NOW: Shop smart

All you can think about is shopping for the holidays, right? Well, you're not the only one: the average person expects to spend $688.87 on holiday-related items this season! Wowza, that's definitely more than my budget this year.

Personally, I don't think Black Friday is the best time to go shopping -- those crowds, the insanity, eek -- because unless you're out at 3 am to get one of three big-screen TVs available, you most likely can get the similar deals by just being a smart shopper all-year-round. If you must however, check out http://www.theblackfriday.com/. Deals for "Cyber Monday," the new shopping "holiday" the Monday after Thanksgiving, can be found at http://www.cybermonday.com/.

Want to shop smart? Take this advice:
- Register for ShopItToMe: it's a free, online personal shopper! I've been a fan for 2+ years and it has more than three million subscribers. Just tell the site your favorite stores and brands, and voila, you get a daily email telling you what's on sale. Do this instead of visiting a million web sites each day scouring for the best price. Saves tons of time and money.

- Shop online through Ebates: hope you're already doing this! I've made $30 this Fall just shopping like I normally do; only exception is that I click first through Ebates, a portal site that gives you a percentage back (anywhere from 2-15 percent!) on more than 1,200 retailers. Best of all, you get $5 after you make your first purchase and Ebates often has coupon codes to add to your savings. This holiday, buying online (especially since many sites offer free shipping at lower price points than usual) can add up to savings and less hassle.

- Register for online sites to save: You can score designer clothes, discounts to restaurants, sporting events, yoga classes and way more just by accessing a few key sites. Head to Gilt, Swirl, Rue La La, Zulily (perfect for kids, moms and babes), Beyond the Rack, Ideeli and Jasmere (new; awesome for mostly food and other great gift items) for the best sample sales. And, do not forget about Groupon, the best way to get up to 90 percent off local finds in your area.

- Make a list and stick to it. Decide who you need to buy for and how much you plan to spend; try to have some ideas in advance so you don't buy needless items. Keep receipts so you can return if you find something else or the same item at a better price.

- Shop before the big sales: Many stores will give you the price difference if an item goes on sale within a few days of purchase, both apparel and electronics. Double check before you buy, though; it sometimes does not apply to Black Friday specials.

- Gift exchanges with friends and fam: Stick to a small amount, $10 or $20, and do a "Secret Santa" type exchange where everyone secretly picks someones name out of a hat and buys that person a gift. This way each person gets one nicer gift instead of six kind of crappy ones.

- Get rid of gift certificates you don't like: check out Card Pool, a site that buys your gift cards back from you for a pretty good percentage. If you don't like what you have, don't force yourself to buy something or hold on to it for so long it's worth nothing. If it's a store that you can't even buy a gift for someone in, take advantage of Card Pool and get cash for that piece of plastic wasting space.

- In 2011, start thinking about next year: want to do way better next year and find the perfect gift? Don't wait until now! If you're like me, what you're looking for is never there for us last-minute shoppers. You're way better off if you're keeping your eyes open all-year long.

- And, of course, stay connected to The Average Girl's Guide: What better way to learn about the latest fashion and products, discounts and deals, and more, right? Keep it right here, yo!

Happy savvy shopping!