Once upon a cold Black Friday, I decided to venture out to shop in spite of my baby bump. I bundled up and waited in the lines that seemed to look more like a sea of people. People bumped into my bump, pushed, shoved, and sprinted to the sales like they had never been out in public before. 

People were wearing running shoes and clutching advertisements from multiple stores which flew out of their pockets at the speed at which they ran. I stood there protecting my baby belly with my gloved hands. For the record, I was wearing some fuzzy house slippers…not exactly the ideal running shoe.

Call me naive, but I had never seen people wrestling over a dollar DVD before. Black Friday Shopping was a game that I had not practiced for. Strategy is necessary when shopping for the best deals.

I got increasingly frustrated and anxious and I realized I had a gigantic problem: I had not come prepared. I didn’t even know what I was shopping for.

You don’t have to decide to hide in your house and shop online. Black Friday shopping can be fun. Here are a few tips to try before you head out the door.

Surviving Black Friday Shopping 

• Whether you are going on Thanksgiving evening, (no judgement here; I’ve done it) or on Black Friday, you must have a game plan. 

This might mean leaving the kids at home. It makes shopping easier to not have to wait in a long line with young ones, especially those you are buying gifts for. Ask your spouse to help or leave the kids with grandma or a babysitter. Give yourself extra time to follow your plan. 

• Do your research for Black Friday deals.

Research Black Friday ads online or from the newspaper. Look up websites and apps that will tell you give you a preview of the sales before those ads are even printed in your Thanksgiving Day newspaper. Know the exact items you want and what stores to find them in. Make checklists. Black Friday deals can be especially great for shopping on a budget.

• Don’t have unrealistic expectations and get cozy.    

The lines will be long. There will be lots of people. Grab a coffee, some good shoes and comfy yoga pants. Get out there and find those gifts. Expect that it won’t go as you expect. Talk to people in line; make a friend, and have fun!