It’s the same thing every year. You buy something on Black Friday because the deal was just too good to pass up. When you get home, you hide the gift from whoever it’s for or set it aside for yourself later. Fast forward to the week before Christmas, and you are frantically trying to remember what you bought, for whom, and where you put it.

Step One: Get Organized. Make a list of each person you’re planning to give something to. This means your mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, and your friends, too. Jot down a couple ideas of what each person’s interests are, such as video games, reading, arts and crafts, etc.

Step Two: Find the Best Deals. For the first time, Black Friday shopping won’t involve waiting in the cold to be first in line for a new flatscreen. Shoppers can avoid downing an energy drink for the day-long shopping marathon that involves tight crowds, yanking the last stock item off the shelf (before someone else gets it first), and waiting in checkout lines that form longer zigzags than the 20th level of “Snake.” This year is going to look a little different, but don’t worry, there’s still many ways to get those deals and steals this holiday season. 

Instead of late night openings for the traditional doorbuster Black Friday, many stores are already promoting deals online much earlier than usual. After you figure out Step One, find out what stores sell what you’re looking for, for the best price. You may find that during your research, different stores may have a better deal for the same item that you want to buy. 

Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Apple, and Kohls are some of the best places to shop online because of their huge sales and amazing number and variety of products. A small tip: don’t plan to browse online on black Friday — plan to checkout items you have waiting in your cart. Take some time before the day-of to shop, browse items, and find what is in stock and what you are looking for. Many of the deals have already started, with the shopping window starting even earlier than usual, so you might not even have to wait until Black Friday to purchase your items.

Step Three: Plan ahead. If you need to shop in person, make sure you look at the hours the stores open. This year, many stores are going to have different hours than usual, and some may not even open on Black Friday at all due to the pandemic. Make sure to look at the store’s websites or Google before you go. Some stores have talked about having a ticket system in place, which may mean even longer wait times to even get into the store. 

Step Four: Grab some Christmas label tags, bags, and wrapping paper next time you’re at the store. This will allow you to wrap your gifts as soon as you have purchased them, and those labels won’t let you forget who the gift is for. Find a good stash area in your home so nothing gets lost. Don’t want someone in your house to see what you got them when it shows up to your doorstep? Try curbside pickup; take the gift home, wrap it, and hide it somewhere before your mom even gets home from work. 

Step Five: Get started right away! This is not the year to wait until the last minute to do Christmas shopping. With so many people ordering gifts online, shipping times might increase, and no one wants a gift to arrive after Christmas. Waiting too long might also force you to shop in person at the height of the Christmas season, which is not a good idea for avoiding crowds. 

With the crazy events of this year, a little shopping can be a great way to spend time with your family and buy things for everyone you love. If you do decide to go out, make sure, of course, to wear your mask, stay socially distant, and follow the guidelines outlined anywhere you go.