• Shows like “Extreme Couponing” exposed viewers to a lifestyle dedicated to getting the best deal.
• As Black Friday becomes bigger, people have become experts at using coupons.
• I used a few tips and tricks from couponing experts to get my holiday shopping out of the way.
• This article is part of “Better Holidays,” a series highlighting different ways to make holiday celebrations easier and memorable. 

With Black Friday approaching, I wanted to get some of my holiday shopping out of the way as early as possible.

I consider myself to be moderately good at getting deals. I use Honey, a browser extension that automatically applies discount codes at checkout so you know you’re getting the best price. I’ve been known to price check at big-box stores like Target. And I have two store credit cards that rack up points.

But extreme couponing is a whole different beast. As seen on shows like TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” which aired for two years, it involves planning, research, and lots of time spent comparing prices.

I knew if I wanted to try it, I’d need to reach out to some experts to get the best deals. Here’s how it went.