Eight years ago, I experienced my first retail Black Friday. I had been working at jcpenney.com for almost a year, and we were feverishly gearing up for the busiest season of the year.

Little did I know what that meant. But the next few weeks pulled me into a world of craziness that I now look forward to every year.

There are a number of explanations for the origin of the term Black Friday. Some people link it to the cut-throat approach consumers take to stake out and claim their bounties.

Others note that most retailers do the bulk of their business near year's end, when shoppers push retailers "into the black" - an accounting term signifying profitability. Whatever the origin, it's the best time of year for bargain hunters to save.

There are three keys to getting the most out of Black Friday.

The first is planning, and it is essential. Many Web sites get Black Friday advertisements well in advance of the newspaper inserts delivered on Thanksgiving Day. (My company, DealTaker.com, is one of the most known, to the point that retailers ask us to post their ads early.)

By seeing these listings early, you have more time to determine what you want, where to get it, what time to be there and how much you will save.

The second key is organization. With all the information you have at hand early, you need to get it in order.

You can create your own system. Some people use alphabetical accordion folders. Others put everything in a spreadsheet so items can be sorted or marked as needed. Whatever helps you organize, use it - it will save you time and money.

The third key is attention. Pay attention to when sales start, when they end and when they may pop up in the middle of the day.

The word "doorbusters" is often used for early sales, while other stores offer afternoon specials. And make sure the item you pre-screened is the one you actually pick up off the table. It's a mad house sometimes, and products get scattered about the store - you could think you have the $17.99 DVD player but find out later it's the top-of-the-line model for $179.99.

One other note: If you see something now that you think is a good deal, buy it. Retailers have less in inventory this year after being left with surplus last year as the recession was taking hold. Deeper discounts later in the season may not exist like they did last year.

I enjoy watching the action up close. Our team plans to attend several sales to get a good flavor of the hottest items of the year - and how to save people more time and money.

Then we will come back to our offices and gear up for the online version of shopping's Super Bowl - Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Go forth, bargain hunters, and let the holiday savings begin.

"King of Koupons" Kevin Strawbridge is president of DealTaker.com, an online shopping Web site owned by Media General that collects and shares online coupons and deals. E-mail KingofKoupons@gmail.com or follow @dealtaker on Twitter.