Blu-Ray Players

Hhgregg: Panasonic HD Blu-Ray player: $99 (after $30 rebate)

GPS Systems

Walmart: TomTom 4.3” screen & spoken street names: $89

HDTVs

There are lots of deals on TVs this year, but stay away from 720p, you will regret it in a few months. Opt for the 1080p models that are a little bit more.

 Hhgregg: Toshiba 40” HDTV 1080p LCD TV: $549

DVD Players

Hhgregg: Sony progressive scan DVD player $29.97 (great for kids movies)

Camera

Walmart: Kodak 12MP 3x zoom: $69

iPod

Walmart: iPod Touch 8GB w/$50 iTunes gift card: $195

Toys R Us: iPod Touch 8GB w/$50 Toys R Us gift card: $199.99

Photoframe

BestBuy: Pandigital 9” digital photo frame: $59.99

Games

Walmart: Nintendo DS Lite: $98

Laptop

Walmart: HP 15.6” laptop with Intel & Windows 7: $298 (also available online)

Kids Toys

Walmart: Barbie and Bratz dolls, popular board games and sports balls like footballs and basketballs : $5 (also available online)

Walmart: Barbie or Hotwheels Ride on Jeep: $88

Toys R Us: Imaginarium train table set: $79.99

Big Lots: Elmo’s Restaurant: $29

Kitchen

1. Walmart: KitchenAid 10 speed stand mixer: $139 (only in stores)
2. Best Buy: Samsung Front load Steam Washer and Dryer: $1198
3. Home Depot: LG Front Load washer and dryer: $798
4. A better value may be the (a) LG Extra Large capacity washer and dryer for $998 with free delivery and haul away at Home Depot or (b) the Samsung HE washer and dryer at Sears for $1000 that also includes free delivery

Home

IKEA has some great deals including a sofa for $199 and 20pc flatware for $9.99 great for extra guests during dinner, great prices on gift bags, wrapping and tissue paper too. Many just for $1. And to top it all off, you can have FREE breakfast when you present this coupon: http://info.ikea-usa.com/seizethedays/

Home Depot: DeWalt 18V Drill/Driver kit: $99

Home Depot: Ryobi 10” Miter saw: $69

Home Depot: Rayovac 60ct. AA batteries: $10 (great deal for all the electronic gifts that need batteries)

Gift cards

BestBuy: $30 iTunes for $25

Costco: $60 iTunes for $48 this is just for Friday but they always have great gift card deals, so take time to look around

Worth noting

1.  Walmart now has a really cool feature on their website where you can print a map of your local store. This can be really helpful in planning your route and saving time while you save money.
2. Free Breakfast at IKEA: http://info.ikea-usa.com/seizethedays/
3. Free 64ct Crayola crayons with any purchase at Toys R Us
4. Shop till noon at GGP Malls on Friday and Saturday and get a free $10 mall gift card when you spend $100 at the mall. You can also receive a free one year subscription to Martha Stewart Living (this could be a nice gift for a Martha fan on your list.)
5. Dick’s Sporting Goods is offering a $20 cash card with every $100 purchase (quantities limited.)

Here are the Do’s & Don’ts for The Day After Thanksgiving so you DO end up with deals that DON’T break your budget.

Do’s

1. Do your homework – Before showing up at a store at 5am just to join the crowds, do your homework. First make a shopping list of all the gifts you need to buy and the amount budgeted per gift. Second browse the Black Friday ads either in your newspaper or online at bfads.net or dealnews.com/blackfriday
2. Do shop on Thanksgiving – Physical stores may be closed on Thanksgiving, but online stores are open and brimming with deals. Many retailers will offer special Thanksgiving Day deals and promotions to entice you to step away from the turkey and shop. If you want to shop at physical stores, wait until night time and hit the outlets. North Georgia Premium Outlets open at 12am on Friday.
3. Do know price match policies – Instead of running around town from store to store, ask your favorite stores about their price matching policies. Many stores will honor the price in a competitor’s ad, you just have to ask and show the ad. However limited quantity or time items may be excluded from these policies. Target and Wal Mart are in a particularly fierce battle and look to sway the other’s customers with price matching. Dealnews.com has a nice price match policy reference list along with customer service numbers.
4. Do learn the return policy and get a gift receipt – Stores have gotten even more stringent with their return policies this year. Make sure you know how and when an item can be returned. It is also helpful to provide a gift receipt with the gift. This is most important when purchasing electronics as many times they have limited return periods and even restocking fees.
5. Do dress appropriately – Shopping on Black Friday can become a long day. Make sure to dress in warm layers that you can adjust as you go through the day, especially if you plan to be start shopping at 5am. Keep other items to a minimum. Bring a small bag and only the credit cards, checks or cash you need that day, not your regularly packed wallet.

Don’ts

1. Don’t leave the house without a plan – If you don’t know what you are buying or whom you are buying for don’t go shopping. Hitting the stores just to go deal shopping is no deal at all.
2. Don’t buy for yourself – The purpose of Black Friday is gift shopping. You are looking to save money on gifts for others not gifts for you.
3. Don’t rush to buy, especially electronics – Let’s be honest, you’re not standing in line in the cold at 3 am to buy an LCD TV for your uncle Bob or your kid’s teacher. You are buying these expensive electronics for yourself. If it’s for yourself, wait until after New Year’s to buy. You can get a better deal then and avoid the crowds. New electronics come out in early spring and stores will have lots of promotions on existing models early in the year.
4. Don’t forget about coupons – It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the sales and promotions but don’t leave money on the table by forgetting to use coupons. Stores have many coupons this time of year, so pair them with the sales and get even more savings. ShoppingQueen.com will feature lots of printable coupons.
5. Don’t worry about missing out – Black Friday is no longer the only big shopping day. So if you didn’t get all your shopping done, don’t worry. Cyber Monday is next week and you can take advantage of sales and promotions online. Tune in next Monday to hear how to snag the best deals on Cyber Monday.

