TOMORROW is Black Friday – a 24 hour shopping bonanza famed for turning normally decent shopper people into manic bargain hunters.

The North West Ambulance Service has already urged shoppers not to get into a 'fight over a cut price television' when the high street is swamped by bargain hunters on Novemver 27.

Here we present 8 tips for avoiding the chaos and making sure you don’t get stung.

If you’re heading out on Black Friday, then let us know how you’re getting on and send us your pictures via webdesk@theboltonnews.co.uk, via Facebook through facebook.com/theboltonnews, or Twitter @TheBoltonNews

Set a budget.

By now you’ll hopefully be working to some sort of budget for Christmas. If not; set one. This goes for Black Friday, too. If you’ve accounted for that one present your child desperately wants, don’t get side-tracked by a radically discounted Corby Trouser Press.

As King of budgeting, Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, advises: "Above all, remember, if you don't want something, don't need it or can't afford it, then don't buy it."

Pay with plastic.

Carrying a large wad of notes around with you on Black Friday is highly inadvisable. You may find it quicker at the till, but you’re likely to have been stuck in a large queue by then anyway. Although the vast majority of people out on Friday will be bargain hunters, the kind of shopping aisle scrums witnessed last year provide an easy target for pickpockets. If your wallet gets stolen, it’ll be easier to cancel your cards than explain why little Johnny’s not getting a Thunderbirds Tracy Island this year.

Take a friend.

No – not in case you get into a rumble, but simply because Black Friday is generally a rather intense, unpleasant experience. A decent wingman will help keep your spirits up while also allowing you to cover more of the store. Maybe you’re targeting several different items that are likely to be at opposite ends of the shop. By formulating your plan off attack with a friend, you can be in two places at once. Make sure you’ve charged your mobiles beforehand in case you lose each other in the tussle.

Don’t wear heels.

Unless you’re planning to remove one of your stilettoes and use it as a weapon, then we can’t think of a good reason for not donning sensible footwear. The last thing you’re going to need is a twisted ankle before Christmas. Dressing appropriately will help the day pass with a relative degree of comfort. You might find yourself stood outside for prolonged periods if you’re arriving early, but then you could also find yourself squeezed into a sweating mass of shoppers in the aisle, so wear your best ‘all weathers’ coat. 

Avoid exploding hair straighteners.

Don’t fall victim to counterfeit online goods. An investigation by charity, Electrical Safety First, found highly sophisticated, dangerous counterfeits for sale through online marketplaces which were not necessarily vetted by retailers. Its figures suggested more than one million people found they had bought a counterfeit last year, including fakes of popular items such as NutriBullets, GhD hair straighteners and Apple accessories. Tests showed that even those with small fake internal components were at risk of exploding in up to 20 per cent of cases. Be sensible – if the deal looks slightly too good to be true, then it possibly is.

Don’t get stung by returns policies.

Many stores offer price-matching, so if there’s a deal you’ve seen elsewhere then be sure to take a print and check in advance whether the shop you’re visiting will match it. Also bear in mind that Christmas sale purchases could come with a different returns policy to usual. Check in advance and don’t get caught out.

Consider staying at home.

Remember Cyber Monday – a discount day on the first day of the following week, which was originally set up by online retailers to tempt people to shop via the web. If you don’t complete your shopping list on Black Friday, then you may find the deal you’re looking for three days later. Of course, you’re always running the risk of items being sold out.

Keep calm and carry on.

Remember your British reserve and look out for your fellow man. No-one likes some uncouth lout giving shoppers and staff a hard time, particularly if the source of their ire is an over-priced lump of plastic. Take care of yourself and each other, and remember that not getting the TV or Millennium Falcon you were looking for is most definitely a First World Problem.

We will be live blogging tomorrow's Black Friday sales in Bolton, visit theboltonnews.co.uk from 5am for all the latest deals and news