Yesterday we left Beaumont around 11:00 a.m. and began the long, arduous journey home. We only survived thanks to the new, improved pink headphones we purchased at Target that kept the back seat campers happy and a blizzard from Dairy Queen complete with extra Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups that I used to self-medicate.
Caroline was terribly sad that it was time to return home and declared it “the saddest day ever”, but she’s also been known to say the same thing when I refuse to let her get a gumball out of the gumball machine at HEB. She likes to manufacture drama, which makes me look forward to the teen years with great anticipation.
Anyway, now that we’re home it’s time to begin all my Thanksgiving preparations, which basically means I need to make chocolate ice box pudding.
The bad news is I still have to make a trip to HEB to buy the ingredients. I knew I should have gone to the store last week, but I was way too busy getting caught up on “Top Chef” and reading Tori Spelling’s autobiography “sTori Telling” (oh, so clever!) to be bothered with being prepared for a meal that was still a week away.
And tomorrow I will have to pay the whipped cream piper.
I don’t really know what that means, but it isn’t good.
The key ingredient that I’m missing at this point is ladyfingers, in spite of the fact that my sister-in-law emailed me about three weeks ago to ensure I had made the ladyfinger acquisition since HEB tends to run out of them. But, oh no, I threw pastry caution to the wind and now I’ll just have to hope for the best.
Or hope that chocolate ice box pudding tastes okay when served in a bowl lined with hot dog buns, which lack the sweetness of ladyfingers but are similar in shape.
Needless to say, a trip to HEB two days before Thanksgiving may just be the saddest day ever.
The other pressing issue that is keeping me awake at night is Black Friday.
(Keeping me awake may be an overstatement)
I have NEVER in my life shopped on the Friday after Thanksgiving for two reasons.
1. There is no way I’d save an amount of money large enough to make fighting the crowds and getting up at 4 a.m. worth it.
2. I have an impulse shopping problem. If I were to find myself in a store surrounded by deeply discounted Crockpots, I might end up buying two or eight of them in spite of the fact that I don’t know anyone who needs a Crockpot.
However, Target is taunting me with their online sale flyer. Board games for $4.00! That’s just MADNESS! Especially since it’s hard to put a price on an afternoon of good, clean fun with Hi-Ho Cherry-O.
But then I realize I might be eaten alive if I venture out among women who carry blueprints of the store and wear track shoes to ensure maximum bargain coverage.
I may also come home with eight Crockpots.
And then it really would be the saddest day ever.
So, who shops on Black Friday? Is it worth it? Am I missing out or should I stick to my original plan to stay home and eat the chocolate ice box pudding leftovers with a side of hotdog bun?
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I do. Sometimes. But I only go for specific things or to a specific store. Sometimes. Or if I’m already awake or if I need 8 crockpots. Sometimes.
I do. Sometimes. But I only go for specific things or to a specific store. Sometimes. Or if I’m already awake or if I need 8 crockpots. Sometimes.
I do. Sometimes. But I only go for specific things or to a specific store. Sometimes. Or if I’m already awake or if I need 8 crockpots. Sometimes.
Clearly I was REALLY escited about being the first..second..AND THIRD comment! Sorry! love, compulsive button pusher
hmmm, no I don’t shop on Black Friday, why because there is nothing short of a national emergency that gets me up that early (not since the military)…
and I refuse to elbow my way through anything to save 4 bucks
…and like you i would end up with 14 of something because it was “on sale”…
I have never shopped on black friday and for some reason I always feel guilty about that.
Yes, the target ads are getting to me too.
Thanks for making me realize that I am not the only person who loves to shop, but who avoids the stores like the plague on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Me neither. I like to shop and part of shopping is taking your time and enjoying the experience. Black Friday doesn’t sound like fun at all. I’ll be decorating my home for Christmas and listening to Christmas music by the fire with a hot cocoa.
Blessings
Yes. I shop on Friday. I get up early, the deals are so worth it. Then it’s home for a long nap. My hubby even goes with me!!!
I have never shopped on Black Friday as an adult. There is no deal that is going to drag me out of bed. Besides, “limited quantities available” is code for standing in line outside the store in the wee hours of the morning freezing your buns off. No thanks.
Plus, I’m usually at home watching the Aggies v. TU game.
I’ve done it the last two years only because I’ve become completely insane! But last year I did it to get my big flat screen TV and that’s all I bought! The year before I did Target. That was nuts. Some of those people take if VERY seriously!
I’ll do it this year if there is something that is a great offer that is on my list but I’m really not expecting there to be. Also, I’m a morning person so it’s just about getting up an hour earlier which helps. I think the night owls just don’t go to sleep at all!!!
Also, I’m usually home by nine a.m. because the crowds quickly get to me and I want to kill everyone that runs me down! Probably a good thing I won’t be PMSing this Friday!
Not a chance. Wild horses (unless they were $4 a piece) couldn’t drag me to a store on Black Friday. One time I worked in a mall jewelry store on Black Friday and I was appalled, having never been out on that day.
I’m with you! There is nothing out there that I need to get up that early and fight the crowd for.
It’s just against Jesus…..as far as I’m concerned.
Stay home….make pancakes and enjoy your family.
Santa’s got the good stuff covered anyway!
