The stores beef up their marketing for their big Day After Thanksgiving sales by showing commercials and printing sales ad claiming "Blow Out for One Day" prices on their merchandise. Thousands of consumers hit the stores before daybreak to "catch" these sales offered on Black Friday. But do you really save money or is it hype?

From my experience, most of the sales result in a savings to the consumer. Below are some examples of stores I've visited that have resulted in significant savings over the last few years.

Macy's normally has a sale on the weekends offering an additional percent off their already marked down merchandise. On Black Friday, they offer a second percent off on top of that. But don't sleep in too long because the second percentage discount usually expires at 1:00 p.m. Remember to look in the newspaper for your coupon for an additional 10-15% off.

Chelsea Premium Outlets advertises their Midnight Madness Sale. Many of the outlet stores open their doors at midnight the day after Thanksgiving and offer merchandise at great prices with an additional percent off for shopping before 5:00 a.m. Chelsea Premium Outlets offers a VIP program where you are alerted to special sales throughout the year. One of the perks of signing up for the free program is they offer special coupons that can be used at Midnight Madness. These savings are on top of the advertised savings. A few years ago I purchased a $79 wool coat for $36 from the Gap Outlet because I took advantage of their Midnight Madness price plus my VIP coupon. To sign up so that you can receive the extra discounts, go to http://www.premiumoutlets.com/.

Wal-Mart follows suit and opens their doors between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. I can't think of any time-limited offers, but the key to Wal-Mart is paying close attention to the merchandise they offer at inexpensive prices. It's not a requirement to get up early to catch the deals, but if there's something specific you want, it may be worth it to you to get up early to ensure that you get what you want.

Kohl's even gets a piece of the action with their time-limited savings. In addition, they usually offer $10 in Kohl's cash for every $50 you spend. The earned Kohl's cash can then be used a few days later to go towards another Christmas gift.

If you've never been shopping the Day After Thanksgiving, give it a try. It will be worth your time. If you shop every year on this day, you've experienced the savings I've described. Get your sales papers, review them to see what you need/want, and map out your path for the biggest sale day of the year. Know which stores you want to visit and in what order. It makes shopping a whole lot easier. With the economy in its current condition, consumers should be smart with their money; and it can start by taking advantage of the deals offered on Black Friday.