Until recently, I was moderately afraid of Black Friday shopping. The ominous name, an early wake up over a break, and news reports about fights over the last TV all kept me cuddled in bed and far away from malls on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Alas, a lack of clothes and a lack of cash inspired me to take advantage of the deals available. My cousin and I planned to wake up at 5 am to get to the mall for its opening at 6:00 am. After just over three hours of carefully planned shopping, my perspective on Black Friday was completely changed from what it had been just days prior. Not typically a shopper, I felt the compulsion to repeatedly tell others about the deals that I got and describe, in detail, my seemingly massive success. While certainly not a typical shopping experience, Black Friday was nothing like it has been portrayed. I was almost disappointed to not see a single fight the entire duration of my shopping adventure. Lines were longer, clothes were messier, and walkways were more crowded, but it was all still manageable. All in all, the Black Friday experience is not nearly as daunting as portrayed, and you can find some really, great deals. In order to help as many people as possible have as peaceful a trip as I did, here are my tips to Black Friday Shopping so you can go out an brave the sales next year:

1. Pick your stores beforehand

All malls or shopping centers have websites with the stores listed. Go through each one and see if it is a store that you want to stop at or if it is a store that is known for great Black Friday deals. Check to see what time each store opens on Black Friday so that you know what stores will be open while you are shopping.

2. Make a game plan

While it might seem over the top, creating a plan helped me stay on track with a time limit. Look at the stores you selected and map out the order in which you are going to go to them. This will help you take the more efficient route around the mall or shopping center and will ensure that you don’t miss a store that you were interested in.

3. Know when to say no

If a store looks crowded, busy, and chaotic, skip it and return if you have time at the end of your route. Spending too much time in one store can be detrimental and waste time.

4. Save the big stores for last

Unless you are buying the last TV, save the large department stores for last. These stores have huge amounts of products while the smaller stores may run out of certain deals if you don’t get to them quick enough.