My mom and I do this every year but we start at 8 when all of the “happy” early morning shoppers are ready to go back home. We always find great bargains and we try to spread some love and cheer to the overworked, tired, checkout people as we shop. It’s our shopping therapy ministry on black friday. We have a lot of fun together on this day. By the end of the day everything is funny!
I do sometimes. But only once have I gotten up like at 5am to go. Usually the savings I get is not worth getting up that early. And I don’t like to duke it out with ladies wanting a good bargain. So I just kinda go along for the ride.
I don’t – but my husband does for me. Seriously! I make the list, and he does all the dirty work. I get to sleep in AND get the benefit of the Black Friday deals.
I made the exact same comment to my sister a couple of days ago that there is nothing I want badly enough nor a deal good enough to make me want to fight those early riser crazy people. Esp. here in Northern VA.
I might rethink it if Joe’s Jeans were to have a half off sale…….
I used to go and take my teenaged daughter with me. She’s gotten older and can go by herself (or with friends). I just didn’t feel like going last year. The best thing to do is stay away from ads (TV and mail) and pretend it’s just another day. OR you could do like us and volunteer at Samaritan’s Purse Warehouse in Charlotte and help process all those Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes for needy children.
I do shop on Black Friday and it is worth it. I wasn’t planning on going this year, but my sister pulled the pregnancy card and how she needs an escort.
I don’t come away with extra things. I do come away looking like a wet rag. Last year, the last store on my list was the small hardware up the street. I was so tired that I could hardly speak. The hardware guy deciphered my garble and brought me the items I wanted to purchase.
By and large, people can be quite lovely. I was there at the opening of Target last year (and did score the camera and DVD player that I wanted.) Here’s a tip– if people have been standing in line for hours and have developed a line around the store, don’t go skipping out of your warm car and cut right in as they open the doors. That makes them angry. I wouldn’t have skipped in anyhow, but I thought that there was going to be a public stampede. I watched from the concrete island until EVERYONE of them had passed. I couldn’t take my chances. I had a tree to decorate when I got home!
I have never done the early morning thing, but I have gone out on Black Friday. This year, I am fighting the urge. The ads are very enticing…but worth the struggle??? Probably not.
I am soooo not a morning person. I loathe getting up early…. but getting a smokin’ good deal is such a high for me, that I am willing to do it one day a year. Plus, I actually get to go shopping without my 2 and 4 year old because they are home with their daddy.
I love Black Friday! The deals are great, and even if I don’t get much I just enjoy the experience. I guess I am just such an extrovert that I get my energy from crowds of people.
And about the ladyfingers…if they don’t have any left…you could always make them from scratch http://www.recipezaar.com/Ladyfingers-23346 (sorry I can’t figure out how to make it into a link, so you’ll have to copy and paste into your browser). This may be asking you to do too much, but they would be a better alternative to hot dog buns
just kidding…it made itself into a link
Typically, I stay as far away as possible. However, this year, I’ve put my militant Christmas rules aside and have begun, for example, listening to Christmas music with great fervor MUCH earlier than normal. It’s a year for change (just ask the President Elect).
I might just venture out and see what the hoopla is all about. I suspect, however, that even if I enjoy it, I’ll be wishing I had some of that pudding leftover in MY fridge when I get done.
I go every year with my mom and sister-in-law. Yes, we are in it for the deals, but really it is just fun time together. Our experience has been that for the most part people are really in a good mood and excited- not yet burn out by Christmas shopping. Yes, the standing in lines can get old, but it makes for great memories and good conversation together!
Don’t do it. Nothing’s worth getting up at 4 AM – except a new baby, of course. Are they selling any of those?
I do BUT i just go at 6am because i know the insiders secrect, they dont sell out early they just keep some in the back and put it out later on. You get some great deals, I am talking jeans for four dollars people. And movies for two dollars…
i’m with you–i never shop on black friday. it just holds no appeal for me. we’ve always tried to keep the “gift” part of christmas pretty low key and not going out and buying everything in sight just because it’s on sale seems to help. besides, i’d much rather have a nice sleep in while my husband is home to get up with the kids
I like shopping on Black Friday, but I don’t leave the house until 6am. I’m not interested in competition at 4am, but I do like a good bargain.
Here’s my two cents: I used to never go, but found it can be worth it IF you make a plan and stick to it. Its the stores like Target and Walmart and other freestanding stores that people visit first, and they get packed. So, if you are going just to get a board game or two, is it really worth it to save a few bucks? But if you have a lot of stuff to get, then its worth it.
Traditionally I do go out on Black Friday. However, I don’t get up at 4:00 am and I don’t try to fight everyone else at Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy. In fact, most of the time I STAY AWAY FROM THE MARTS! I have been known to venture into Target when my child was younger and there was a major markdown on a certain gift. But, I mainly go out to hear the Christmas music, check out the department store specials, see people in their Christmas sweatshirts. There’s something about being out with the Christmas crowd but not being desperate for anything. However, I LOVE shopping – even just window shopping. At the same time, like you, I have to fight the Impulse Buying Demon that seems to be right below the surface. Most of the time I’m home by 1:00 pm and ready to put my feet up and watch my Christmas movies.
Well I admit it–I have been one of the girls in line at 4 a.m. but it is always for a good reason–Remember when the first tickle me Elmo’s came out? I was in college and was paid to be the one standing in line at Kmart to get one for my little cousin. Yes, I was the chosen one. I have since gone to Garden Ridge and many other stores pretty early (6a.m.ish) to grab a good deal. The worst part? My entire family did this my whole life. It is a tradition–and we’re fairly normal, classy people!
