Whether you’re new to Black Friday or a seasoned veteran, there are several tips and tactics you can use to give yourself a killer edge on Black Friday. The better you prepare for the challenges you’ll face on Black Friday, the better chance you’ll have of landing the best deals and going home happy.

1. Forget About Waking Up Early And Camp
If you’re looking to buy the most discounted items at a particular store, you better forget about waking up early and camp instead. Before going any further, it should be noted that spending a night outside in the cold can be dangerous to your health and well being so make sure you’re physically able and completely prepared before taking this extreme measure. If you do decide to camp out in front of a store, take every precaution necessary to stay warm during the night because your health is more important than saving a few bucks.

2. Pay With Cash
Due to the large number of credit card transactions that occur on the morning of Black Friday, there is a chance that credit card orders take several minutes to get through. If this happens while you’re waiting in line and can pay with cash, a store employee might let you cut in line to make a quick cash purchase. This can help reduce your waiting time so you can get to the next store on your list.

3. Park Nearby And Bike
There are some malls that are not designed to accommodate the type of traffic on Black Friday. This can make getting in and out of a parking an absolute nightmare. If you plan to visit a mall area that will likely be congested on Black Friday, consider parking your car further away and biking to the stores you plan to visit. This can help save the hassle of having to wait in traffic forever just to exit a small parking lot. This tip obviously isn’t a great idea if you plan to buy a large TV or home appliance, but if you plan to buy some clothes or a laptop, this might be a good way to save yourself a headache.

4. Make Sure What You’re Buying Is Worth It
If you’re planning to shop on Black Friday just to buy something that isn’t discounted, the best way to have a killer edge on Black Friday is to not shop. If you plan to wake up early on Black Friday, shop in crowded stores, and wait in endless lines, make sure you’re saving yourself a good amount of money first. Plus, thanksgiving weekend should be a time spent with family and friends, so make sure all of the effort and time is worth the money you save.

5. Wear Warm Clothes And Bring Coffee
If you live in an area where it’s colder during the winter months, you’ll want to bundle up and bring something warm to drink and eat while you wait in line. This is especially true if you plan to wait in line for more than a couple hours. Hats, mittens, and layers will go a long way to keep you warm. Bring more than you think you need and take anything off if you ever feel too toasty.

6. Don’t Go Solo
You’ll spend a lot of your time waiting in lines on Black Friday, which is much less tiresome and boring if you have a friend with you. Plus if you go with someone else, you can split up and work as a team to get the best items from multiple stores. If you plan to go with other people and work together, make sure to charge your cell phones and make a plan the night before. This can help make it easier to coordinate and work well as a team.

7. Protect What You Buy
If you spend thousands of dollars on Black Friday and decide to go out to get some brunch afterwards, it would be wise to drop everything off at your place before going out again. If you keep a brand new TV or computer in your car, you’re just asking to get your new toys stolen. Black Friday is a very enticing day for people planning on buying big ticket items and criminals know this. Make sure to protect what you buy to avoid getting robbed after making a costly and tiresome shopping trip on Black Friday.

8. Familiarize Yourself With Stores Ahead Of Time
If you plan to go to a particular store on Black Friday, make an effort to visit ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the layout of the store. If you know where the items you desire are located in the store, you’ll have a much better chance of finding them for yourself. Trying to find an unoccupied store employee and asking where to find something can waste critical seconds if you’re looking to grab the most discounted items on Black Friday. So familiarize yourself with each store ahead of time so you can find what you’re looking for faster than anyone else.

9. Double Check Coupons, Rebates, And Store Policies
The last thing you want to do is get confused on Black Friday. If you don’t know which rebate form to fill out, or which coupon to use, you’ll be fighting with many other shoppers to get help from store employees. This will waste your time and make it more difficult to get the items you want. That is why it is important to double check all coupons, rebates, and store policies ahead of time. This is one of the easiest ways to give yourself an edge on Black Friday.

10. Keep Your Schedule Open All Day
Black Friday will wear you down both mentally and physically, so it’s best to keep your schedule open for the rest of the day. Chances are, you’ll end up waking up earlier than you have for months, wait in line in the bitter cold, then frantically run around stores trying to find what you’re looking for with thousands of other crazed shoppers. That’s enough to make anyone want to take a long relaxing nap. So make sure you keep your schedule open so you can recover after a busy morning on Black Friday.

11. Don’t Be Afraid To Run
If you get into a store and know that there will be competition for something you want to buy, don’t be afraid to run in order to get it. There isn’t anything wrong or against the rules about running once you get inside a store.

12. Read All Newspaper Inserts Online
Newspaper inserts are the best place to find deals on Black Friday, and they all can be found online. Use your favorite search engine to find websites that are dedicated to Black Friday. They’ll usually have ad scans, deals, and more great information about Black Friday. Read all of the inserts you can find and figure out what stores you want to visit. From there you can create a plan for yourself to get what you want in the most efficient manner.

13. Be Wary Of Impulse Buys
While you’re shopping on Black Friday, you might find yourself tempted to buy things you really don’t need. Retailers know this and will sprinkle their stores with impulse buy items that can be hard to pass up. On Black Friday, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and just go into a buying frenzy, that can wreak havoc on your budget and personal finances. So stay in control and be wary of impulse buys.

14. Mentally Prepare Yourself For A Hectic Day
Wherever you go on Black Friday, you’ll have to wait in long lines and jockey with many crazed and sleep deprived shoppers. If you’re not mentally prepared for a hectic day, you’ll get burnt out easily and get discouraged by your Black Friday experience. The best thing to avoid this is to get plenty of sleep and mentally prepare yourself to deal with all of the hassle and stress of Black Friday. That way, you’ll be able to keep your cool and handle Black Friday with ease grace.

15. Don’t Get Too Greedy
If you find yourself arguing and fighting with other shoppers to get to the best deals, you’re definitely going about things the wrong way. Black Friday is the craziest shopping day of the year, but that doesn’t mean you should stop acting like a decent human being to get what you want. Be considerate when shopping and don’t get too greedy when it comes to getting the best deals. Acting out of character to save a few bucks is definitely not a good way to start the holiday season.