by Dr. Charles Alonzo Peters
I’ve never really gotten the point of leaving the comfort of home to trek out in early morning darkness to stand in line for a Black Friday sale. The frigid cold weather itself is enough for me to turn the covers over and fall back asleep in my warm bed. Maybe it’s the fact I don’t like shopping in crowded stores or the long lines. Perhaps my Black Friday game just isn’t that tight. Whatever the reason I’d rather spend the day with family feasting on Thanksgiving left-overs and watching football and DVDs than fighting for deals.
Yet each year millions of Americans undergo the holiday ritual. Awake early. Brave the cold. Battle the crowds. All in an attempt to bring home the prized jewel – that $199 game system, $29.95 digital camera, or $195 laptop.
I have plenty of relatives who dance to the Black Friday shuffle, and I have to admit, sometimes they do bring home some astonishing bargains. To them the thrill of the hunt is well worth it. Some of the upcoming Black Friday deals do look enticing. Time magazine blog’s list of the 20 Best Black Friday Deals (link: https://money.blogs.time.com/2010/11/19/black-friday-20-reasons-to-get-up-early-and-fight-the-crowds/) is worth a look – $298 40in LCD HDTV at Target, Dyson Vacuum Cleaner for $219.99 at Sears, and Garmin nuvi GPS for $99.99 at Best Buy to name a few.
But at what cost a bargain? How much more money is spent on items other than the special deals. Is it worth spending a precious day off fighting crowds of people you don’t know. A day that could be spent instead with family and friends, many of whom you may not have seen in an entire year.
Standing in line to find the store only has four of the specially advertised thing a mig jigs or the fact that your treasured deal could have been purchased on line for five dollars less would make me hot.
Maybe it’s a man thing. I may just not get the allure, the thrill of the tracking down an insanely good deal. Perhaps I don’t realize how much money you can save.
BMWK. What do you think? Is Black Friday a retailer sham or a true opportunity to find great bargains. If you’re a Black Friday ace, what are some of your best tips for dealing with the crowds and scoring the best deals.
For the cheap, no name stuff you want to buy as stocking stuffers for the kids…and folks that you never really talk to but are taking up space on your gift list – Hellz yeah!
For the nice stuff you should be buying those you care about…or to think of it another way; for the stuff YOU WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO BUY FOR YOU – Black Friday ain’t gonna cut it
Sham sham sham..Like you said, its usually a bunch of crap that I dont need to be buying anyway. Stocking stuffers?? “Ya’ll dont need stocking stuffers”. I have gone to “Black Friday” store events like the one that Target is having but it has always been a huge upset. You wait in line to be given a ticket or some voucher to stand in another line in order to purchase that “IT” item that errybody wants and is usually subpar quality anyway. I am so over it. I shop online, where they actually have decent deals as well as FREE shipping. I guess most folks like the instant gratification of an in-store purchase, i’m cool on that.
This will be my first year that I can stand in a “Black Friday” line. I do get that day off(finally) but my husband and I found many “pre” Black Friday” sales this weekend. I too find many better sales “online”, w/ free delivery. Sssh, we will not tell the man who pays my salary (after I guilted him into letting me and my assistant have the day off). LOL. Some stores acutally open up at midnight on “Black Friday”.
I’ve been doing the black Friday shuffle for years and have yet to be disappointed. My trick is I have my plan set on exactly what I want and I get in and get right out! I’m only in the store 15 minutes top! My sister goes and misses out as she moves slower looking at everything in the store as if she grocery shopping. Last year I walked out with 3 TVs (2 19″ non name brand and 1 32″ Sony Bravia LCD) and a kodak digital camera all for less than $550.
You are my kind of shopper. Get in, get out. Make a list or have a mental note. We so could be BFF’s. LOL.
I like the way you shop. Get it done and get it done quickly – LOL
I have to agree. I think in the future the internet may spell the end to standing in cold long lines.
You can order the item online for many stores. No need to stand online. But one thing that I have noticed is that the computer deals for under $400 aren’t wifi capable, they offer ethernet/LAN.