My momma and I spent a lovely 2.5 hours at HEB yesterday. It was a lot of fun being with her, but goodness sakes alive, I’ve never grocery shopped that long!! Go early, it will help. And try Central Market if HEB is out of ladyfingers. But the pudding with hot dog buns sounds so much more appealing than shopping on black Friday!! Never done it and I have no desire to try it.
happy shopping to you! Play Christmas music on the way to the store, that will help too. 
To me it’s about the hunt. You know, men still go fishing and hunting when they have a freezer packed with food.
Women shop because it is a part of our nature. And crock pots are just plain alluring.
My Mom and I go to escape the house full of relatives we spent all day with on Thanksgiving. Oh, and we go to the movies and enjoy a slow lunch. We also do not leave until 7:00, so maybe I am not the enthusiast to be asking.
Oh, and my hubby golfs on Saturday, so if you want some childcare payback, shopping on Friday is the way to go.
My dad always said that New Year’s Eve and black friday are for amateurs. I’ll let you decipher what he meant about New Year’s Eve, but I consider myself a professional shopper, so I shop at other times and use black friday to recover from cooking thanksgiving dinner for 13 people.
You are so funny! My sister and I have always made it a tradition to do the Black Friday shopping but this year we are skipping it because my hubby has been out of state working (I haven’t seen him in forever!!) and he is flying in for Thanksgiving so I am spending quality time with him – although I have to admit there is a little part of me that is sad about skipping my tradition ….I’m trying to figure out how I can convince him that Black Friday shopping is quality time together!
My sisters and I have a great time shopping on Black Friday. We laugh at people and we don’t stress out like some do. If we don’t get the bargains we were hoping for, it’s okay. The worst part is waiting in line, but when you are with your best friends, you talk & laugh & time goes faster. Then we go out to breakfast. Good times!
now you know we need the recipe for your ice box pudding….
I shopped Toys R Us and Target last year on Black Friday. Never again! I did score some good deals, but I probably would have gotten the same deals if I waited until the madness died down a bit. Not worth the hassle.
A group (key word you NEED a group) of us used to, but as the kids got older, the deals grew less enticing, especially here where it sometimes bordered on 10 degrees at 4 am. It was fun, but the deals usually turn up at some point later in the season. But if you go, get someone to wait in line while someone else shops, because the lines get oppressive. And then you get to treat yourself to something, with all the cash you saved!!!
I’ve never done it either, but I got an ad from kohls with 9.99 crockpots that are normally 39.99 and I have been racking my brain thinking of who I could buy one or eight for! I may go out and it may just be a big mistake because, like you, I am an impulse shopper and I doubt the four kids would each enjoy getting an electric blanket in various plaid shades even if they are a deal of a century! I’m off to find the target ad… and some ladyfingers.
My black Friday shopping days are over, last year up at 4AM waited in line for over two hours in front of staples to get a laptop for my son. Of course, once the associate finally came outside there were not enough laptops to go around, so then I ventured over to Walmart and Target and it was totally insane, I was dizzy from being up so early couldn’t take it and left. Went home cranked the heat went back to bed and slept till 10 and vowed that never again would I get up at 4AM on black Friday to shop, seriously I’d rather pay full price.
I don’t know but I think I may have you beat on the teen years….my three year old have now locked my out of his room two times. And this wasn’t a giggle fun time, he was angry so he felt like he was punishing me. THREE, what am I suppose to do when he is bigger then me. These next 15 years are going to be cherished but mighty long.
I never never never venture anywhere near a shopping locale on Black Friday… My MIL has been known to stay up all night Thursday night so that she is out there are ready at whatever obscene hour (4am?) the first stores open.
I do most of my Christmas shopping on-line these days – it’s just so much easier.
Adrienne
Adrienne
I’ve shopped on Black Friday for the past few years and find it worth it. Yes you may need to grease your elbows because it can get rough out there. What I do is figure out what deals I want to get from where, what time each store opens and if I’m not familiar with the store, stake it out ahead of time. Sounds stalkerish but as long as you have a plan your more likely to get in and get out…without 8 crockpots!
)
I was inaugurated into the Black Friday Hall of Fame last year when I brought home 3 Maglite flashlights for my husband at the bargain basement price of….drum roll, please…. $7.99. Those suckers cost upwards of 20-30 bucks!! I had a sale ad from another store and took it to Wal-Mart and they always honor the competitor’s sale prices! Although, come to think of it, he is having difficulty finding a use for the largest one I bought. I just told him to put it in the nightstand and use it as a weapon if the need arises!
Nope, don’t do it, never have that I remember. Ain’t gonna if I have my way about it.
I personally don’t shop on Black Friday, but I do send my husband out if there is something really great that we just can’t live without. He isn’t as hard to wake up in the morning as me. He actually hears the alarm. One year we got a DVD player for $29.99, last year we got a portable DVD player (10in.) for $77.00. I can’t say that I have ever sent him off for a crockpot (or eight), but there’s a first time for everything. I have in fact heard of ladies fist fighting in the parking lot over the parking spaces. I say send a big man out to do the dirty work.
No, but I do shop the day after Christmas. The only way to do it, though, is to know which stores you want to hit, and get there when they open. Even if that means being at Best Buy before 6 a.m.
