Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so naturally that means so is Black Friday. It is crazy how Black Friday shopping is something that has become such an American tradition. Last year I had the (honor?) of working on Black Friday at the retail store I used to work at. I think crazy would be an understatement to describe that experience. However, now that I am an experienced shopper and worker on this chaotic day, I thought it would be fitting to give some tips for Black Friday shopping.

1. Make a plan.

This is so simple yet so effective. Plan your night/morning out. Know what stores you want to go to in what order at what times. Know what you're planning on purchasing in each store and how you plan on paying for it. All very important information that is incredibly beneficial to know before you're being trampled into the entrance of a store.

2. Leave your house with a fully charged phone.

Because nothing is worse than finally getting to a register after waiting in line for an hour and having your phone die when you try to pull up your 40 percent off coupon.

3. Read and cut out your coupons.

Black Friday is all about the sales and the coupons-- so take advantage of them! Reading the backs of coupons is very important because it will let you know if there are any exclusions to the deal, or if you are able to use it in conjunction with other sales or coupons. Also, some coupons have a dollar minimum you have to spend in order to redeem the coupon. Having the coupon ready to go with confidence that it is redeemable is very helpful because it saves everybody time and unnecessary stress.

4. Pay attention to when stores open.

Some stores open in the early evening of Thanksgiving (which I believe should not be a thing). Some respect the holiday and do not open until late in the night or even the early hours of Friday morning. It's good to know when the stores you are planning on going to open so you can strategize accordingly.

5. Know the hot items and get to those first.

It happens every year: there are those few items that you just know are going to be very popular this year and everybody is going to want to get it. If you intend to buy whatever that item may be, go to the store that has it first. You don't want to risk it selling out.

6. If you plan on trying on clothes, wear clothes there that are easy-on easy off.

Trust me, you don't want to be in the situation where you're in a crunch for time, have 20 different articles of clothing to try on and you're wearing clothes that take an annoyingly long time to get off. Keep it simple.

7. Mentally prepare yourself for long lines.

You can't have a Black Friday without long lines. It's inevitable and patience is a virtue. However long the line may be, trust me, the sales associates are doing the best they can!

8. Try to keep the piles of clothes in their piles.

It is safe to say that there was a lot of time put into folding those clothes, and it benefits no one by messing up the pile and making a hot mess of the display. We get it, you want a medium, but it only takes an extra second to lift up the shirts until you get to a medium and then put the rest back. It'll help out the workers because they won't have to constantly refold, and it will help out the customers in that they won't have to search any longer than they have to for a single shirt.

9. Bring a pal.

There are many advantages to bringing a friend or a family member along for this crazy endeavor. You have someone to talk to while shopping and someone to complain to while waiting in the long lines. Also, one of you can wait in line while the other grabs the items you plan to buy in the store to save time (great strategy, 10/10, highly recommend).

10. Just be as polite as possible.

I know, I know, it can be hard. Even if you have to fake the politeness, it'll help out everyone in the end. If you're nice, the other shoppers will be nice (maybe, don't quote me on it) but it's worth a try. Also, you will help out the store associates IMMENSELY. More than likely, they have been dealing with a lot of nasty customers, and your kindness will be so refreshing,