Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the shopping day retailers hope will get their businesses out of the red and into the black. Before you grab your list and head for the door this year, take some time to plan ahead.

Decide what to buy and how much to spend
No matter what your budget is, you need to have one. Decide what things you want to buy, or at least who you plan to shop for, and how much you're willing to spend for each item. Black Friday shopping is a chance to stretch your budget, but not to blow it. Make a list and stick to it.

Check out the Sunday papers
Even if you don't usually buy the Sunday paper, invest in it the weekend before Thanksgiving. All the stores with big Black Friday specials will have advertising inserts, so you can not only find what you want, but also compare prices.

To make sure you've found the best Black Friday bargains, go online to make one last comparison. Be sure to include the shipping costs of Internet items when you do. Pricey shipping can blow that low price right out of your budget.

Ready to shop?
Not quite yet. Recheck those newspaper ads and look at both store opening times and the times the special prices will be honored. Some of the best Black Friday bargains are good from 6 a.m. to noon, while some stores open at midnight Thursday night and have their best specials from midnight to 6 a.m. You're the only one who can decide if the 3 a.m. deal is worth losing sleep over. Last year, 14 percent of Black Friday sales were made before 4 a.m.

Once you know where you're going, and what time you need to be there, plan a route and a schedule. Figure in time to find a parking place and time to stand in line at each store. Black Friday shopping draws mobs looking for the same things you are, and malls and shopping centers will be chaotic, at best.

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