Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with our families and be thankful for all the good that has come to us throughout the year. More importantly, Thanksgiving means getting to party on a Wednesday without worrying about what Thursday brings. Thanksgiving is amazing because there is no school for two days. Lastly, Thanksgiving means that in just a few days, the Buckeyes will battle it out with that team up north.

Any true Buckeye fan will not be caught shopping this Saturday. They will be planted in front of a TV somewhere decked out in all their OSU apparel. Friday however is the largest shopping day in the retail industry. The Friday after Thanksgiving has come to be known as Black Friday, the official kickoff of the holiday shopping season. The day picked up a moniker during the 1960s and it’s stuck until today. Each year nearly 135 million people go out and shop and in 2010 shoppers spent $39 billion.

The ads will be out in the newspapers and on many retailers’ websites. On Friday, you can expect congested traffic on the roads and at the malls.

· Develop a strategy!

Look through the ads and figure out which items you want the most. Think of the layout of the store. While most stores leave items in their usual places, others may move big-ticket items closer to the front. Don’t forget to pay attention to the time the store opens. If one or more of your items are at two different stores that open at the same time. Divide and conquer by sending members of your party to one store and meeting up after. Otherwise, it’s time to make some tough decisions.

· Park in the back!

The chance of you getting front row parking is slim to none but in the off chance you do, elect to park in the back. Walking is a great form of exercise and it’s a good idea to get your legs warmed up. You could be standing and walking for hours in the mall before you’ll have the chance to sit down.

· Stay hydrated; think of this as a marathon!

Pack some healthy snacks and water for when you get hungry. Fast food and mall food is full of trans fats, starches and grease. Nothing says happy holidays or happy shopping like scarfing down a heavy meal full of empty calories. Junk food has been proven to make you more sluggish.

· Have fun!

People take Black Friday too seriously. Sure there are a lot of great deals out there but most stores only supply limited qualities of the large big ticket items. Electronics is everyone’s go to item so expect a few disappointments on the big day. Instead, try to get the small, yet mildly expensive items off your gift list and worry about the big items later. Many stores carry specials throughout the season due to the economic climate. Be prepared to wait in long lines and take some headphones to drown out the Christmas music. I promise you, after five hours of the same CD in every store, it will be annoying. Also, it may be a good idea to pack some ibuprofen too just in case!

Black Friday shopping can be a real adrenaline rush for the people who like it. For everyone else, it is a major headache. If you don’t like all the congestion, scour the ads for online deals and shop from the comfort of your home. Many stores participate in Cyber Monday and will carry over Black Friday deals to online shopping. Just be sure your computer security is up to date before keying in your information. Hackers are hard at work too! Happy Thanksgiving and may the odds be ever in your favor.