I grew up in the States, so I consider myself well-trained in the art of finding a great deal. And thankfully all the Black Friday sales have come to Canada. Hopefully these tips will help you find lots of great sales so you can start crossing people off your Christmas list. 1. Get on email lists A lot of stores will let you know about sales through their email subscriber list. So take a couple minutes and subscribe to your favourite stores—they will email you daily about all their Black Friday sales. Plus, they often send special coupons to all their subscribers. There’s nothing better than waking up to a coupon for an extra 10 per cent off. 2. Pre-shop online The key to a good Black Friday is being prepared, which means browsing online beforehand. Pre-shopping prevents you from wasting time searching through the racks for pieces you love. And you can compare prices and features beforehand so you buy the best product. I’ve already been browsing online and am vying for these beautiful Roots watches—they would make the perfect gift. 3. Limit your stores Shopping can be exhausting, especially when you have to battle large crowds. Instead of going through the entire mall, just pick a few stores to go to. I suggest going to stores that you know your size in, so you can skip the line at the change room. 4. Start shopping now Black Friday is no longer just one day of sales, it’s basically a week. So start shopping right now—I’m serious, go! If you wait till Friday a lot of the merchandise will be picked over. I suggest hopping over to the mall after work. Or shop online, Gilt.com has 80 per cent off designer clothes and free shipping to Canada. 5. Embrace Cyber Monday The in-store deals may end on Sunday, but Cyber Monday is all about the online deals. The great thing about online shopping is you get to skip the crowds and the lines. Great places like Henry’s are having sales all the way till Monday, so you have lots of time to get gifts for the techy on your list. Happy shopping! What are your best shopping tips?  ©iStockphoto.com/Ariwasabi