So who is doing the Black Friday thing?

[totoro]

I am not a big shopper. I am too anxious, I usually shop on-line, I find places with no shipping and or tax. Usually search for discounts.

I do go out and shop but not when there are crowds.
I am always intrigued by this day.
What was it like where you live? Did you get a great deal and was it worth it?

Obviously with our move and the economy we are not doing much shopping this year.
I am sure it is hitting most you as well.

I think if I went today I would end up standing there in shock...

I read on the Good Morning thread over on General that a few of you went and our back and had a good time!

 

[gcvmom]

I didn't do it this year. When the kids were younger and there were a lot of bargains on the kinds of toys they were into, then I went and really did get some good buys. But now they are older and their interests are more expensive which definitely makes it more challenging! I'm going to be thinking outside the box a lot this year.

I can't handle the stress and chaos with the people who go early to these sales for the electronics deals. Some of those people are just nuts, and after last year when the Walmart employee was trampled to death, I just have no interest in fighting the crowds.

I did buy two things online yesterday -- a GPS navigation thing for husband in case this job goes through, so he can find his way home ; and an inexpensive cd/boom box for easy child.

 

[susiestar]

I used to go and truly enjoyed it. Some years I even did the get in line at 4 am and it was fun because everyone was really friendly and sort of "community" oriented. Like if 3 boys were playing and had to potty, then 1 mom held the other 2 mom's place and 2 moms took all 3 kids. That sort of thing. Lately that hasn't happened so much.

I also have taken a different mental approach. If I am supposed to have it then it will be in stock when my body is able to go and get it. Otherwise, I get something else.

I have looked around online, but nothing has grabbed my interest. Though the mickey mouse mp3 players are COOL! (they are shaped like mickey's head). If I don't get one I will buy it after Christmas.

 

[DDD]

I've never done. I'll never do it. I've never wanted to do it. LOL

on the other hand, I know one fairly large family that has a terrific tradition. The whole family (four adult kids, their parents and children) make reservations to stay
at a hotel inside a large mall. They eat TDay together in a mall restaurant
and then the shoppers get up and do the Black Friday thing returning to their
rooms for breaks and comparisons. By the time they come home on Saturday
the Christmas shopping is complete and rarely do they have returns as all the clothes are "checked" while they are still at the mall.

Plus they have access to movie theaters and game rooms and bars etc. etc.
without ever getting in a car so the kids have plenty of family bonding doing fun stuff close by the parents. IF our family was geographically close I think
I'd try that. DDD

 

[ML]

I'm more of a cyber Monday/Thursday kind of gal. I like what SS said about if I'm meant to have it, it will be in stock and at the right place when I need it. Well put!

 

[Abbey]

I am NOT a shopper, but somehow I got called in this morning at about 6am. The store opened at 5am and they had people there by 2am. I couldn't believe the absolute chaos. Hundreds of TVs that we stocked in the aisles yesterday were completely gone. Ten baskets of men's pj's that were $5 were gone. DVD's...gone. All this in a few short hours.

I guess the economy is not that bad afterall.

I heard my neighbor's car rev up at 11pm last night as Toys R Us was opening at midnight. To me, it's insanity.

Abbey

 

[SRL]

I didn't do any of the early morning doorbusters but I ran out to check out a few things. Traffic at the sporting goods store was heavy but the bookstore was pretty quiet. I mainly went to hit up two music stores (the instrument kind) and it was dead in both of them. I picked up books for stocking stuffers, some percussion stuff for my one kiddo, and then came home and shopped a bit online. Unfortunately my oldest didn't bookmark the hat he liked and now we can't find it again.

 

[totoro]

I haven't turned on the TV to see how it is going as far as over all turn out yet?
Poor husband is out, K has a Birthday Party Saturday (We are excited she is invited to parties still!)
It is for an 8yo boy! He has no idea what to get!!! Nor do I. The boy has only invited girls, I think 2 boys but they have not even responded... LAME! He is such a sweet kid and K loves him.
So husband is at Target which is the closest store to us.
Hopefully it is not that busy, because K is not the best shopping buddy. LOL
Any ideas I can text him!!! LOL
This is the kid that has brought something "Invisible" for show and tell and a cereal piece shaped like a shark tooth!!! I love him!

 

[donna723]

There's nothing I want bad enough to fight all those early morning crowds for! I'm more of a "next weekend' kind of shopper. I'll be getting mostly clothes and things for the kids and there's not a big run on those.

One good thing - my daughter made out a "Wish List" for the baby on the Toys R Us website. They've done most of their shopping for him already. She picked out a bunch of things that they thought he'd like and the ones they've already gotten him are marked on there, so there won't be duplicates. So I'll just print out the updated list on the day I go shopping and get things off the list, then when I check out they can update the list to show that those things have now been bought. This is good because I was worried about ending up with duplicates of the toys they had already bought him. I'm getting him some PJs too because she said he could use some more, and a Toys R Us gift card so they can get more toys as he grows into them.