On the other hand, by 11 I’m always done shopping just as the mall gets packed. I get to go home just as it becomes unmanageable, and someone is very happy to get my parking space.
Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need it! I think people who shop on black friday must like torture or I just have major A.D.D. because standing in those long lines makes me feel like I am going to have a seizure! Happy shopping crazy people:)
Since I work in the retail industry I have to go out and “visit” stores. So I make it out by 6am-ish. But I always think it will be incredibly crowded…but I have found that it really is not that bad. And it is actually quiet. Now there are some stores like Target that are probably a little more crazy. But I think more people try to avoid it so it’s actually less crowded than you think.
*shudder*
I do NOT see the attraction of getting up before the sun to stand in the cold outside a store with a bunch of lunatics.
However, that being said, now that I have a child, I fear I will soon join the ranks of these frugal shoppers. (See how the lunatics became frugal shoppers as soon as I decided to become one of them?)
This year, I’m probably going to brave just one store, but it’s a biggie: Walmart. In my fit of nesting last summer, I threw away our Charlie Brown Christmas tree. So now I need a new one. And Walmart’s selling ‘em cheap. What’s this lunatic to do?
It is very worth it to me, but that’s because my tradition with my mom is to put on our track shoes, and make our blueprint/map after Thanksgiving dinner:-)
I even went last year–hugely pregnant, and noticed people were nicer to me–I might just stuff a big pillow under my shirt this year. Side note: I hit HEB yesterday–it wasn’t too bad yet, but they are definitely experiencing an olive shortage.
I do. But only for specific items at specific stores. I figure if it saves me money, it’s worth it.
I don’t. We are usually traveling, but oh my mom does! She would be one of those ladies with the blueprints except she has already memorized every part of the stores. Makes me think of how all moms seem to know where EVERY bathroom is in every store.
Oh, I forgot to mention that my Canadian friends who are living here in the US are going to go out on Black Friday. I’m dying to know how they handle it.
I used to work for an airline, and then in retail advertising, so Black Friday always meant I had to work. When I finally got out of those jobs, I was thankful just to be able to stay home!
I’m glad that it’s just HEB you have to venture to today and not Wal-Mart. Thank God for small blessings! And Lorna Doone shortbread cookies might be a better substitute than hotdog buns. Actually, they’re a good substitute for anything.
We shopped on Black Friday once. 10 years ago. We’d just gotten married and Wal-Mart was putting all of their Christmas trees on 50% off. We got up at 5am, bought the tree, and promptly went home and crawled back between the sheets.
We still have the tree, but it is sitting in the attic this year because you can only keep a 1-year-old out of so many things at once.
And I have vowed to never again shop Black Friday. Unless, that is, I have a friend like your amazing shopping woman to guide me.
You know, in thirteen years as an adult (I’m basing that around the age I turned 18 although I’m pretty sure I didn’t *really* act like an adult until recently), I have never done the Black Friday shopping deal.
But this year?
This year, I might. Just to see what the fuss is all about and to see if I can, indeed, get a good deal on a Crockpot.
I have shopped on Black Friday before, but it was in my pre-children days. My husband usually works on that day so I won’t even try to wrestle the crowds with 3 small children!!
Anyways, the $4 board games would be great! Unfortunately they will probably be gone by 4:02am because those women are like vultures!! My vote is for you to stay home with the cake.
Good luck finding the lady fingers. I need to get some for Tiramisu and I didn’t even think that there could be a shortage!! I’m not used to living in a state without an Italian market on every corner. It’s more like hispanic markets around here and I don’t know if they are into lady fingers…
have a happy Thanksgiving!!
I always shop on Black Friday! Not because of deals or for other people, necessarily. I find it really festive and exciting and if you’re a Lover of Retail, like I am, it’s the BEST day of the year.
All those people (and me!) are out there celebrating things on sale! How much better can it get?
Honestly, I usually buy more for myself the few weeks before Christmas than I do any other time of the year. But I think of it as my personal economic stimulus package. I say you give it a shot!
My mother and I always shop on Black Friday – sometimes we’re out for the deals but mostly we’re just out for a good time with each other! We plan our breakfast and our lunch into our shopping and just enjoying being together uninterrupted by the demands of life (children, laundry, cooking, etc…).
Back in my young, single, fiscally irresponsible days, I always did Black Friday – specifically Target & Mervyns, who had the best freebies, and Steinmart, who had the best deals. But I’ve matured.
My sister-in-law has been taking advantage of the fact that a lot of the “door-busters” are also available online, some as early as Thursday. So she gets all of the deals with none of the crowds. You can also get free shipping coupons online now for most stores. It’s a win-win.
As for the ladyfingers, if HEB runs out, I have heard that World Market often carries Italian ladyfingers that are supposed to be better than regular ones. Of course, there’s no guarantee they’ll have them, but it might be better than hot dog buns!
Stay home. Eat leftovers.
I’ve never done it, so I’m not speaking out of experience, but shopping on Black Friday seems insane. An who wants to be miserable when there is chocolate ice box pie at home?
I have generally shopped on Black Friday….my mom and I made it our tradition. THis however was before kids…now…not so much. Generally, if I do go, I prioritize one store (target or walmart) and hit that. I have personally never seen it get ugly- generally there is alot of comraderie, and people looking out for others (I snagged a ss grill for a couple behind me once-they were going quick and I knew they wanted it- I didn’t)….
