Are you preparing your battle strategy for black Friday? You know, mapping out what stores you are going to hit, reviewing the sales paper and circling the items you plan to get?  Well, if you are then you are alot like tons of people across America who go to sleep early the night of Thanksgiving and head out in the wee hours of the morning on a shopping marathon.

Since you are a serious shopper, then you should make sure you are properly prepared. I ran across this post on Redbookmag.com and wanted to share some of their great tips:

1. Shop with cash! It is much easier to stick to your budget if you are paying with cash instead of credit. Studies have shown that shoppers spend 25 percent less if they pay with cash.

3. Don’t assume online coupons are just for groceries. You can print up online coupons on everything from toys and DVDs to beauty supplies and portraits. Use them — it’s like free money!

4. Before you sign up for that store credit card for an instant discount, consider this: Every time you have your credit checked, you may be lowering your credit score by several points. If you are in the process of refinancing your home, or buying a home or a car, you may end up paying a higher interest rate on these items because your credit score is lowered.

6. Don’t pay for gift wrap. It’s easier, but you will pay on average $6 per gift to have the store wrap it for you. With that $6 you can buy bows, wrapping paper, and tape for an average of five presents!

9. Extended warranties are usually only beneficial on electronics that are new to the markets. Never pay more than 10 percent of the purchase price for a warranty.

Great tips right? To see the full list, click here or visit Redbookmag.com

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