How to be a Smart Black Friday Shopper

As another Black Friday shopping is upon us, there are numerous great deals, but here are some tips to be a smart Black Friday shopper:

1) If you want a doorbuster deal, be prepared to camp out or wait for a long, long time.  Most of the door busters like deeply discounted TVs or iPads at stores like Best Buy, Walmart and Target expect people to wait in long lines outside their store to build up their hype for Black Friday.  Also, there are just a few items of these door busters, and although some stores like Walmart have an in-stock guarantee for 1 hour, they just guarantee these items at this price and that you'll get it before Christmas.

2) If you aren't prepared to wait overnight or for several hours, focus on small items.  There are still great deals on smaller items, like memory cards, movies, etc. that aren't splashed across page 1 on the Black Friday ads.  They aren't big, big items, but still a great deal.  You can still get great Black Friday deals and you won't have to camp out overnight in the Best Buy parking lot.

3)  Don't fall for store's tactics to force you to buy something overpriced if you don't get the Black Friday deal you wanted.  Many stores make you think you have to buy some full-priced or near full-priced item if you don't get the Black Friday deal you wanted, so you won't walk home empty handed. Even if you don't get anything you wanted on Black Friday, just wait, as Christmas approaches there will be great deals coming.  Although they won't be as published in the media, you can get just as good (and many times better) deals just before Christmas.

4) Black Friday deals on some items are better at other times of the year.  If you don't need a computer now, it's actually better to buy one during Back to School time in late July or August.  Also, TVs are just as discounted or many times discounted even more just before the Super Bowl.  Many stores use pressure tactics to make you think you have to buy a TV or computer during Black Friday or you'll miss out on a great deal (which is absolutely false).

Enjoy shopping on Black Friday, just be prepared to wait a long time if you want to get a great deal, but even if you don't get a chance to shop on Black Friday, don't fret, there will still be great deals (or even better deals) as Christmas approaches and at other times of the year.  Also, only buy what you need, the best deal is saving money and using the same TV as last year.

Next Generation Gaming: Why You Should Wait

The next generation gaming consoles (PS4 and Xbox One) will be coming out in a few weeks and anticipation and hype are building up massively for the new consoles.  The graphics, gaming potential and power of these new consoles is undeniable and with the annoncement that both consoles will support used games (a major concession that Sony and Microsoft had to make if they expected people to flock to these consoles), hype for them is at an all time high.

However, whether you're planning to buy a PS4 or Xbox One, there are several reasons to wait before buying a console on Day 1 of release. First, the first generation or new release of any new technology will have a lot of bugs and problems that have to be worked out.  For example, how many apps now support the original iPad (iPad 1).  The original iPad was considered a genius product by Steve Jobs, but it was definetely lacking in several features including: no camera for Skype or Facetime, lackluster computing power and it was very bulky (especially when you look at the iPad 2,3,4).  Also, remember the "Red Ring of Death," a problem that plagued many Xbox 360 owners? Only after all the bugs were worked out has the "Red Ring of Death" problem worked out.

Second, PS3 and Xbox 360 are already great gaming consoles that have a huge selection of games. While there are a large number of launch titles for both systems, they can't compare with the vast library you get for PS3 or Xbox 360 (and the games are a lot cheaper too).  If you already own an Xbox 360 or a PS3, you already have a great gaming system that will still last a long time. Many people still own a PS2 and there are even still some new games being made for it, but they still work great and have great graphics and a huge, huge selection of games.  Also, with the release of a new gaming system, the games for previous generation systems will go down and there will be more used games (as those who have to have the latest and the greatest gaming systems will be turning in and sellling their PS3, Xbox 360 games).

Third, the price will come down if you have patience and wait.  After the inital hype wears off with the new systems, the price will come down and many times you can get some good game + game system bundles.  For example, when PS3 intially came out it was very expensive for most and came with no games, but later on it fell in price and many times now you get the same system with 1-2 (or more) games included. Anyone who has bought games or movies knows, initially the price is set high but after a few months, the price goes down and/or you can get a good used copy of the movie or game.

Also, if you're not sure which system to get, it's a good idea to wait and see if a friend or family member buys it, try it out and see which one you like.  See what kinds of games come out for both systems, which one you would feel more comfortable with and what you think might be a better investment.  If you're going to pay hundreds of dollars for a gaming system, doesn't it make sense to research your decision and try it out?

Have fun gaming with the new systems, but in the mean time enjoy your current PS3 or Xbox 360 (or even original Xbox or PS2), you'll be glad you waited because you'll save a lot of money and still get to have the same fun experience with the new systems.

How to save money on TV:

One of the largest expenses that never seems to stop growing is your cable bill.  Every few months it seems like the cable company keeps raising prices and then saying their costs have gone up.  While it's true television studios and sports networks keep demanding more and more money, you do have options to fight back.

First, get rid of cable all together.  Most people keep cable primarily for live sports and for cable shows (like the recently famous Breaking Bad or Homeland).  Most network TV shows are available through their websites or apps, so you can even watch your favorite shows on the go (as long as you can wait a day or so).  Also, for live sports, check out your local sports bar or place that has sports nights (basically any place with a bar can put most any game on for you).

Second, sign up for Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime.  While you do have to pay a small subscription fee, you can get a lot of movies and TV shows.  Netflix, for example, recently started offering the first season of the NBC hit show "Revolution." Also, the amount you pay for 2 or 3 of these services is minimal compared to what you pay for your monthly cable bill.

Third, get a good quality antenna.  The picture quality with many decent antennas for network TV can actually be better than cable or satellite.  Most antennas cost less than your monthly cable bill and provide you with all the free network TV you want, and if you have a TV from the last 10 years, it will get you free HD (many cable companies and satellite providers still have the nerve to charge extra for HD service).

Losing cable TV isn't without sacrificies, but think what you can do with an extra $70 a month, over the course of a year that's over $840 dollars. You aren't losing TV all together, but with so many resources on the internet and with good quality over the air free TV nowadays, cutting your cable company off has become easier.  If we all did this more, then maybe the cable companies and networks would realize we don't just have to take their attempts to constantly increase prices without fighting back. You can enjoy your TV and have fun with the cash you are saving!