Urban Dictionary defines Black Friday as “the day after Thanksgiving, when stores decide to open at the crack of dawn to start Christmas sales.”

Black Friday tends to be stereotyped as a 24-hour period when sleep-deprived mothers and teenagers, running on coffee and adrenaline, trample one another in an attempt to purchase the best flat screen TV, Xbox, Wii or laptop. Going out on this day tends to intimidate the average shopper. If one knows how to navigate the craziness, he can have an extremely successful Black Friday.

The first thing one must do to have the best Black Friday is to leave Schuylkill County. There is nothing here worth getting up before the sun rises for. Go to Reading, Allentown or someplace similar for the best stores.

Another aspect of the day one must be smart about is the time frame when he will be shopping. One doesn’t want to get caught up in the type of crowd that would stab someone over a pair of headphones. Optimum time for safe shopping is between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The people who started shopping on Thanksgiving are exhausted and have gone home, and the people who are planning on shopping during sunlight hours are not yet awake.

For the best experience possible, one should check out a store directory for the malls he wants to go to and then check the sales going on at the stores he’s interested in. He is also going to want to decide what he’d like to get from each of the stores. Having a general idea of what to look for helps cut down on the amount of time spent aimlessly browsing and increases the amount of safe shopping time remaining in the excursion.

One great way to save even more money on Black Friday is to buy gift sets. Gift sets are already a good price, so adding a Black Friday sale on top of that increases the money you’re saving.

Finally, never go into a Walmart on Black Friday. There is no safe shopping time when it comes to Walmart. Be wary.

One can have an amazing Black Friday if he tries to keep these tips in mind; the key to success is in the preparation.