Courtesy of The Warehouse Sale

If you love the thrill of the hunt the way I do, The Warehouse Sale is where you’ll want to spend a good chunk of your weekend. This gargantuan sale promises to deliver more than 20,000 items (most of them are premium denim at up to 80% off retail). For the warehouse sale novice, these massive blowouts can put an infrequent bargain hunter into borderline freak-out mode. To avoid a retail meltdown, here are my top three tips:

Arrive (and leave) early.

Do background research online or at the mall on some of your favorite brands beforehand so you have an idea of the sizes and cuts that will work for you.

And since lines can be long for fitting rooms—if there are any set up at all—wear a tank top under a button-down shirt that you can easily take on and off and a full skirt so you can try on jeans in a pinch without a dressing room.

Happy shopping!

Where: Hilton San Francisco, Grand Ballroom A, 333 O'Farrell Street

When: Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. (VIP, $15 online or $25 @ door)
Sunday, March 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (FREE with RSVP, or $5 @ door)

What: Sale on racks and racks of premium denim including jeans by True Religion, Rock & Republic, Blue Cult, Ed Hardy, Antik Denim and J Brand. Also: tops, dresses, pants, skirts, hoodies, sweaters, t-shirts and blouses by 2 B Free, Primp, Hello Kitty Couture, BCBG Max Azria and more. (Ladies, there’s tons of guys’ stuff too, so feel free to drag along your gay best friends, s.o.’s and hubbies.)