Black Friday Shopping??

If I do any Black Friday shopping at all, it's online. Generally free shipping and I don't have to hang out with the hoards. Actually, I do most of my Christmas shopping online, anyway. You get the best deals that way and quite often you don't have to pay tax, either.

Nope... I do anything to AVOID leaving my house Fridays,lol.. WAY too much traffic, I don't have the patience, and I'm not a good bargain shopper :0)

For 18 years my daughter and I did black Friday. Two years ago it lost something. So there we are freezing to death in front of Best Buy when I played with my phone only to find out I could get the flipping TV online for the same price before the stores opened. I ordered my TV and went home.

I didn't mind going out when my family was asleep and back before they waked for my prize. But when the "prize" is cheaper the next week or I have to go out before my kids are in bed. Better yet the "prize" from a week before is cheaper, it just isn't worth it.

Nope, maybe I will set my alarm clock and order some stuff from the comfort of by bed but that is all.

Black Friday sales have started at 1201 am for years. And shopping after midnight is a part of some families' traditions. There is certainly enough time to have a family dinner and enjoy family before getting into line for Black Friday. Our family doesn't shop on Black Friday but we're all in bed by 10 pm or so. Shopping would not take away from family.

Retailers can't take anything away from us as far as making family memories if we don't allow them to. If we would rather be at home with our families we can choose to do so. But I'm not usually making any memories at midnight with my family anyway ; )

As far as Black Friday shopping this year I probably won't do any, because as far as some more stocking stuffers I'm done, yaaay! I just chose to get my ideas and list together early, I have the materials i need to make some blankets, and the gifts I needed to buy I finished up yesterday. I wanted to have time to really enjoy the season this year.

But I had the best early Black Friday experience a couple of years ago. I enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family the entire day, my little guy was 7 months, I left him with great-grandma, and I and my sister (who left her then 8 year old with daddy) set off for an outlet mall that was opening at 10 p.m. We got some great deals at Gymboree, Old Navy, TCP, Carter's, OshKosh, and Bath and Body Works and had a blast. We arrived home around 3 a.m. and I dare say no one missed us at all : )

Oh I will be taking part in Black Friday. But NOT as a consumer this year.

We will be Occupying Black Friday. And you ALL will be VERY surprise how the Occupation is planning to do this:)

Think EXTREME PEACE and ANNOYANCE.

We have actually got something up our sleeves that is some what nation wide.

We have seen demos for how this will work roll out in a few cities.

Let's just say I will be needing a few different colored collared shirts and some Khaki's:)

I can not wait.

I am not shopping at all this year. My family and friends are getting home made art work...Which is more Personal then any blender, slippers or ugly tie I could find at a retail store:)

I am planning on this being the BEST Holiday season ever. Just because I do not feel the need to buy into it this year:)

I don't like that they are doing it so early. Toys r us is starting at 9 pm Thanksgiving day! However, as silly as it sounds, we have some great memories from past black Fridays. We do an entire Thanksgiving weekend with family and its fun to spend some kid free time with the hubby and my mom and sis in law. So, yes I wil be there.

I do know what you mean. The times get earlier and earlier. BUT, I live for that night! I am a sucker for the rush and excitement of it all. I don't camp! The deals are great and I save money, so I will wait in the lines and people watch. The fights between grown women are hysterical.

I have a full game plan. ToysRus at 9pm for one particular item, and in line to pay by 9:15 so that I can be at Target well before they open at 12 midnight, after that, I hit Kohls, Old Navy, and by 5am, other places start to open up. I usually get home around 8am.

Heck no!! No black Friday for me!! I don't care if it's at midnight or 5 am, I have absolutely zero interest. There is no deal that would interest me in the least. The Friday after Thanksgiving is a holiday meant for relaxing :)

My mom and I have gone for years. I love the "hunt" and the crowds and the getting up early. BUT this year I have a HUGE problem with all the stores opening at midnight or before to start the sales. I have no issue with 5 am or 6 am start times. But I refuse to spend my Thanksgiving standing in line to fight for an item when I could be visiting with family. I just think we need to make sure Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving.

