Consumers prepare to stretch waistlines and budgets this Thanksgiving holiday

With the economy dependent on consumer spending, it may feel un-American not to shop. But Black Friday sales don't have to gobble up all of shoppers' holiday budgets. Black Friday shoppers often expertly plan which stores they will visit and what items they will buy, but financial experts say it's essential to make how much to spend a part of the plan.

Cristy Cash, director of counseling for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma, said the frenzy caused by Black Friday causes people to say they can't plan because they don't know what deals they might find.

“A bargain isn't a bargain if you're spending money you don't have,” she said.

Consumers prone to overspending should stay home or, at the very least, bring cash or a preloaded card to use for purchases. When the money is gone, it's time to stop. And keep the receipts so if buyer's remorse hits, returns are possible.

Consumers prefer to spend money they already have for holiday gifts and more than 40 percent will use debit cards as their primary form of payment, the National Retail Federation found in a recent survey. Nearly 30 percent will pay with a credit card, 25 percent will use cash, and 2.8 percent will write a check.

“Consumers are keen on scoring hot holiday deals this year,” said Pam Goodfellow, consumer insights director of BIGinsight, which conducted the poll for the National Retail Federation. “Trying to stay within budget, shoppers will map out their holiday season shopping strategy before stepping foot in any store or logging onto any website.”