Is there an app for that? Shopping goes high-tech

Gone are the days when you were limited to scanning Black Friday circulars on Thanksgiving morning. (Although it was a great tradition, wasn't it?)

"It's a lot different now because we get the sales on our mobile devices," says Lisa Johnson of West Penn, who has been shopping on Black Friday for more than 15 consecutive years.

"Now we look at who has Black Friday apps. They tell you who has the best deal for the items you're looking for," she said.

"Do a search for Black Friday on your app store. You'll be shocked."

She has used apps that allow her to scan an item in the store and search for better prices elsewhere, and individual store apps that share exclusive sales available only to app users.

Other apps allow you to view and save ads and create shopping lists.

Some store apps will also lead you to a hot item's location in the store a great tool if you're searching for just one thing.

"Those apps are priceless if you're going to do a lot of Christmas shopping," she said.

Don't have a smartphone? Using the Internet alone can help you get ahead of your holiday shopping list.

Retailers are releasing their sale ads earlier each year, and this year is no exception the majority of national chains have already published their Black Friday ads online.

Go directly to your favorite retailer's website to see if the sale ad is available there, or try websites like www.blackfriday.com/flyers or www.bfads.net.

Most third-party websites publish both a copy of the sales circular and a list of sale items.