Lemondrop

Dana, 25
Toronto
Years of Black Friday experience: 1
Best shopping deal: Two pairs of William Rast jeans for $20 a pop.

Battling the insanity of the crowds for a deal or two definitely isn't for everyone. For those who would rather sleep off the turkey on Friday than elbow aggressive parents after the latest toys, take it to cyberspace. Because she's not in the U.S., Dana is left to master the online-shopping deals of Black Friday. "Believe it or not, I hadn't heard about Black Friday until a year or so ago," she says; an American friend introduced her to it. A self-proclaimed shopaholic, she knew she wanted in. Her strategy? Scouring the Internet: "I will be jumping online at the earliest hours to catch some of those deals from U.S. sites (many of which will not go into effect until Saturday, or even Monday). I wholeheartedly believe in online shopping vs. retail-store shopping." Catch more of Dana's shopping stories at LifeOfAShopaholic.com.

Will you be shopping for yourself or buying holiday gifts?
Dana: Now is the time to buy gifts for Christmas ... and maybe a little something for myself as well.

What's the one thing you HAVE to get this year?
Jeans. They are my shopping obsession.

What's your budget?
When I'm shopping for Christmas gifts, my budget seems to fly out the window. It's more important to me that I purchase things that make me excited to give to my loved ones than sticking to a budget. That's not to say I would go crazy and spend thousands of dollars. When shopping for myself, I do usually try to budget my purchases. I have my own way of justifying the money I spend on new items. When I purchase something new -- for example, a new pair of jeans -- I sell an older pair on eBay.

Which sites will you be visiting first?
I'm going to check out some of my favorite online stores such as Shopbop, '80s Purple and Revolve. Watch out, credit card!

What's your Black Friday strategy?
To spot the best deals you have to know how much something is worth. With the amount of shopping I do, I know which brands I like and how much their product costs retail. In the online world, spotting deals can be as easy as signing up for a store's mailing list, or searching for coupon codes. My number one tip for getting a good deal is to always search for a coupon code before you hit that "Submit Order" button. This is another reason why I prefer online shopping over visiting the stores -- there is usually a coupon code you can use to save yourself some money.