we have a few tips for your shopping adventure.

Door Busters

These aptly named deals are in short supply, but they get people up early in the morning, forming lines and bustling to get into the store and what they want. It’s important to know most stores have doorbusters in short supply. If you want one, get there early and be ready to wait.

Mark-downs and deals

It’s definitely true that a lot of stores offer wide deals and discounts during the Black Friday sales. Be sure you have the ads from the stores you’ll frequent and know what you want to buy ahead of time. The crowds will be large and, if your like me, your attention may be distracted by sale prices on stuff you don’t necessarily want. Have a game plan and stick with it.

Wait it out

Some don’t like the crowds of this shopping day. It’s understandable. For those who don’t want to take advantage of the deals, you can always wait it out. Have a loved one go buy the things you’re wanting to buy as gifts or for you. If that’s not possible, then just keep looking at ads the rest of year. Often times popular sale items find their way back into weekly ads before Christmas. It’s not a one and done affair.

Be safe

As always be safe out their shopping. Be discreet with your personal information and use cash if possible. It’ll help your pocketbook too.

Stay tuned for Part Two of our Guide to Black Friday Shopping.

I live near a County Market — a Cub Foods store. The rewards program there has me returning mainly to take advantage of my tenth milk free. So it got me wondering what other stores in my vicinity, and likely yours, offer some rewards for customer loyalty. These programs differ from credit card loyalty points, as they only require you to shop there and pay, not pay interest on a balance. Great, huh? Let’s take a look at a few customer rewards programs and how they can help you save money on purchases you all ready make.

Cub Foods — They offer a point program where you can earn points for purchases. Even if you spend a dollar you can accrue five points. Typically its dollar for dollar, so if you spend $80 you earn 80 points. Some products carry bonus points to help with their sale. Once you reach 2000 points you earn a $10 gift card. Not a decent return, but adequate if you’re going to shop loyally. And they also offer your tenth milk free.

CVS ExtraCare Rewards — CVS has a rewards program where you can earn 2% back from any purchase made in store or online. They also offer 1 Extra Buck for every two prescriptions filled at the pharmacy. Again, customer loyalty gives back at this location. If you’re using cash and pay without a credit card then this can mean money in your pocket. The points you accrue will print on your receipt every three months.

Walgreens Rewards — This rewards program grants you payback money when you buy exclusive Walgreen brand products. So if you’re enrolled, you buy the products marked with the Walgreens W and will receive points that can be used in store. Even things like passport photos and digital prints can help accrue Walgreens reward points.

Best Buy Reward Zone — The BB rewards program has been around for a while. If you’re planning on buying a piece of electronic equipment, then you should probably know about this program. Reward points accrue at a $1 to 1 point increment. Every 250 points you receive $5 reward dollars. This comes in the form of a coupon that you can use in store. Being a member of their reward zone also entitles you to decent coupons that appear quarterly and also some Black Friday specials.

I know there are probably quite a few reward programs I haven’t covered. So what program do you use?