I agree; I think it's insane. I've never understood it. I would much rather stay home and relax with my family rather than fight with the crowds just to save money on stuff; to me, it isn't worth it at all. I especially refuse to lose any sleep over it. I haven't been out of the house on Black Friday for the past few years because I hate the crowds and I'm usually tired from cooking and everything on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I am currently working at a retail store, so I have to actually work on Black Friday. But at least I'll be paid to be there, so I guess it won't be that bad. :-)

No way, my christmas shopping has been done for weeks now :)

I will, but I'm not going out Thursday evening. I haven't seen or shopped yet (was hoping to do that this weekend with the Sunday paper). I just won't go to a store where I have to be there Thursday. I like going on Friday morning about 3:50am, just because. (*Note: this is subject to change, depending on what time where WE want to shop opens up, like I said, we haven't looked and laid "the battle plan" yet). It's not taking away time with the family since they're sleeping. And I'll come home and just take a nap when the boys do anyway. :)
That said, to be fair, many people are FINISHED with Thanksgiving by night time. When we had the HUGE family affair growing up every Thanksgiving, we would start at 6:45am at my great aunt's house getting everything prepared, spent all day with everyone, and were home tired and playing Nentendo by 5:30pm, while my parents watched "grown up TV". When we moved and stopped doing the big family thing, it was just our family or maybe Grandma & Grandpa would show up from out of state, but in the evening dad took us kids to a movie every Thanksgiving while mom and the grandparents chilled out at home. So....we're responsible for what we do with our own families. I don't think stores are "the bad guys" if they open up in the evening; they wouldn't do it if there wasn't a crowd of people that would be happy to show up. I also wouldn't think anything of a mom that wanted to go shopping while the kids and dad went to see the new Muppets movie or whatever when winding down. I guess it depends: do you have Thanksgiving brunch, lunch, early dinner, or late dinner? To each their own. I stay home in the evening and "rest up", me.

I am a tightwad! That said, NO deal is good enough for me to go out of the house on Black Friday. I have never shopped on BF and never plan too. Give me an empty store and eager clerks on a slow day ANYTIME!

M.

Nope! I hate black Friday!!! Stores here are starting as early as 9pm on Thanksgiving. It is getting totally ridiculous!!!

You couldn't pay me to go out on black friday. Never have, never will

I don't dare go out, people get mauled in my city. last year it was a pregnant women who got trampled at walmart.......no thanks.

I went out on black friday TWICE.

On accident.

I was 9. We spent 6 hours on the freeway (soCal) between 1 exit and the next. It ended up being kind of fun. People were getting out of their cars and getting pizza, and taking food orders and whole troops of kids were lining up to pee behind a wall of "back seat blankets" that had been hauled out of various back seats, trunks, etc. by moms who stood guard holding the blanket wall up between us and the gazillion people all around us.

But I promised myself I would never, ever go out on BF again.

Failed in my vow one year, but it was because my unit was called in for riot control.

GOTTA LOVE CyberMonday!!! Click. Click. Click. "Hey hon! I'm going to go take a shower." shuffle shuffle shuffle in PJs, snag bite from kitchen, get distracted by lost book found in bread box, remember about the shower. Take shower. Click. Click. Click. Ahhhhh. Heaven.

Although I love reading the ads I refuse to get up that early and stand in line for 5 items per store. I shop on cybermonday. I know what I want and what website to get it from, less hassle and less crowds. Some people are just plain rude over items that may not last past the next year. Just my two cents and I think we need to protest this event just like those who are protesting against wallstreet.

I will still be going around 4am Fri morning like normal. No way in hell I'm using my Thanksgiving night to go shopping. That's crazy.