This year however, I think I may pass. I have gotten most of our christmas already (with Cash! Yahoo) and I am afraid that I would be “enticed” by the other goodies I found.
I *will* be out the day after Christmas though- great time for ornaments, etc…
First, Caroline and Mary Emma are the same kid. Seriously.
Second, I’m with ya on the “I don’t shop on the day after Thanksgiving thing.” My mother-in-law, however, lives for it. She’s one of those track shoe wearing, 4 am shopping, blueprint carrying people. She buys stuff because it’s on sale – regardless of whether she needs it or not. I’d say stick to the the pie and stay home.
Oh, and it’s supposed to pour down rain the day after Thanksgiving this year. I can’t imagine being more miserable than shopping in crowds of thousands, all fighting for the same stuff, before dawn, and soaking wet. Um, pass.
Good luck on the lady-finger hunt.
I totally agree that I’d never save enough money to make the madness worth it. But this year I am going to try to make it to a baby furniture store at 8 a.m. Curt is letting me get a new crib for Baby Girl and that is going to give me the courage! Good luck at HEB today!
Black Friday is one of the best holidays of the year. I LOVE it. I started venturing out 4 or 5 years ago and it’s really so much fun. I have been checking out Black Friday ads for the past few weeks. Target is on my hit list. But WalMart is where I’ll be venturing 1st…and I may buy myself a crockpot or 3 (but I do have an unusual love for the crockpot).
If you go early enough, you’ll be back home in time for ice box pudding for breakfast.
I hit target when it opened on Black Friday the year I got married. Not only did I have to crawl out of bed before the men going hunting I didn’t even get half of the stuff I wanted. There were only 10 items on my list.
As I tucked my two bags into the trunk I vowed to stay home on Black Friday from then on. So not worth it!
I go. But I’m just insane. I’ve been going with my mom since I was knee high to a grasshopper, so I’m pretty much a pro now. If you are afraid, stay put. People like me with step on you and have no problem doing it! Ha!
So I am going to let you in on a little secret. The $4 board games started Sunday.
I personally bought 4 of them. There were some pretty scary people with carts mounded over full of board games, but the shelves were still full when I left.
So you can go check it out before Thanksgiving and sleep in on Black Friday!
I do not venture out on Black Friday. There is a certain football game we have to watch.
Last year, my co-workers hit Target at 5:00 am. Target ran a special for a camera. They were numbers 24 and 25 in line for the camera. I, on the other hand, will pay extra to get to sleep in.
BigMama,
It is not worth it! I shopped on Black Friday once, just to see what all the excitement was about. If excitement for you is watching two old ladies, with rollers in thier hair, wearing moo moo’s, fight over the newest Playstation game, cause thier grandsons HAVE TO HAVE IT – go ahead. But frankly, I figure if God wants me to buy something, it will be in the store at the right price the day before Christmas (because let’s be honest, don’t we all wait till the last minute). Have a great day.
The games are ALREADY $4 at Target! I went yesterday and bought a bunch! Go now! Don’t go at 4am! : )
Like a previous commenter mentioned, I’m pretty sure the Target ad is for RIGHT NOW. I was there yesterday and grabbed a rain check for a couple things they were out of. So now I can go back at my leisure and get them at the sale price. I honestly think some of the deals going on now are better than you will see Black Friday. I picked up a board game a Kohl’s that was $7 cheaper last week than it will be on BF.
That being said, both my hubby and I are crazy BF shoppers. He was even interviewed on TV one year standing out in front of Target. I hit a few main stores, the mall, and am home by 11 am or so. And Grandma has the kids under control. I do think that Kohl’s needs to offer coffee and donuts while you wait in line 30 mintues to check out.
I am the exact same way. No matter how much money I save, it is not worth the 65635653 women surrounding me wanting the same $10 off of a wii game. This is also why I do not shop on tax free weekend. Please, you only save $8 for every hundred you spend. Not that great. I worked in retail on black friday last year. It’s MADDNESS!!! Never again.
I actually have to go to the mall on Black Friday. Not to shop, but to, sadly, work!! I am an assistant mgr for a childrens retail store and Black friday is INSANE!! I would NEVER get up to go shopping on BF just because I am on the other side of it all. I know how desperate people can be and it is not fun. Heaven forbid we run out of something in a particular size! The size runs only come with a certain amount of sizes so it is not our fault that there is only one size four!
Ok, wow. I feel better. Needed to get that off my chest! All in all, BF isn’t to bad. Just busy and crazy and stressful!
Happy shopping to all of you early risers!
Do not enter the craziness. Stay home. Be with your family. Eat leftovers.
No bargains are worth the emotional cost.
I prefer to not shop the day after, but I’ve done it occasionally.
Hie thee to HEB – don’t let the ladyfingers get away from you!
I do, but I never go before 6, and when I say I go at six it is never because I got up at 5 to look good to go at six. This is a no make up, no hair-do affair.
I am going to look for a camera this year so I may have to be up earlier than normal. Only go if you have something that you know you want. Get your goal, and then have fun watching the madness!
I’m tempted to venture out this year for the first time, but there is only one item I’m interested in, so I’m not sure (A) it will be there, and (B) it’s worth it. Plus, the item is at Wal-Mart, and I would rather re-grout my bathroom tile than go there. However, this particular item is discounted more than $100. Clearly, I am in a dilemma.
