Ah Black Friday… the smell of peppermint candy canes, 50% off perfume, and sweat of 800 people crammed into a 20×20 store room.

In the most recent issue Wired offers hacks to holiday shopping, including plans for Black Friday, utilizing technology and proper strategizing.

How to Hack the Holidays and Score the Best Deals Online

Article teaser:

Clean your cookies. Retailers base a lot of their online promotions and price points on shoppers’ habits. So, it’s not uncommon for shoppers to notice price fluctuations after repeated purchases on the same site. Prices typically drop for these power shoppers as an incentive, but there have been documented occurrences of increases, too. You can check to see if this is happening to you by logging out from the retail site, clearing your browser’s cookies, and then revisiting the product page. If you find a lower price, buy it — re-registering with a new customer account if necessary.

Go ahead, get a jump on the Jones-es.

And Remember: Find gifts for everyone, even your boss who “donated” your Christmas bonus…

Edit: On a serious note, be careful and considerate out there. You wouldn’t want this to happen to your grandmother…