The day after Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday” and can strike fear into even the best shoppers. It’s common knowledge that the best Christmas sales happen on this day. Do you mark your newspaper sale inserts with highlighter? Does the phrase “50 percent off” leave you drooling? Whether you are planning an entire day of winding through crowds and spending money or just a few short hours of choosing certain gifts, you should have a plan of action ready. Don’t let the thick atmosphere of temptation turn you to Jell-O. Here are a few simple rules to help your budget and make your experience less chaotic.

Know What You Are After
Scrambling wildly from store to store is likely to give you a major dose of sensory overload. Know which shops you want to visit and park accordingly. Parking at the wrong end of the mall can be disastrous. Who knows how many stores will have big flashy SALE signs that lure even the most self-controlled shopper into its clutches. If you must walk past a few stores to get to the one you are after, stare at the floor while you walk. Most people will move out of your way – unless, of course, they are using the same strategy.

Get In, and Get Out
Once you are in your chosen store, dash to the rack or shelf that holds what you need. Stop for nothing and no one. Grab your treasure and get away as fast as you can. If you’re distracted by a heavenly sweater or industrial blender, you could be in for trouble. In fact, it may be a good idea to visit these stores (without your wallet) before the Big Day to mentally map your route. Be prepared to hurdle baby strollers and dodge small children.

Leave Your Credit Cards at Home
Does your dad really need that life-size wooden moose? If you run into something you know you just can’t pass up, driving all the way home in the ice and snow to get your credit card may be enough to deter you. With any luck, by the time you get home the mysterious buying trance may have worn off. If you are particularly weak when it comes to spending, have your 3-year-old hide your cards in his room. You’ll never find them.

Bring a Shopping Partner
Actually, it would be better to bring someone who has her Christmas shopping done. Don’t hate this organized person; she can help you. Bringing someone who has the power to concentrate on the task at hand will keep you in line. Tell this partner what you want, what you plan to spend and what your weaknesses are. Also, demonstrate your glassy-eyed, I-want-this-more-than-life expression so your friend knows when to intervene. Lastly, reassure her that you will not hold a grudge if she pulls you out of a store kicking and screaming.

Eat Before You Leave the House
Thanksgiving leftovers are there for a very important reason: They fill you up before you shop. Why is this useful? While shopping, you are bound to see fast food restaurants en route to a store and food courts at the mall. These distractions lead to more spending. Not only are you shelling out money for food you don’t need (wasn’t yesterday a national holiday to feast?), but stopping anywhere within viewing distance of a sale sign will tempt you. If you must eat while shopping, bring a Ziploc baggy of cold turkey to munch while you buy. The people who stare at you funny are the same people who are spending too much money. Remember that.

Wrap It Yourself
If you think you are doing yourself a favor by having the department store or 4-H club wrap your gifts, think again. This practice is just another activity that calls for more decisions. Sure, picking out the right paper and bow may not be like choosing a car, but on the day where fewer decisions can mean the difference between your peace of mind and a migraine, it is always better to grab the economy pack of materials and wrap later. If you really must donate, throw a buck at the 4-H kids on your way out the door.

The day after Thanksgiving is a lot like going to Disneyland with 10 kids. If you don’t know what to do when you get there, you will be convinced to stand in the longest lines, ride the most gut-wrenching rides and play interpreter for every one of Snow White’s seven dwarfs. Come home from your day of shopping with exactly what you need, money left in your pocket and most importantly, your sanity.

Want to see more?

• A Really, Really Big Christmas
• 'Twas the Night for Assembling
• The Day After: What to Do With Your Leftover Turkey
• Talk about it!