I used to think only crazy people went out on Black Friday! Then, a couple of years ago I opened the newspaper on Saturday morning and there was a picture of shoppers standing in line at one of the stores. My best friend was right there, front and center, looking like she’d been dragged through the mud. I decided that she was nuts!
I went a few years ago and was sorely disappointed. People were crazy, the stock of on sale items very low, and the prices not has amazing as I would have thought.
The saddest day ever is any day in November when you have to grocery shopping and you are greeted by Alvin and the Chipmunks over the loud speaker butchering O Holy Night.
Holy something alright!
Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!
I shop every Black Friday. Part of our Thanksgiving tradition is to sit on the floor with all the ads spread out, finding all the deals we must have. Just like the pilgrims.
Last year I spent $250 (I have three daughters) and got everything we had on their lists. I saved $300. I saved more than I spent.
The good stores are Target, Kohls and Toys R Us.
I wanted to read all your comments because I was so curious about this subject, but I do have to work today.
I was so shocked to read that we are so alike on this. I don’t remember ever shopping on Black Friday. I once had to be up that earily though because I worked retail for 17 years which I attribute my non-shopping on this day. The funny thing is the last couple of years my husband has shopped black friday and this year is not going to be able to due to his work schedule and he is sooooo disappointed.
I don’t go on Friday – I wait until Saturday. Friday is too insane. I find most of the sales are still going Saturday. We go early on Sat. (Like
while all the people that went Friday are still suffering from a shopping hangover. It’s so much fun. We finish by 1 or so when it starts to get crowded and go eat.
we live near a mall and subsequent shopping centers, so we do not shop at all on black friday. we did most of our shopping already, and what we didn’t finish we’ll do next week when all the kids go back to school in our area.
i much prefer to shop early!
i was at target sunday, and i did see all the memory games priced at $4. i don’t know if the other games were the same way? you might be able to avoid black friday altogether and check them out now.
I went one year with my mother-in-law. Granted I was half asleep the entire time we waited outside Target. They gave away matchbox cars with codes on them. My code told me I had won $100 gift card to Target! Yea! Didn’t buy anything that day and haven’t been out since, but it was worth it!
I went shopping on Black Friday for the first time last year, because I was always afraid that the serious bargain hunters would run me over. And it really wasn’t all that bad actually. Plus, everyone I came in contact with seemed happy – though everyone is still on a pumpkin pie high so that could have been why. I’d give it a shot if I were you – $4.00 board games at Target?! Yes, I’ll be there!
Haven’t yet, but seriously thinking about it this year. I have the same complusive issue and a tight budget, and WHY is Target beckoning to so many of us this year!? Let us know how it goes!
I’ve never gone–it sounded too ridiculous to me. But after reading all of these comments, I’m thinking I should round up a few friends and join in the fun, whether or not I actually buy anything.
Some one has already mentioned the magic words ” limited quantities available”. That usually means 5 or 10 of something and then they are out. My mom and I went out one time. One Time! I’ll never go out again. It was one of the worst days ever. We stood in line every where we went and none of the things we wanted to buy were still in stock and it was like 6:30 am.
Besides, I’ve already completed 97% of my shopping.
I do not shop on Black Friday–never have, either. I think the shopping gene that my mom had completely skipped my brother and me!
My sil, however, always has great success, especially at Target. I think for the last 3 years now she has snagged an employee and managed to have a personal shopping assistant to find everything on her list.
I don’t. And the reason is simple. I’m. Not. Competitive. I went with my inlaws the first year of being in their clan and it scarred me for life. My mother-in-law literally grabbed both my hands, placed them on a pile of Care-bears and said,”When the whistle blows,get 2 of these… Christmas depends on it!” I almost threw up.
Don’t do it. No bargain is worth it. Sorry Granny … God rest your soul! But, it isn’t.
Now, I would attempt to find those ladyfingers. I’m just almost positive that the hotdog buns aren’t going to cut the mustard. (I crack myself up)
i have taken my 3 girls, together and individually, as they expressed interest. it’s a great object lesson, to weigh sleep, chaos, fun time together, and savings.
some years the balance tips, so that they say “never again!” some years are great fun and major purchases we’ve planned & researched are bought with big savings.
http://bfads.net/Best-Buy-Secret-Sale-Item-Listing-Released
found these folks a couple of years ago. they are my best way to track who’s doing what on black friday. online is my favorite way to shop the season, usually before friday. this site has verifiable numbers, so you don’t worry that better deals are out there later.
they run contests and internet only deals, all kinds of good stuff! hope you dive in the BF pool, big mama
TOTALLY WORTH IT FOR A FUN TIME =)
I go every year (I can always talk at least one poor soul into going with me….)and have every since I can remember. You just have to do a little mental prep work first…
I’d find it totally overwhelming to be there b/c i just HAVE to have the $50 plasma T.v. but to go to just have fun – why not??? It’s just an extension of the memory building of the whole holiday =)
Is it hectic? yes
Crowded? totally
Worth it to build fun memories and giggle silently (as well as pray for!) the two women who are about to go to blows over the last tickle me Elmo? ABSOLUTLY!
Bundle up, offer to buy the person you’ve coerced into going with you breakfast, take your camera =) and have fun!!
