Black Friday is historically the day when shopping companies go from “red” (which means under revenue to meet operating expenses) to “black” (which means break-even or business is good).

Many shoppers also look forward to Black Friday as it promises better deals on high end products and electronics compared to all other days of the shopping season, which makes perfect sense that it’s the busiest shopping day throughout the year.

However, many shoppers go into Black Friday doorbusters overwhelmed and without a goal in mind. To make the most of your Black Friday shopping, following these tips:

1. Map out your shopping day

Don’t go running through the mall or outlet stores like a chicken with its head cut off. Instead, seasoned Black Friday shoppers plan a strategy ahead of hitting the stores. You can prioritize everything from parking to lunch to where the doorcrasher lines are forming with help from online mall maps, then you can plan a route of attack in stores in close proximity to one another so you make the most of your time.

2. Early-birds get the deals

Did you know that in addition to Black Friday deals, most U.S. stores also feature Thanksgiving sales as a type of early bird discount to get shoppers shopping? So keep your eyes on local papers and social media for things like midnight madness sales at stores that appeal to you. Also many stores give loyalty customers points or gift cards based on your shopping history that you can use both in store and online. Pay special attention to any web only shopping deals on midnight on Thanksgiving.

3. Get appy

If you do shop at certain stores often, it’s worth downloading the app for that store. For instance, H&M offers a 10 percent discount for just downloading the app, plus they’ll often feature early bird sales, coupons, promos, and doorbusters to loyalty customers first.

4. Compare prices and bring ads

It’s really disappointing when you have your eye on a certain item, only visit the store and have the sales clerk tell you the advertisement in the paper is no longer. So check any newspaper and digital ads closely for dates, and bring the actual ad along with you as proof. Even if your store of choice won’t honor the ad, some competitors offer price match deals, and would be glad to offer the same product at a slightly lower advertised price if you purchase that same item at their location.

5. Always ask for a receipt

Many shoppers do the bulk of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday, so most stores will offer a lengthier refund and return policy as a result. So if you’re shopping for the kids or your spouse or mom, always request a gift receipt. That way you can always bring items back to the store if they don’t fit or aren’t what Nana wanted.