Anyone rather gouge their eye out than shop on BF?

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

love shopping, love getting deals - refuse to go out BF morning!!!!

we will go to the mall later in the day though after the craziness.

SNL had a BF skit last night - nailed it!

we had just explained to DD13 "what was so bad about BF and why we don't go - the SNL skit drove it home!

 

[design_mom]

Me!! I went with DH the first year we were married and swore "never again." He loves the hunt and goes every year. Now At least I can say, "You go ahead and enjoy yourself, dear. I'll stay home and watch the kids."

 

[klacey1]

We like to go to the mall on Black Friday just to observe the madness more than anything else. We might hit Toys R Us this year for the kids on our list. However, we'll go around our usual shopping time-- 1 or 2 pm. Since there's no specific "hot items" we're looking for, there's no need to get anywhere early.

 

[Disney Doll]

There is nothing in this workld that I or any of my family members need badly enough that would entice me to subject myself to the madness that is Black Friday.

 

[christineann]

Never! Unless there's some specific super deal, usually on an electronic item, you can usually get the same or similar deals right up until Christmas anyway.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I don't usually "do" Black Friday either. I just can't get over the idea of people actually getting trampled in some places!

Besides, I start my serious Christmas decorating that day, and it takes all weekend.

The year DS, DH, and I bought each other the Wii for Christmas, we did go to a local Game Stop (not in a mall) on that day, but not exactly when they opened, either.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We monitored Black Friday, through Christmas and into January this year. The best prices were in January, so we're buying what we have to before Christmas, but any big ticket purchases will come in January.

See we are done with big ticket. BF used to be so awesome with deals. Not so much anymore.

However the "doorbusters" can be good. I just need clothes this yr and we are going to check it out.

 

[mhsjax]

DH is usually working out of town on BF. He isn't this year. I told him that I wanted to g out on BF. NOt get up at the crack of dawn and I don't want to even buy anything. I want to get out and see the Christmas rush. I love it. We are taking the kids and going to lunch and maybe to Costco. I am very excited.

 

[bas71873]

I got talked into BF shopping last year by a friend and so I went for the first time EVER and had a BLAST! I wasn't looking for anything, went really just to keep her company (she and hubby had just separated), but I have to say it was a lot of fun.

She picked me up at 3:30 and we headed for Kohls, then hit Target and Old Navy and we were at Cracker Barrel for breakfast by 6:30 AM. We shopped there too.

I was pleasantly surprised at how controlled everything was with the store opening lines and checking out. We didn't encounter any rude or obnoxious people. I picked up a few things, mostly stocking stuffer items, but I enjoyed it.

We are doing it again this year except that she's picking me up at 2:30 since Kohl's opens at 3 AM this year . Our agreement is she drives (she's the night owl, not me) and I buy breakfast! I'll be home by 8 AM, take a little nap and then start decorating the house!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I hate shopping and I hate crowds, so BF is definitely off my list. I do almost all my shopping online (over 160 separate orders already this year). The only thing that I like about BF is that the stores open at a decent time. I'd much prefer that stores open at 5 or 6 AM rather than 9 or 10.

I also avoid the back-to-school tax holiday like the plague.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I liken BF to those women you see at weddings who are so desperate to catch the bouquet that they fall all over each other, pull hair and start a brawl just to get their hands on a bunch of flowers thinking it means that they're the next ones to get married. It's undignified, childish and totally unnecessary.

But I wouldn't gouge my eyes out as an alternative to BF. I simply don't go there. Like many others, Cyber Monday is my day of choice for finding bargains.

 

[PatsGirl]

It's deer hunting season so locals call this "widows weekends" where all the wives go shopping to spite their hunter husbands.

Its tradition in my family for all the women to go shopping for FIVE days starting BF. I joined in for three years (92-95) and then found excuses for many years and then just said NO so I've been blacklisted by refusing to join in the fun Some years they leave T'giving night, others we've moved T'giving dinner to Wednesday and the last few years they just leave at 4 am and hit stores on the way to NH where they make North Conway their home base. This year there are 8 of them going.

"Widows Weekends" started when I was a baby. My mother and her friends all took off shopping for the weekend and the guys went hunting just like the PP said. Now Dad doesn't like to hunt anymore but the women's trip just gets stronger and bigger every year. That'll teach those guys

 

[eliza61]

You couldn't pay me to shop on BF. Well, it depends on how much I guess. Do people really save enough to make it worth all the insanity you have to deal with?

That's what I don't get either. In reality I've never gotten any thing on black friday that I couldn't find for the same exact price maybe a week later. Heck I've found the closer I get to christmas the better the deals become.

Also lately the big ticket items like Wii or Ipads pretty much are a set price so why get up at 3:00 in the morning to save at most 5 bucks.

 

[J3nn78]

I hate shopping and avoid BF at all costs. We did it once a few years ago and I could not stand it. It was horrendous! I could not believe all the maniacs out there! And lines that wrapped all around the perimeter of the store for deals that honestly were not that great. NEVER again.

 

[Tinkh]

We do it because it is fun!! Might not be everyones cup of tea, but we enjoy the dark and early shopping. I have never been to a Wal-Mart for an opening, but we have done Best Buy, Target and the mall is our first stop the last few years. I love getting all the deals on the tv series and stuff.

 

[MIGrandma]

I went one year on Black Friday. Never again. Not interested in seeing grown women act so stupid. And the pushing and shoving. Good grief!

I would rather stay at home, sit at my computer in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and shop that way.

I actually got most of my shopping done early this year, just have a couple more things to get. And have even got a major start on the stocking stuffers for the grandchildren. I'm so proud of myself. I plan to be 100% done by Thursday.

 

[NMAmy]

I refuse to participate in Black Friday. It's just too many people for me to happily deal with.

I hate to tell you all my secret but I go early on Saturday morning. There's not a soul around, they still have most of the deals going and I don't have to wait in line. Then I buy everything else online. I hate shopping.

 

[2girlsmom]

I absolutely felt this way about it... then I went with my sister 2 years ago. It was so much fun, I wasn't even buying much of anything, but the camaraderie was fun, and everyone here both that year and last year were SO friendly, all in the holiday "spirit", so now I am completely into it. And there are definitely deals to be had, last year I got my entire family new winter coats for $7 each, for example. This year I am already almost completely done shopping for my oldest dd and dh, but am planning to get my younger dd's main gift (a tv) and a few small gifts for Christmas morning for both, plus my inlaws' gifts and probably most of the neices and nephews. Although, we are going to WDW in under 3 weeks, so I need to see what I find there for a couple people too.

 

[hopemax]

I hate shopping but love BF. Figure that one out.

Me too! I guess for me, BF is like the championship game of the anti-shopper. "How fast can you get through 10 stores and get everything on your list."

My tips:

1. Make a list in advance
2. Grab only the items on your list

Every time, I get hung up somewhere it is because I stopped to just look "at just one more thing" or "I wonder if X is on sale." So definitely don't bring a "looky-loo" shopper. I would never be able to go with my mother.

I avoid laptops, tvs and the other big ticket items people go nuts for. I only go to Best Buy at the end to see what's left. Walmart, I will go to the midnight part of the sale because we have a 24 hour Walmart so I don't have to freeze, and what I want isn't what other people want. Last year, DH and I went and we were the first people back to the checkout line.

 

[Kathi OD]

Only did the BF thing once and it wasn't ALL that bad, but bad enough that I will never do it again.