Then come home and take a nap =)
No way. It’s not worth it. Plus, I’m usually exhausted after Thanksgiving celebrations at our house.
BTW, I bought “Hi-Ho Cheerio” for $6 at Target during their usual sales.
I do, I always have. It’s tradition. It’s one of the few times that all the men are content to stay home with the kids and all the women in the family get to go out shopping. I’m against going at o’dark thirty, though.
The only times I have ever shopped on Black Friday were the years I was in college. And it wasn’t my own choice. My mom would drag me out of bed and half asleep I would drag myself around Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Circuit City to buy DVD players or toys. All I really wanted to do that day was sleep late and get ready to watch the Texas game. A couple of those years we had to call my dad and brothers at home because we needed more people to stand in line because signs said, “One per customer.”
We don’t make the sacrifice anymore. Praise the Lord!
Since I’m a college student, I am working retail for the first time ever this year, and I (along with everyone else in my 6-person store) got scheduled to work from–GET THIS–5:30 AM to 10 PM on Friday.
I am TERRIFIED.
Not sure if you will make it this far down into the comments… LOL
but it is tradition in our fam to shop ALL day Friday. And we love it!
Here are the rules:
1.)No men allowed.
2.)The girls (children) get to go when they turn 13 if they have proven that they can shop without whining or fussing.
3.)No complaining at all – until after 6:00 p.m and then it can only be that your feet hurt.
4.)No deadlines – we will be home when we get home.
We have a terrific time together. This year it will be my mom (who is 71 and can keep us with us all), me, my sister-in-law, and my two adult daughters. We look forward to it all year. Lots of Laughter (and prayers for good parking places
Not sure if someone already mentioned this or if things are the same in your part of the country, but our Target is doing a big sale all this week. They have the $4 games going on RIGHT NOW. (Also, some awesome crockpots, so beware.) You ought to go to Target for the Ladyfingers and a little early Black Friday shopping.
There are too many starving children in this world to condone the exercise in conspicuous consumption that is Black Friday. No way. Also, it’s cold at 4am.
I have your ailments with impulse buying. Add a really bad memory (I blame pregnancy) and you have a recipe for DIASTER!! I am buying on-line this year. Someone told me there is an on-line black day. I think it is the Monday after t’giving. I need to google this for accuracy though!
stay home and sleeeeeeeep with the rest of us sane people.
I love the tradition of shoppping the day after Thanksgiving. It is more of a day of observance, observing the hysterical women who mUST HAVE “x” item and will do ANYTHING to get said item. Also, the joys of finding a parking space. We have been known to stand in a spot we have scouted out across the parking lot until the car can get there. Many friends were won over that one!!
Great memories. This year we will be enjoying our second round of turkey with family back home!! Oh, my waistline can feel it now!! Happy Thanksgiving!! And thank you for your blog; it’s truly a gift!!
Black Friday – ugh. Every year I get sucked into the ads and get up way too early for some great deal only to discover that said deal is all gone by 6:17 a.m. This year I’m happily sleeping in and I’m not going to let myself feel bad about it.
I did it once. . . a long time ago. . . & will never go out into that. . . craziness (& not in a good way) again. I found myself standing in a crowd of pushy, grabby people & felt I was looking at the worst of our human nature. We have so much . . . & we act as if we ‘need’ more. . . It really gets me sad to be surrounded by that. So – Nope. I’ll be home – with sweet carols playing, putting up some decorations & getting my home ready for the real blessings of the season. . . !
The only time that I’ve shopped on Black Friday was the time that it came a huge ice storm here in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. The theory was that fewer people would be out that day, but in reality, it was still SO packed!
My husband did get up last year to get to Home Depot to get that coveted $30 shop vac at 5 am. He also came home with a saw, flashlights and all manner of stuff that he didn’t need, but couldn’t resist!
I never went. Wild horses couldn’t drag me, as they say, until I met my husband. His family goes every year. The first year I went out of obligation. NOW, and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, I like it!! My sister-in-law and her husband and me and my husband go together to get good deals for our kids christmas presents. Last year WE NEVER WENT TO SLEEP. We waited in line at Best Buy from 2:00 in the morning. It paid off, my bro-in-law got a GREAT deal on his HD TV!!
You should get a friend or two together and try it. It’s a true bonding experience!! 
After working in retail for more years than I’d care to admit, I steer clear of the stores on black friday & let my fingers do the deal hunting on line. SInce I also have a problem impulse shopping, the internet helps me slow down a bit so I don’t get caught up in the craze of low prices. I have to say, there are some really good deals to be had online. Last year I got quite a few things for my 2 hooligans for 50% off at Toys R Us.
Yes. It’s really worth it. Never did it until about three or four years ago, and now I’m sold. (Great way to stock up on bday gifts for bday parties, too).
I go for the deals and for the adventure!
)
Have a great day!
-Tessa
I used to shop on Black Friday, but that was back before they called it Black Friday. I got up at 5 am and hit Walmarts once and got my mother and mother-in-law each a microwave oven for $50. Other than that, I, like you would have a supply of crock pots for everyone I might remotely know who was going to get married in the next eleventy years. Plus, I work at a propane office and cold weather is our busy time, so we are only allowed Thanksgiving Day off, and they’d make us come in to work if it snowed, so I’ll just watch it on the news. Kinda sad though, I’d like to hit some of those bargain flat-screen tv’s.
