The 10 Commandments of Efficient Shopping

1. Have a partner. One person can park the car and wait in long checkout lines while the other is busy snatching up all the deals.

2. Plan the night before. The sales usually aren't made public until Thanksgiving day, so after your nap, spend a couple of hours plotting your course for the following morning.

3. Dress Appropriately. Leave the winter coat at home. You won't have the arm space to carry it later when the body heat from the throngs of other shoppers turns Target into a sauna.

4. Limit the number of stores you visit. On a day as crowded as this, finding a parking spot and driving around town takes forever, so the less driving, the better.

5. Economical eating. You can sit down for lunch later, after the early bird specials have ended.

6. No shopping carts. Stores get crowded and carts limit your mobility and slow you down.

7. Skip the clothes. Shopping for clothes means trying things on, which means waiting for a fitting room, which means watching someone else steal all the good deals.

8. Buy first, think later. If you can save hundreds of dollars on something you think you might need as a gift, do it. You can always return it later.

9. Credit cards only. Cash takes time to count, so skip it. Plastic is faster, and it's just as quick for returns later.

10. Combine purchases. Some stores offer free gift certificates if you spend a certain amount. Combine your purchases with your partner and the rewards will be even greater.