<br>
<br>
<p>Nothing like the gift of health.</p>
<p>I don’t usually buy things on black Friday but this year I made quite a few purchases.</p>
<p>For my home office - a new printer, a 25 dollar shredder from Staples, and a cheap set of speakers for my work computer. These were a cross between needs and wants. I have a printer but the cost of ink is getting to be ridiculous. This one will be much more manageable. The shredder is needed for working from home. I have headphones to listen to sound for my work computer that I used in the office but it will be so much nicer to have speakers here at home.</p>
<p>i also bought two large packs of duracell batteries at staples. they give 100% back in staples rewards on black friday. I did the same thing last year and the batteries are just about out so that seems like a nice sized pack.</p>
<p>picked up a 5 dollar fresh wreath at home depot for my front door.</p>
<p>I also bought a few gifts for others that were priced really well. 15 dollar jacket, 3 dollar thermal shirts, etc.</p>
<p>^“Nothing like the gift of health.”</p>
<p>BJ’s has some deals that last the weekend. I’m going to try and get out tomorrow (just got home from visiting family and relatives in PA and NYC) and pick up a wine refrigerator that is deeply discounted. It is a gift of health for H. Haha.</p>
<p>I don’t participate. I loathe shopping under the best of circumstances, and even 100% discounts wouldn’t tempt me to plunge into the fray. Cyber Monday will be a different story though!</p>
<p>DH wandered into Home Depot about 11am and found some flashlight he wanted on sale. No lines.</p>
<p>I don’t understand Black Friday. I just don’t get it. What is so special about this one day that you must subject yourself to the crowds and hostility? Maybe I don’t get it because I am Jewish. I give my kids a budget. They can spend it now, or later in the year but there is no need to rush out to the store with a million of my closest friends to get a specific toy, game or piece of clothing. </p>
<p>I figure if stores feel security is necessary there is no reason for me to be there.</p>
<p>Years back I got in line to buy a Furby for a Santa believer at 4a.m. The line outside was orderly and people were excited, friendly and brought together by a common bond of pleasing a child. </p>
<p>When the doors opened these same people that were being so nice and friendly pushed shoved and ran over one another in an insane dash to be first.</p>
<p>I was never so scared and shocked by that sudden unexpected display of mob mentality and it’s chaos.</p>
<p>So I stayed home.</p>
<p>I did not buy anything this Friday. </p>
<p>The only shopping we did was at Saturday’s 50% off event at Goodwills.</p>
<p>After last years midnight Target fiasco, I refused to take part in the early BF shopping. Didn’t see any great bargains for things anyone needed & the attitude of shoppers changed when it went from “oh, we have to get up at 4am?” to “the dishes are in the dishwasher; who wants to take a drive at 8pm.” There are a lot more “casual” BF shoppers now, as opposed to those who read the fliers & had a plan. And who the heck thinks it’s a good idea to take your 4 year old with you to that craziness?</p>
<p>Anyhoo, had to run D2 to zumba & D1 to a checkup so I popped by Costco and got 2 packs of “cozy socks,” some boot socks & pj pants/sets. Plus a CD for my mom, D1 picked up a movie for DH. Then went to Barnes & Noble where I picked up a few books for my nephew & 2 leather bound volumes for D2. Home by 11. No lines. Costco & BandN don’t tend to attract the crazies. If I hadn’t had to be out anyway, I would have picked them up today.</p>
<p>I have a tradition of going BF shopping with two gf’s every year. They are total power shoppers, I am along for the ride and nice dinner we get afterwards. 
