In one sentence, describe what the following article is about:

If you don't have any idea of what you want, seriously question your purpose in heading out into the crowds. Without a plan, it will be tempting to spend money you don't necessarily have on items you don't necessarily need and the experience will be fraught with exhaustion, impulse buying, and possibly even guilt. It is a lot better to have a plan in mind, or else you could be using this day more constructively to take a rest or see a movie! If you're shopping for gifts, write a list of all the people you're planning on buying gifts for. This way, you can keep track of who receives what, creating an organized method for your shopping and helps you to avoid duplicating gifts or missing out on anyone. Decide which person is the recipient of which item. If you're buying things for yourself or for the household, again write a list. If you're after clothes, specify what types of clothes rather than thinking "Oh anything that looks reasonably priced". If you want a pair of jeans, new pajamas and a stack of new socks, write these things down. Anything else is peripheral. Same goes for household items: avoid wandering along in the hope of adding "stuff" to your kitchen or other areas of the house. Think about what is actually missing, broken, or outdated that could do with adding or upgrading to your household rather than buying gadgets you're not even sure what to do with! Plan your budget. If things are tight, a budget is essential. Even if they're not tight, a budget will help to rein in impulse buys and can curb the temptation to buy things just because you think someone else "might like it". Decide how much money you have spare, and stick to that amount. Not only is the budget and list important, but so are the methods you plan to adopt when going in for the bargain. Timing is everything with limited bargains, so the first thing to keep in mind is hour at which you intend to turn up. The earlier, the better, if you have your eye on items that you know will sell out fast. If you're super keen, you might like to camp out - read How to Camp Out for Black Friday for more details on how to do this. Find your bargains. Collect all newspaper ads, circulars, and coupon packets mentioning Black Friday discounts. Know what is on sale, who is selling it, and during what period those items are on sale some stores have Black Friday sales going on all day, but others keep them going for only a few hours. Develop a plan of attack by drawing up a map of places to visit in a particular order. It is good to know what stores you need to hit first, preferably the one with the most important items or gifts on your list. Be sure to clearly mark those stores having sales on only at certain times, along with the time marked clearly. Organize your transportation. Remember that the parking lots will often be congested and parking rage can start early on. Are there other solutions than taking the car? Perhaps you can be dropped off and picked up later. Or take public transportation? Or stay with a friend who lives near the stores, and ferry your purchases back there before returning for more shopping? . It's a good idea to think about what alternative items you might substitute for items you're seeking that have already sold out. The chances that you won't always get the items you've planned to buy are fairly high, especially with popular items. Look through the catalogs for alternate, and less popular, items, including gift alternatives if you're gift shopping.

Summary:
Know what you want before heading out. Make a specific "battle plan". Think laterally, by considering alternatives and substitutions