Are you a Black Friday shopper?
I've been there, done that, and feel no need to repeat it.
I was waiting in line at a store the other day & another customer was recounting last year's Black Friday adventures while waiting for Wal-mart to open. "Oh yeah, we were out there at 1am with our lawn chairs and our blankets, just talking to everyone around us! It was great!".
Sorry if I'm a wet blanket, but waiting out in front of a store, in the cold, in the dark, for 3-4 hours, with 250 strangers, so I can save $20 on a DVD player is NOT my idea of a good time.
My feelings are further confirmed by the rain dripping down outside my cozy window as I type this.
The last time I did Black Friday was back in Des Moines. I was pregnant, so I was up at 4am anyway. I hit Old Navy (store open, no line), the mall (3 stores, no lines, out in 20 minutes), Target (arrived as doors opened, purchased 2 movies & 1 toy - spent longer in the checkout line than my total time in the store), and Toys r Us (horrendous line, bought nothing).
Total shopping time: 2 hours. Psychic toll: still TBD.
It's hard not to get caught up in the hype to SHOP NOW. I feel the pressure even more because 90% of my shopping is done and wrapped. Today my inbox was flooded with deals, and it's hard to resist the lure of 30, 40, or even 50% off. Sure, I can always pick up just one more thing..... But will she even notice? Will he even play with it for more than a day?
We have so much stuff already, and from Christmases past, I know that more than 3 or 4 gifts for each child results in a glazed look & sensory overload. So once again, I am fighting the siren song of Target/ the mall, and opting out of Black Friday.
Instead, I'll be at home, slippers on, hot chocolate in hand, assembling my tree & watching the rain fall gently outside.
I salute you, soggy shoppers. May victory be yours & may your credit cards not burst into flames.
1 comment:
Oh so funny, and yet so true about Black Friday. I love Black Friday - and went again this year, but it was crazy. Stores opening at 10pm made for a nightmare. I think the 4-5 am stores weed out the late-nighters. Because who really wants to get out of a warm, cozy bed to shop? I will NOT do late night store openings again. Toys R Us was about a 2 hour wait to get inside, and out (the checkout line was atrocious)for a 5 minute shop. No thank you. If only I didn't need the budget deals though. I saved 60% on almost everything I got. Yea. Now just to catch up on the sleep ;)
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