As I sit here like an overstuffed turkey my thoughts are wandering to tomorrow morning. It is Black Friday once again. We have been taking advantage of Black Friday deals for several years now, and each year the hype and hysteria seems to grow.

Black Friday is a great time to pick up all things tech. Great deals on memory cards, computer accessories, video games, printers, and DVD’s abound. You might find me at an early bird special for some ridiculously cheap gadget, but clothing and stuff for the home just doesn’t offer the same draw.

In fact, even the deals on gadgets are losing their appeal. It used to be that you would show up at 5 am, join a reasonable sized line, and have a decent chance of snagging something you wanted.

No more.

Today my family took a drive past the local shopping centers, and the Black Friday line had already begun. Armed with tents and camping gear the die hard bargain hunters had already arrived and were setting up for a long night.

eBay probably has a lot to do with this new phenomena. If you could resell that cheap computer or TV at a considerable profit, then spending a cold night in late Novemeber outside in a deserted parking lot just might be worth it.

At any rate, you won’t catch me outside in the cold. I have it down to a science.

First, after reading through the flyers, I pick the store that has the most items on sale that I am interested in. I then check the flyers for all of the other stores in that vicinity. Usually, I show up right at opening time (no waiting in line for me!). I track down what I was looking for - if it’s there, great, otherwise I move on to the next item and then the next store.

Because of long checkout lines, I choose my first store carefully. By the time I get to the second store, there won’t be a lot left.

The key to Black Friday is to have fun with it. Don’t expect to find what you want. Grab a good deal if you see it. Go home, think about the purchase, and return it if you don’t really want it.

This year we don’t really need anything that Black Friday has to offer. But Black Friday has become a bit of a tradition - something we can’t miss.

With online retailers vying for a piece of the action, a lot of excellent deals are also available online. You can curl up with your laptop in the wee morning hours and have your shopping done before your first cup of coffee.