In the early beginnings of Black Friday, consumers had no other option but to wait for Black Friday ads to arrive in the mail just a few days before sale day. However, the Black Friday phenomenon has gone beyond ad mailers, and many of the day's discounts are now leaked weeks in advance online and in stores, giving shoppers a "level playing field," according to Brad Wilson, creator of BlackFriday.BradsDeals.com.

To learn what each retailer has to offer, subscribe to their Black Friday e-mail feed. Most popular retailers, like Target, Amazon, and Walmart, provide an e-mail subscription service, so consumers can be first in line to see this year's deals.

However, Wilson warns consumers not to rely too heavily on limited quantity sales that contain fine print like "limit 50 per store." While the the price point may be the best deal when compared to other retailers, the time spent waiting and potentially not being among the first 50 customers to claim the product is risky.

Andrew Schrage of Money Crashers (a My Money contributor) agrees with Wilson's sentiment. "If any doorbuster specials are on your list, keep in mind that stores often stock very few of these items and they tend to sell out quickly," he says. "I personally tend to stay away from these because those crowds can be almost dangerous."

In a limited quantity scenario, the same item priced a few dollars more at a competing store may be a better bet than risking time for the sake of a few dollars saved, says Wilson.