Actually, Toys R Us is opening at 9:00 pm on Thanksgiving. (Here, at least.) I do plan on going. It will be the first time EVER I go out for black Friday. They are having particularly awesome sales on some things my nieces and nephews will love. I can get their gifts for under $7 each. That's most definitely worth going against all my beliefs and shopping Thanksgiving. Plus, I'd rather not get up early.

i don't let my kids stay up til midnight on thanksgiving so mama will go have some fun :)......last year my husband & i went out & i was begging him to go home, lol

I will just go to Wags and Menards for toiletry items.

Black friday deals aren't even all that good.

My shopping is done. I did it during July clearance.

My daughter and I will be there!!! We will not be stand in lines hours ahead of time though. We just go for the fun of it!! Can't wait!! Love the time with my daughter. I hope Starbucks is opening early too!!!

I did last year for the first time. Wal-mart, laptop $349 I think it was, for my son. Got there about 4:30 a.m, checked out and back in the car by 5:30 a.m.
Will I go this year, honestly we haven't even looked at the sales.

I will not be going out with the crowds this year. I have been checking beyondmothers.com/blackfriday and the deals seem to be better online.

I've only been out once, but it was later in the day. Daughter was turning 3 & we went to a toy store at a mall that is now on the "Dead Mall" list. It was kind of fun for us, since all we were doing was getting her a birthday gift.

I used to do all my shopping out of catalogs. I can't stand crowds on a normal day! ha!

We don't have that many to buy for, and I used to get it all done before Thanksgiving.

Personally, I never take part in Black Friday, however, I say to each his own. Some people like getting up in the wee hours of the morning and for them, I'm sure they are making memories. If you aren't up at midnight already, then you wouldn't be making memories or taking away from your own family anyway - you'd be asleep! Personally, I think the whole thing seems sort of miserable, but if that is your thing, then go for it. This is America after all!

I have felt for a long time that the deal offered on Black Friday are not worth my time and effort. No one needs anything that badly.

I never do any Black Friday shopping in stores. I don't need the stress of the crowds and traffic. I don't do that much shopping to begin with. Who needs to stay up all night? When we get home from my sister's on Thanksgiving, it's usually nearly 11pm and I am still full to busting and want to go to bed.

We never go out super early - we wait until about 9 or so...that way, we still get whatever sales we are aiming for, but it's the really agressive folks who generally go out earlier, so we miss them. But we don't go for "trendy" stuff usually, so we're not really bent out of shape if we miss something special. (I have two young children, and I don't even know what the hot toy is this year!) Anyway, by then it's a lot of fun. You have to be friendly with each other to get through the crowds, and since the agressive people are gone, we usually only run into people who are also having fun with it by then.

Do you know why some retailers are opening that early? Because people will go. If they didn't think anyone would show up, they wouldn't open. They don't want to pay those employees holiday pay - it's expensive. The only reason this could possibly be taking anyone away from their families is because they CHOOSE to be taken away from their families.

I'm with you! I think it's sick that retailers have created this "black Friday" craziness. I'm all for a great deal and shopping day but do we really need to start at midnight? So ridiculous! Think about the employees, if they have to prepare for the midnight open time, they are missing their Thanksgiving all together. I don't think Christmas should even be advertized until the day after Thanksgiving. Our kids are being raised in a time where the meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas is being lost. :(

I have known people who spend Thanksgiving dessert time planning their next day. Down to a science. Splitting up, who is going where for what. I personally think they only have a limited number of items and usually it's not worth it in the long run - mostly because I don't enjoy the crowds and craziness. However, if this is your adrenaline rush, more power to you.

I agree with GG. Alot of the employees don't have time to spend with their families. I have a friend that works at Wal-Mart and has to work in the morning and then be back to work the same evening because they have to get ready for the "midnight madness" shop-a-thon. So in like a 24 hour period, 19 of those will be spent at work. It's crazy!! But of course they can't schedule it like that. Because having less than 8 hours off between shifts is illegal, isn't it????????