Three to ten deaths are caused by the madness of Black Friday each year. Shots have been fired, brutal fights have broken out, and robberies have taken place in plain sight. These are just the beginning adventures of this insane day of shopping which occurs the day after Thanksgiving.

Best Buy magazines circled with desired items at must-have prices, a Red Bull to keep you awake and focused, and a big poofy coat to keep warm while waiting outside are just a few of the essentials needed to begin your Black Friday.

This is the day that officially marks the holiday shopping season. Many stores open their doors as early as midnight. But midnight isn’t early enough.

Kohl’s department store will be opening their doors at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving night, remaining open for 28 straight hours. Sears, Kmart, and Macy’s will be opening their doors this early as well.

“We go as tradition. We would get up at 5 a.m. at the earliest but the stores open so early now, it takes the fun out of going,” said Ms. Michelle Robbins, a theatre teacher here at Bingham.

Shoppers will do anything to be the first ones in the store. Tents may line the sidewalks, cars will be parked in the strangest places, and lines can be hundreds of feet long with people waiting for 3 or more hours.

“I remember going to Fred Meyer and seeing women waiting in line for socks that were 50% off. They would just have baskets full of socks. That’s not even that big of a deal,” said Robbins.

Make sure you gather all of your ads before you go. Circle wanted items so you don’t forget what you’re fighting for. Also, prioritize them because you may not be able to reach all of your items in time.

“I was at Home Depot and everyone was fighting over Christmas trees…even people who didn’t want a Christmas tree,” said Annie Wouden, a freshman and Utah State University.

Familiarize yourself with the store beforehand. You need to be sprinting to your destination once those doors open. How are you supposed to get there if you don’t know where it’s located in the store? Map the route that you are going to take once inside the store. This will give you the advantage over other shoppers.

When the cashier asks if you will be paying with cash or a card, be prepared with a card. You won’t have to worry about keeping track of cash and coins. Change will be falling everywhere as you struggle to pay at the register. With a card, you will have one easy swipe and you are on your way.

You are going to need to stay not only awake but alert. You can’t afford to let people butt in front of you while waiting for the store to open. Keep any form of energy with you at all times to keep you going. Those sales come on one day and one day only. Your lucky win can’t be jeopardized by sleepiness.

“I was going in for a printer at Shopko that had been marked down from $70 to $30. I got in line to pay at midnight and didn’t get to the register unt4 AM4AM,” said Annie.

Patience is a must. You are going to be standing in a checkout line that wraps around the entire store. The waiting may be unbearable, but it will be well worth that incredibly priced item you may never use.

Don’t associate with the other shoppers. They are going to be like wild animals. Do not feed, poke, speak to, or irritate them. This will be in your best interest to just leave them alone. This will also help you to keep your shopping secrets to yourself.

After you have purchased your stellar items, it’s time to pack up the car. This is when your Tetris skills will come into play. On the drive back home, look at your list of circled items and make sure you got everything you wanted.

Once you get home, rest up. Eat some leftover turkey dinner and take a nap. This may cause you to dream of an item that you might have forgotten and you must go back. Round 2 begins…fight!