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Black Friday 2014: Your complete step-by-step guide

Black Friday, the biggest and most-hyped shopping holiday of the year, is approaching faster than ever. But whether you're heading out to shop Thursday, Friday, or skipping the crowds altogether and shopping online for Cyber Monday, our friends at DealNews.com are here to help you get the most out of Black Friday 2014. 

2. How to prepare

Charlie Riedel/AP/File
Ripan Bhowmik looks at cameras while shopping at Best Buy during Black Friday weekend in Overland Park, Kan.

  • By Staff

Black Friday is no longer the 24-hour event it used to be. Instead it's become a week-long shopping extravaganza when even seasoned bargain hunters can overspend. That's where we come in. With multiple Black Fridays under our belt, we're here to tell you what to avoid, how to prepare, and how to make the most of the biggest shopping day of the year. Start with this 12-step checklist: 

1. Read and compare Black Friday ads

2. Use leaked circulars to showroom products before you buy them

3. Start shopping early (don't wait until Black Friday)

4. Decide if you want to shop online or in-store

5. Know your in-store gameplan

6. Check deals while in line

7. Avoid impulse purchases

8. But be flexible and come prepared with alternatives

9. Know which stores will offer price matching

10. Beware final sale items

11. Keep track of rebates and store credits

12. Be a polite customer

For more, visit the full Dealnews post here. 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

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We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

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