Black Friday boot camp

The jam-packed holiday sale day after Thanksgiving is commonly known as "Black Friday." This is the day you hear news about stampedes at Wal-Mart and people camping out in front of Macy's. If you are planning on joining the mobs this Friday, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Make all your purchases on one credit card so they are easier to track. Or better yet, pay with cash!
• Don't go overboard. Just because it is on sale, doesn't make it a good gift or something you need to buy.
• Keep all your receipts and compare them with your purchases and credit card charges. In the Black Friday chaos, it's easy for a mistake to have been made.
• Watch out for receipts printed with your full credit or debit card number. This is more common that you would think. Shred this kind of receipt before throwing it away in order to guard against identity theft.

For more tips on the first weekend of holiday shopping, Deeper Motive has a great post all about staying sane on Black Friday.