The day after Thanksgiving, traditionally known as Black Friday, is my favorite way to kick off the holiday season. The day is long and chaotic, but full of bargains if you know where to look.

My game plan starts in early November when the sneak peeks of store ads start trickling in to my favorite Black Friday websites:

www.theblackfriday.com
www.blackfridayads.com
www.gottadeal.com/blackfriday

I start with a list of people I will be gifting and start jotting down ideas. Then I compare my wishlist to the sale items. I include column for the sale price so that I can keep track of my budget and a Store column so I can plan where to shop.

The next part of the strategy is scheduling. Some stores open at midnight (Edinburgh Outlet), Kohl’s and the mall open at 4am, several stores open at 5am and the rest have their sales set to begin at 6. You can map out the best route for your shopping based on the sale times and prioritize your most desired bargains so you don’t miss the deals.

Doorbuster items will go within minutes so plan to arrive extra early to be in the front of the line. Many doorbuster items are so limited that people will camp out on Thanksgiving. Some stores will hand out tickets a few hours before store opening. Don’t expect to arrive at Best Buy when they open and take home a $300 laptop.

Be prepared for a long morning. I start before 4am and don’t stop until lunch. That means I need a full tank of gas, an empty van (for all my purchases), snacks and layers of clothing, especially when I’m waiting outside for a store to open.

The final part of my strategy is teamwork. I will be shopping with my mom and sisters, with my brother and his wife keeping touch by phone all morning long. This will allow us to spread out, when necessary, to hit more than one store opening. We can also take turns standing in line while the others finish their shopping.

It has become an annual tradition for us and one I have been counting down to for weeks!