The time for spooky skeletons and candy binges are over as we cross over into the forgotten limbo between Halloween and Christmas: Thanksgiving. As temperatures drop, sentiments of family love and the upcoming holiday season pervade through the air with everyone looking forward to the couple of days off that November brings from their mundane daily routines. 

With pants bursting and the novelty of dad jokes and political disagreement at the table worn off, everyone leaves Thanksgiving with the anticipation of another hibernation until they reemerge again for Christmas. But, for those who are up for the task, there exists another forgotten holiday: Black Friday. Don’t be fooled, Black Friday isn’t for the faint hearted; it is nothing like the warm family feelings of holiday joy. Instead, shoppers must be prepared to encounter a day full of elbows thrown and piles of merchandise splayed in a disorderly manner in order to be left at the end of the day with sore arms and feet, and, if done right, perhaps a new wardrobe bought at an insane bargain price. Here are a few tips to help you survive your shopping frenzy.

1. Early Birds Get the Worm
   1. On the big day, most malls will have customized store hours. Typically, hours are much longer for all stores and malls. They will open up several hours before normal time and close much later. 
2. Look for sales and coupons before hand
   1. During the holiday seasons, there is lots of commercials on tv or ads in magazines that contain the new deals for the holiday season
3. Bring refreshments and chargers 
   1. When shopping, there is no time to sit around or any places to charge your phone. It is important to have portable chargers, so you can still shop while charging your phone. 
4. Plan a route (research maps)
   1. The main priority in Black Friday shopping should be to shop efficiently. The most efficient way to shop is too plan 
5. Pick stores out before hand and prioritize
   1. Having a list of stores beforehand will help you organize your time and estimate how long you will need at each store. It will also help you bring the certain materials on your advantage like money and food. 

These few tips are just the beginning to help customers survive the madness that goes on in stores during the hours of Black Friday shopping. By combining all these tips and plans into one perfect game plan, a shopper could achieve a day full of happiness with lots of new clothes and gadgets to go along with it.