I saw on Twitter that you already found the ladyfingers so kudos to you. Also you should know I am pretty sure those board games are already $4. At least they were on Sunday when I went to score one.
You should also know that many stores have the same prices online where you can shop in your pajamas and not have to fight anyone but your 5 yo who keeps wanting to play with her Webkinz. Or maybe that is just my 5 yo
just wanted you to know that in honor of you, i gorged myself on chips and salsa and queso dip at our local mexican restaurant while listening to the mariachi band do their rendition of “hotel california”… my 4 yr old commented that this was the BEST DAY EVER..
IF we go, it is always later in the morning when the madness is done, the stores are trashed, and no goals in mind or expectations. It is usually fun and the people watching is PHENOMONAL.
Forget Black Friday, I’m totally impressed with your 118 comments. =) I do shop on Black Friday and not so much cause I need a crockpot, but mainly because I just like the hussle and bussle. And of course, the breakfast buffet requirement. Fun Times!!!
Oh!!! Stick to your original plan sista!!!! I loathe shopping on black friday, which is my mom and sisters most favorite day to go. Many a year I have begrudgingly tagged along rather than sit in a house with screaming children and the napping men who are supposed to be watching them…Thankful, my self-induced exile to Southern Calif. has left my sister and mom to shop on this day in Dallas all by themselves, and I am sure that they are happy to have my whiny self with them!! hahaha…
Never! From working in retail for over 7 years, it is pure madness. When I worked at The Limited, we would put most of the items on sale today because they weren’t going to get the employees to come in any earlier than 6am on the day after & there’s not time to put out all of the signs, etc. You may want to try online this evening? Happy Thanksgiving, girl!
I LOVE BLACK FRIDAY!!! And I love the fact that sometimes you don’t have to wait until 4am…cuz lots of people open at midnight Thanksgiving night!!!! WHOO-HOO!!!! The deals are great but the key is to have fun! Make friends with people you are standing in line with and chalk it up to a once a year opportunity!
Come on, (almost) everyone is doing it!
um, no. stay home with the buns masquerading as ladyfingers. they will be much more satisfying. i’m like you…there are very few things worth getting up before dawn & fighting the hard core shoppers. i’ve gone with family a couple times, but i’ve never found it exceedingly profitable. my time & stress level are totally worth the extra money!
Fortunately, I have a husband willing to get up at 4 and stand in the cold. Last year we needed a T.V. and this year… well, sadly, our washing machine is in the garage pouring grease all over the place. So that is this year’s beast to conquer. Any advice on washing machines, by the way? Brands? Front or top loaders? Lisa
Never, never. I spend Black Friday holed up in my house with my people and avoid going anywhere for any reason. No way would I venture out to spend money I don’t have on things we really don’t need anyway. That’s just insanity.
That being said, my parents used to drag my sister and me out every year on Black Friday. We’d drive for at least an hour to get to Dallas for the “good deals.” The crowds and all the crazy frantic shopping drove me nuts. I’d have much rather slept in after gorging myself on way too much turkey and stuffing the day before.
Online stores usually have black Friday specials.
It won’t help you resist tempation, but at least you can binge shop in the comfort of your own home.
Well, I am one of the crazy ones. My husband, daughter and I all go out at 4 am. Not for anything specific – like Christmas presents are the 1000-inch tv for $25. We purchase winter coats, shoes and winter pants for our daughter (and sometimes for us). It’s worth it for us. Last year’s winter coast was regularly $95 and we got it for $20. That’s a pretty fair savings, I’d say.
I say YES to Black Friday.
I laughed out loud at the hotdog bun comment – too funny!!! And about black Friday shopping – never. I’m with you on that one. Too much craziness for me, and all I’d end up coming home with is a big ‘ol bag of frustration!
Oh, I am frightened, I too am considering breaking my 38 year rule of not leaving the house the day after giving thanks, much less entering s retail establishment, but the tightness of the belt and 3 kids with high hopes for Christmas may drive me to the road of insanity. Will I really be at Kohl’s by 4 am so I can hit Best Buy at 5? Seriously? I never! (Well, once back in the days of the Beanie Babies Craze, but why would we even bring up all the money I blew for the thrills of a 4 year old – then an only child…) Oh word, I think I will have crossed the line this year… and should take my camera, right? For blogging sake!
By all mean stay home with the icebox pudding. Far tastier. If you really are anxious for good blog material, you might take your camera and get snapshots of the riots, disappointments, arguments with cashiers about which coupons/discounts are valid on which item, when, where and why. on the other hand, the icebox pudding is sounding better all the time. You did say chocolate?
I absolutely do NOT shop on Black Friday. I do, however, for some strange reason wear black on that day. I know this because I am commenting here on the day in question and I’m wearing black from head to foot. That’s because the only time anyone will see me today will be when I show up at the downtown Christmas parade in a snowpants and coat and hat and gloves and no one will be able to recognize me anyway.
Today is for A. decorating for Christmas and B. the parade because my kids are IN the parade and therefor I cannot forgo it.
Everyother weekend my step-daughters come home. When we take them back to their momma on Sunday, (an hour long drive) Shark and I stop at the local Dairy Queen and self-medicate.
DQ Blizzards are the only acceptable substitute to wine.
And the Yule Tide Peppermint Chip Blizzards are baaaaaaaack.
Somewhere in central Texas, my dietician just got shivers up her skinny little spine.
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