This year I was waaayyy too tired so I bowed out, only hitting up BJs with DH for a set of cookware that was marked down to $50 for S2s apartment. I was floored at 11am it was no more crowed then a regular Friday morning, maybe less.</p>
<p>We were bummed that in order to get the tv we wanted, we would have had to be standing in line outside the store at 5am ON THANKSGIVING for the doors to open at 8pm that night. We planned dinner early so BF could go at 6 but he came right back because the lines were already long and they only had 3 tvs. I feel like it getting that out of hand really takes a lot of the fun out of it… I’d have been all for getting up at 4am on Friday morning but not on Thanksgiving day.</p>
<p>^ I’ve read in several articles that Black Friday prices will not be the lowest for electronics, and that sometime before Christmas they will be lower, and definitely lower right after Christmas. So you may get your TV after all, if you are patient.</p>
<p>Emaheevul07: We found very good prices on Amazon.com. Why not just buy the tv online? It hardly seems like you are going to save enough money driving from place to place to make it worth the trouble.</p>
<p>Some gas to go visit family in Potomac, MD.</p>
<p>Have never gone BF shopping and don’t plan to. There’s nothing I want or need that I would make the effort to fight crowds to get. My favorite time to go shopping is when there is practically no one else there (like grocery shopping at midnight).</p>
<p>Personal peeve - people that don’t participate in the OP, but still feel the need to bash it. Are there not enough threads on this forum that ARE of interest?</p>
<p>Getting out and browsing a couple of stores with my daughter made my black Friday shopping a nice day. We got a shaver at Target for my Dad and looked at a bunch of wallets for my Mom. Had a nice little rest at the massaging chairs. We didn’t go until about 3:00. No lines, good deals. Looking forward to cyber Monday!</p>
<p>So the wine refrigerators were all sold out when I got there today. Oh well.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think you have not taken a careful look at Black Friday ads. I know there are the standard big electronics, but there are also numerous basic appliances and necessities such as clothing that go on sale as well. Aside from that, I think it’s pretty ridiculous to snub anything that is not a basic need for those on limited income. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for someone with limited income to have wants and fulfill those wants on a budget when it is possible. </p>
<p>As for what we bought (fiance, mom and myself), the list includes:
-$4 hand mixers
-$9 stick vacs (needed one for the apartment)
-$37 standard vacuum with attachments (gift for future MIL)
-$20 three crock slow-cooker (fiance insisted on this one, oddly)
-$40 Farberware 18-pc cookware set (to replace the awful pots and pans we have - a gift from my mom)
-$38 dollar Skylanders Giants game set (for brother, SIL, and nephew for Christmas)
-$60 1 TB external hard drive (gift for fiance)
-$8 16 GB flash drive (for grad school)
-$10 Mr. Coffee 12 cup coffee pot (for all of our relatives and friends who drink coffee - figured BF would be a good day to grab one of these)
-$72 24" LCD TV (gift from mom to dad to replace the small TV that he can barely see anymore)
-$35 Bare Traps winter boots - originally $90 (the first winter boots I have owned since childhood)</p>
<p>Wow, HyperJulie, you got some AMAZING deals. Just bought a few more things–some nice long-sleeved dress shirts for H & S at Express (one of the few places that make a nice slim cut that fits them well. It was CyberMonday. Instead of the regular price of nearly $60 apiece, the shirts were about $35 each. Bought two of those with a long-sleeved shirt and used a $25 off coupon so that all 3 items came to just about $64 with tax. Not nearly as good as your deal, HJ, but it was what H & S need and would have purchased anyway.
Wish I had D’s feet so I could buy her some boots and/or other footwear.</p>
<p>Bought nephew 3 very nice t-shirts for his birthday. They’re normally each about $40 apiece. With the 40% off, free shipping and $25 off coupon, they totalled just over $60 also. I think he’ll be very pleased and surprised.</p>
<p>Our black Friday shopping mainly consisted of going with dh to Menard’s. We got some stocking stuffers and dh was happy to get some free with rebate stuff. I did get some clothes for gifts at Bergners for my niece. Thanksgiving day we did Target shopping online which I thought was much easier than going into that madhouse. Now we are looking for a cyberdeal on a tv…</p>
<p>We managed to snag a few good deals, braving the crowd on T-day evening then returning home for a nap and back out later in the morning. We weren’t looking for electronics rather fulfilling the lists for the “angel” tree and the families son’s med school adopts over the season.</p>
<p>I like nice classic toys and books, along with some “popular” ones, walmart, target and TRU all had some and on sale. Jenga, monopoly, battleship, scrabble, connect 4 and operation were all $7 each at Target price matched them at Walmart (combined with $5 off coupon made them $2 a piece).</p>
<p>Fisher price Space Shuttle was $20 for all those aspiring missions specialists! Disney treasuries (hardbacks) were $5, assorted titles. Legos and Duplos were $15, Lincoln logs were $9.99 and Super Flying Grover was $19 (my fav). Memory games/matching were $2.88 and children’s Huffy bikes were $25.</p>
<p>Chilldren’s coats at macy’s were $15.99 combined with a $10 off $25 coupon bringing them to just around $10 apiece. Warm socks are always requested along with blankets so those were $1-$2 and $10-$15, respectively.</p>
<p>JCpenney’s also had small appliances for $8, toaster ovens, toaster, iron, hand mixer and coffee maker…their Cook’s line so nice quality.</p>
<p>As being a family that was on a VERY limited buget, these sales have over the years made it afforadable not just to buy everyday items (neccessities) but occasionally opt for a few Christmas presents (something we would not purchase).</p>
<p>Now that kiddos have grown and know how important those few Christmas gifts meant to them, they are more than happy to do for others. Son worked hard on the lists for the families last year at his med school and wanted to be even more prepared this year, so he had us shopping all year long! If we saw something that might work and was a fabulous price then in the Christmas box it went. We were all surprised at how much more we have this year and spent less.</p>
<p>Having Walmart, Target and Toys R Us all price match everything has made a huge difference.</p>
<p>Kat</p>