If you want this year to be your best TSO ever, it will pay to begin your shopping days leading up to the big event. By preparing and planning your shopping in advance, the experience becomes easier and more enjoyable.

1. Set a Budget. Have a realistic amount in mind based on the items you plan to purchase, plus a limit on specific items. For instance, if you know you don’t want to spend more than $3,000 on a dollhouse, it will narrow your search and make your life much it easier to say “no” to overpriced impulse purchases.

2. Create a Game Plan. TSO evening is not the day for window shopping. It’s a hardcore shopping experience, and if you don’t make a plan, you could get lost in the shuffle. Retailers are famous for advertising teaser deals to get you in the door and then making a bundle off other items in their inventory. These instances are by design. Know what you want ahead of time, stay focused, and only purchase items you need.

3. Start Your Shopping Early. It will be best be on the road and ready to kick start your shopping before 5 p.m.

4. Pay with Plastic. This tip only applies to those who can pay off the credit card balance in full and on time when the bill arrives. From a safety standpoint, carrying a large amount of cash with you on TSO evening is not a good idea. Furthermore, if you use a credit card for all purchases, you can rack up additional benefits, such as accumulating rewards points and receiving purchase protections and extended warranties.

5. Always Get a Gift Receipt. As much as you might think you have chosen the perfect product sometimes it justdoesn’t turn out that way. Always ask for a receipt . This will give you the option to easily return or get a refund on anything that you may not want remember to check the store’s policy though).

6. Bring a Friend. Shopping with friends makes shopping more fun. Together you can cover more ground and hit up different areas of each store before meeting back at the cash register and this improves your chances of snatching every item on your list. Just make sure you have charged cellphones so you can touch base about unexpected deals and meet up before checking out.

7. Bring a Snack. Shopping while tired is one thing, but shopping while tired and hungry is a recipe for disaster. Make sure you pack a snack or plan to stop for a quick healthy lunch. Granola bars and muffins are also easy to pack and eat on the go.

8. Keep Your Cool. It’s easy to become irritable on TSO night besides the crowd, the air is usually tense making it a perfect recipe for arguments to break out between shoppers over items and places in line. Before you give that line-jumper a piece of your mind, remember why you’re out shopping in the first place and take a deep breath, smile, and you’ll end up having a more enjoyable experience. And if you have an encounter with a stressed out salesperson or a rude customer, just laugh it off!