Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is kind of like a double-edged sword. There are all these great deals that seem like they could save you a huge amount of money, but since everything’s on sale, you end up buying a ton of crap you don’t even need or even necessarily want–costing you tons of money you wouldn’t otherwise be spending. This November, get your Black Friday shopping tips from someone who’s survived the worst (and sworn to never go down that rabbit hole again!):

Black Friday Shopping Tip #1: Don’t Go Shopping On Black Friday
Unless you really have zero choice (i.e. your mom is physically dragging you to the mall), stay away from the stores today! I promise you nothing but long lines, a terrible lack of parking, and the possibility of physical violence await you.

Black Friday Shopping Tip #2: If You Must Go, Leave Your Wallet At Home
You will be tempted to buy random garbage that you have zero need for. Case in point? One year, while visiting a friend’s family in Rhode Island, we went to Target on Black Friday. I was so excited about buying an 8-foot fake Christmas tree for only $20 that I never thought about having to carry it back to NYC on the bus–and then dragging it on the subway to get home. Don’t leave anything to chance.

Black Friday Shopping Tip #3: Bring A Snack
You’ve heard about insane shoppers getting into fights over who can have what on Black Friday, right? I’m convinced that the violence starts when people have been standing in long lines for way too long without nourishment. Just think about how cranky you get when you’re hungry, then imagine being that cranky while having to listen to Christmas carol muzak and realizing someone else has her paws on the last $50 XBox. Right. Pack a snack, prevent the punching.

Do you go shopping on Black Friday? What’s your worst Black Friday story? Tell us about it in the comments!

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