 

[DammitJanet]

I have loved Black Friday for as long as I can remember. When the boys were younger, Tony and I would leave them with a sitter and we would head out in the middle of the night to wait in the parking lots with coffee and cocoa and donuts...lol. Sometimes we would split up and he would take the list for one store and I would take the list for another store and one of us would just come get the other one when we got done. Like Walmart and ToysRus. That was so much fun!

For the last couple of years I havent been up to it physically. I have just done stuff online and of course, last year I was in the hospital and no one went out on friday.

I was determined to do it this year simply because I was so thankful I could do it. I was thrilled to be in Walmart at 4 am. The crowds reminded me I was alive...lol. Everyone was really nice too. People were helping others by telling them where stuff was located if they asked and what each line was for. They helped each other out by handing different sizes of pajamas to each other. It was really nice.

Billy had to be at Radio Shack at 4:45 this morning and he still isnt home...lol. I have no clue when he will get here either. He worked until 11pm on Wednesday night too. Then his boss called him at 1:45 drunk cause she turned the font on her computer to arabic and she couldnt turn it back to english...lmao.

 

[witzend]

Not us.

 

[hearts and roses]

Today was my third time ever. And I hardly bought anything. easy child and difficult child wanted to go.

On our way home from LI last night at around 11PM, we saw people camped out in front of Best Buy and Target!!! I find that appalling.

The girls wanted to get their dad a GPA and so we hit up Radio Shack at around 6AM and they got a nice one for only $80. Then we got some coffee and hit up Best Buy, Target, Kohls and then had breakfast and went home. We were home by 9:30AM. We are such lightweights!!

Besides I do the bulk of my shopping on line now.

It's fun to people watch but large crowds cause anxiety for all of us, so once we got what we wanted, we boogied, except at Target. It was packed, but I was lost in the Christmas isles checking out the cool ornaments and such. What beautiful things! So sparkly!!!

Anyway, I am beat now so I'm headed for the showers and my heated bed. Brrrr, it's windy and cold here tonight!

 

[DammitJanet]

As a Radio Shack Mom...thanks For Shopping! Did you get the Garmin? Or the Mio(sp)?

 

[hearts and roses]

I think they bought the Mio. They also bought him a golf practice net and some Omaha steaks. Nice, huh?

 

[Wiped Out]

Too tired and too broke and I hate the long lines!

 

[everywoman]

I am one of those insane people. Jana, Ashley, and I struck out last night at 11pm. We headed to Tanger. Jana had bought me a gift certificate to The Loft and gave it to me early, so we could shop the deals. I also got me a fabulous pair of boots from Naturalizer!
I picked difficult child up some stuff, finished with him. I bought Jana a few thing. We left there, went to Kohls to pick up for a friend. Ugh!! I do not like that store. We stood in line for 30 minutes for a nativity. Then we hit JCPenny. I had coupons for $10 off $25. I got the annual Christmas Eve PJ's for everyone who will be at the house for less than $50.
We got back home at 7:30 as husband was headed to work.

 

[jal]

I never shop on black Friday. Although I was coveting a new monitor last night. (We just got internet at home!). husband said not to buy. Normally, I do what I want, but hesitated. Then when he found out they were all gone on-line this am, he agreed I should have bought it. He had to go out for something and stopped at the store and they still had it. He bought it for me. Merry early xmas for us. Replaced an old crt with-a LCD flat screen from Dell. Lovin' it!

Told difficult child (he still believes in Santa - he's 7) internet and monitor are early gifts. Don't expect too much else. He acted unaffected by it, but got on after it was set up and loves it...

 

[KTMom91]

I love Black Friday! Ever since I stopped working in retail (13 years ago!), I've been out there watching people, mainly. Miss KT, her friend Kurt, and I hit the big mall at 2 am, but I was disappointed. There were a lot of people either wandering aimlessly or standing in long lines. I did get Hubby a present, and our annual ornaments.

Starting with Miss KT's first Christmas, I've gotten an ornament for her every year. Once she was old enough to choose one, my only stipulation was that it not be glass. She has a pretty impressive collection, that she will take with her when she has her own tree in her own place. When Hubby and I got married, I got him on the ornament thing. His is an old-school console TV that plays the Twilight Zone theme, and mine is the Fisher-Price school bus. Miss KT's is a peacock with a long, feathered tail, but the panthers will eat it if she puts it on the tree.

After the mall, we went to Starbucks, and then I took the children home, because they were falling asleep in the car. I went back to Target, got a few gifts, and then did my grocery shopping!

 

[DammitJanet]

Mio is really good Jo...its made by Magellean.

Oh EW...Tanger? Really? I saw that place on TV! LOL...madhouse. I saw one lady in the crowd who looked like she was scared to death!

 

[hearts and roses]

I got the annual Christmas Eve PJ's for

I did too!!! And easy child and difficult child picked them out, which is the best!!

Janet, I didn't know that the Mio was made by Magellan - know wonder difficult child loves hers! Good news!