This isn't typical for me ... but I'm getting a leeetle bit excited for Black Friday.

I've got a few favorite companies and products that I've got my eye on. I wanna know what great deals they've got cookin' for the season. And luckily, it feels like the days of people getting in line for Black Friday and waking up at the crack of dawn are mostly gone. (Anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Kid frenzy??) These days, you don't have to shop for Black Friday deals in person. You can shop, mostly from home, in your comfy jammies. (Except for giving love to your local small businesses!)

Here are my top 5 Black Friday tips for how to shop smart during this day/week/month of great sales: 

1. Keep an eye on your favorite brands now. 

So where's the best place to Black Friday shop? Wherever you buy the things you love! I'm signing up NOW to get emails from my favorite brands, especially ones that are a little pricier. That way, I'll be sure to get all the Black Friday secret deals that might not be broadly publicized on their website. 

Here are some of my favorites that I'm keeping an eye on: (These are not ads - just brands I love!)

• Swell - I LOVE their insulated coffee mugs. My tea stays hot for hours!

• Billie - Their razors with the magnet holder for the shower is game-changin'. I also love the dry shampoo (available in a darker shade for darker hair) and the lip balms.

• Thrive Causemetics - Thrive is one of my go-tos for makeup products. Their products are cruelty-free, 100% vegan and formulated without parabens, sulfates or latex. I love their Buildable Blur CC Cream and Creaseless Concealer

• Prose - I just tried this customized shampoo & conditioner. It's on the pricey side, so I hoped I wouldn't love it ... but alas, I do.

• Kizik - Have you heard me brag ad nauseam about my absolute favorite hands-free sneaker that you can put on and take off with just a step? I get compliments on my Women's Athens Bahama style all.the.time.

2. Create a wish list for yourself and others

You might've noticed that a lot of those I listed above 👆 seem like they are for, well, me. 😜They are! I use Black Friday not only as a chance to cross some things off my holiday list but to stock up on items that I've been hoping to upgrade or purchase for some time.

So if you don't actually BUY the items yourself, you might think about using Black Friday as an opportunity to tell those little birdies in your life what you have your eye on.  If you're wondering "What should I buy for Black Friday?," think about things you might have wanted to purchase or upgrade for a while. Things like:

• New Pyrex storage containers to replace the mismatched mess you've currently got in your Tupperware drawer

• That Dyson stick vacuum that's been calling your name

• Your favorite makeup brand that rarely has sales

And when you're ready to plan out your gifts for others, the Balance Bound collection just came out with a great gift planner where you can easily plan gifts for everyone on your list, not just for the holidays, but year-round.

3. Ask yourself if you REALLY need or want it. 

Before you just google "Amazon Black Friday deals" and start frantically adding things to your cart that look like a good deal, take the time to think about if this is something that you or a loved one REALLY needs in their life. 

It's not a "great deal" if you don't really need it. People might rightly ask "does Black Friday really save you money?" and the answer is NO if you buy a bunch of stuff you don't need.

4. Shop small and local.

Use Small Business Saturday as an opportunity to stroll the downtown of your favorite nearby town and show some love to local small businesses. They will often gift wrap on-site. Make a day of it - add lunch, coffee, bring a friend. Oooh, maybe even add in a foot massage.

Lots of towns will publish special events happening all weekend to entice shoppers, like free parking and special treats. For example, here is what my beloved town of Media, PA is doing. I just Googled "small business saturday media pa". Do the same for your town!

5. Do your future self a favor.

Use Black Friday to sign up for courses, memberships or other things that you might not do NOW but might do later. For example, I'm launching a huge promotion with lots of bonuses for my Organized Every Day course. For many people, this will be a "favor to their future self." They'll likely tuck it away until January and start the New Year off with a bang. (Join the waitlist here and be the first to know about this big sale!)

So that's it my friends! I hope you enjoyed these Black Friday shopping tips.

I'd love to hear from you about YOU! What type of Black Friday shopper are you? What deals are you grabbing?