Get out your red, white and blue, Fourth of July is next week. Are you ready for hot dogs, fireworks and fun? With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, you don’t get to take advantage of extra time off. But with all the sales out there you can at least take advantage of extra dollars off. So what should be on your shopping list?

Party Supplies

Backyard BBQ food – Most grocery stores advertise their hot dog, drink and chips specials to get you in door and then spend money on other items. But if you just stick with your party shopping list, you can get some good deals. Depending on your pantry or freezer space you may even consider buying extra.

Paper products – Plates, napkins and utensils are on sale. And they have no expiration date so this is a great time to stock up for your Fourth of July party and your future parties.

Grills & Patio Furniture

The best sales on grills and patio furniture are during Fourth of July. You can typically find savings up to 40% off. This is the perfect time to buy for the best selection and price. After Fourth of July, the clearance sales begin and while the savings my increase the selection dramatically decreases. So you will find it difficult to find a matching patio set or the grill you want without visiting four different Home Depot locations.

Appliances

like Home Depot and Lowe’s have big sales on appliances during holiday weekends. You can take advantage of store discounts and promotions combined with manufacturer rebates to multiply your savings. If you need a new appliance now this is a good time to buy. Otherwise the next big sale will be during Labor Day weekend.

Summer Clothes

Retailers don’t care about the thermostat, so even with temperatures in the 90’s as far as they are concerned summer is over. So swimwear, summer clothes and accessories are all heavily discounted. This is a good time to buy items you might have been eyeing but couldn’t afford or to stock up for next year. And with the long summer and warm fall weather we enjoy in Atlanta you can wear many items well into October.

Spring & Summer Home Items

Bed and bath items as well as other home items also get marked down based on the seasons. So if new sheets and towels are on your shopping list, this is the time to buy. Many times the only thing that changes between the seasons is just the color and pattern. Also many home décor items like candles and frames are also being clearanced to make room for the fall styles.

School Supplies

The beginning of July marks the beginning of the back to school shopping season. The earlier you buy, the better deals you can get. There are so many retailers from office supply stores to grocery stores competing for your business that many items are offered for free or a few pennies. Check out the weekly School Supply Deals on the ShoppingQueen.com website starting next week. Don’t wait until the tax free shopping weekend, most of the good deals will be over then.

1. Look for non-wedding vendors for wedding deals. For example, Costco.com offers Weddings at Costco where you can purchase flowers, invitations and even your honeymoon.

2. Consider bundling or unbundling services. For example, some event facilities simply rent their facilities and give you the power to choose your own caterer and bring your own alcohol. Other locations require you to use their own or affiliated food and beverage services. Many times choosing your own caterer and purchasing your own alcohol to serve can save your money. Sometimes getting a bundled service might come out cheaper. This all depends on what is or is not included in the package such as linens, plates, glasses, cake service and more.

3. Don’t call it a wedding. When getting prices, first start over the phone and just say you are getting pricing and service information for an event. Many times vendors charge higher for a service related to a wedding than other kinds of events.

4. Don’t take prices and contracts at face value, negotiate. Ask the vendor if they can give you a discount or include other items and services without an additional charge.

Before I make any purchase online, I always do a Google search for the store/website name and the words coupon and promo. You would be surprised at what kind of discounts are out there if you just spend a few minutes or in some cases seconds searching for them.

1. Shop during special occasions – Retailers have gift card promotions during major holidays such as Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Many times they will offer an added bonus to a gift card purchase. You especially see this at restaurants. The Brinker restaurant group which owns Macaroni Grill and Chili’s for example offers a free $5 bonus for every $25 card purchased.
2. Look to credit cards – Credit card issuers such as Visa, Mastercard and Amex frequently have gift card promotions on their discounts website. Amex for example has an offer for 10% off Linens N Things or Visa has a discount for Spawish.com.
3. SwapaGift.com – This website offers discounted gift cards. If you purchase a card directly from SwapaGift, it is guaranteed. If you purchase one through one of it’s users, its only guaranteed up to $100.
4. Buying from eBay or craigslist – There are many listings on both sites for gift cards, but you have to especially careful and do some legwork You should ask to verify the balance before you purchase. You need the card number and the toll-free balance check number. You should also ask about the expiration date. Many cards have expiration dates where some or all of the value is lost.

Actually, the first place to start is your credit card company’s website. They list many travel, entertainment, dining and shopping deals. The deals are especially good if you are shopping online although many printable coupons are also available.

Some of the noteworthy promotions currently are:

1. Save $10 at Lowe’s when you pay with Visa

2. Save $15 at a local spa through Spawish.com certificates purchased with Mastercard

3. American Express has many dining deals, so check out their site: www.AmericanExpressOfferZone.com before you head out to eat. They also have local shopping coupons too.

The key is to remember to check the websites often as the deals are constantly changing. The summer months especially are a good time to find deals.

1. Don’t just rely on Sunday coupons. More and more grocery stores have their own coupons online, so check their websites before you head to the store.

2. Join a coupon sharing club or a coupon train. Do a search online to find one in your area.

3. Join your grocery store’s loyalty club. They offer additional deals.

4. Buy what’s in season. Learn what fruits and vegetables are in season and purchase accordingly. They are less expensive for two reasons, first they are in more abundant supply and second because they don’t have to travel from foreign countries to reach you.