If you like jostling in a sea of shoppers for limited deals and waiting in the cold, Black Friday is the shopping holiday for you! Here’s how to get the most of Friday, November 24.

• Research the deals you want ahead of time. Fat Wallet is a great place to start.
• Study the leaked circulars.
• Comparison shop. Just because it’s in the Black Friday ad, doesn’t mean it’s a good price.
• Stores will often hand out vouchers for first-in line “door busters” with the biggest savings. To snag these, you’ll have to get there early, as in, camp out the night before.

Bring:
• Chair
• Friends/Family – snag vouchers, hold your spot in line for bathroom breaks.
• Coat, mittens, gloves, hot cocoa thermos, hot pockets, hot tamales, whatever you need to stand outside in the cold for hours upon hours.

Most importantly, don’t calculate the time/hassle cost of standing in long lines and elbowing your way through competitive shoppers. You’ll just get depressed.

Veterans, got any tips to add? What are your Black Friday plans this year? Or will you sit back and laugh from the comfort of the internet? — BEN POPKEN

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