It was Black Friday and my husband Marshall was ready to hit his mark --- because he had a plan!

Days before Thanksgiving Marshall had decided he needed an iPad or an Acer tablet so he could attach the Square Card Reader to process credit cards when he is at art shows selling his wood turnings.

First, he researched the pros and cons of each brand online, finding they both had a good product.

Secondly, he decided which one had all the bells and whistles he needed for his business transactions and records. Once the decision was made he determined the regular price for the Acer tablet.

Thirdly, on Thanksgiving Day he searched the ads and found it was on sale at a salivating price. Since we were out of town and knowing the competition could be tough to get an Acer at that price before they sold out, he did a “dry run” to determine where the store was located.

The next morning at 4:30 he was activating his plan. He stood in line for an hour waiting for the store to open. When the door opened, he made his purchase quickly. Plan successfully completed.

Marshall did some smart Christmas shopping. (Actually, he was helping me out by buying his gift from me for me.) He knew what the budget and best price were. He had done his research.

Notice he didn’t buy anything else. Many times when we Christmas shop we end up buying more than we should because we don’t have a budget and a plan for what we are going to buy and for whom.

Plan ahead so you can shop the sales when they happen. Waiting until the last day or so before Christmas could mean you have missed the best sales and selection.

Be sure to save all those receipts for at least several months. Something might have to be returned because it doesn’t fit, or work --- or maybe it is just the wrong color.

Have fun shopping!

Do you have shopping tips to share?