Black Friday

[bjl584]

I work part time in retail. Since I will be off from my full-time job over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I will be picking up some extra hours at my part-time job. That means I will be working during the black friday "festivities." I've worked this day the past two years, and it is absolute madness. If I didn't have to work that day, I would be sitting at home working around the house, hanging out with friends, or just watching tv. There really isn't anything that I want bad enough to stand outside of a store in a line at 4am for. If I wanted it that bad I could've just saved up my money and bought it on a normal shopping day. So, are any of you going out on this day to brave the mobs? I'm just curious as to how you feel about the whole thing.

[kork13]

Never. Simply, unequivocally, and forcibly, NO. There's nothing that could convince me to waste my time and risk my personal safety to go out into that idiotic knot of madness. The closest I'll possibly come is the black friday sales that Amazon.com normally offers.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I would not shop on Black Friday, but I might like to go people watching.

[goodboy123]

stand in christmas shopping,not on black friday

[thefamilyfinanceguide]

This is just my prediction, but given the unemployment rate I expect there to be a lot of amazing deals, and an equal amount of crazy people standing in line to gobble them up do to the low budgets for Christmas this year. Intersting note in the City of Philadelphia, come Christmas the expect almost 18,000 people to have the unemployment payments run out. Is this all the more reason to avoid Black Friday? Well, please be careful and don't try and hold back customers. Last year one person was killed from the trampede. Thanks though for working, I know its hard but you obviously are a dedicated person wanting to save money. Interesting side note, here you are working a full-time and a part-time yet we have crazy unemployment. I think many just want their same type of jobs back and exact income. We need to be realistic in this country and get back to work and review our budgets. God Bless and Good Luck to all.

[creditcardfree]

I skipped it the last few years and did cyber Monday instead. Much more relaxing. I have only been out as early as 7am, back when the kids were little, money was tighter and I was just after a couple things. I never stood in line. I wait until the line is in the door. I don't push or shove or fight. If someone needs it that bad...they can have it. Although I haven't seen a fight over anything before.

OP, best wishes for a quick hassle free work day!

[frugalfarmwife]

I work retail also and black friday is amusing to watch I actually work overnight stock (the store is closed) and it's AMAZING to watch the people line up, they actually start lining up at midnight and we open at 5AM. I sneak out when they are letting the cashiers in and am scraping the frost off the car as the mad dash is heading in.

We spend all night setting up the displays and placing ad signs, and I enjoy waving to the freezing shoppers, lol. Most of the crew I work with worries and fusses all night about how their going to get out, in fact the complaining began weeks ago

Personally, I'm GLAD for black Friday shopping/shoppers, to me it's job security AND the added bonus of coming home to a peaceful quiet sanity on the farm, the time and a half holiday pay ain't to bad either

ff

[disneysteve]

I think it is an insane tradition. I do know numerous people, however, who do it strictly for that reason - tradition. They don't necessarily buy anything. They don't go for any particular item. They just go for the experience. Me, I'd rather stay in bed, have a nice breakfast and watch the parade on TV.

That said, we often do end up shopping on Black Friday but we do it at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. By that time, the crowds are gone and the stores are back to normal without the huge lines and crushing mobs but the sales (not the 4am doorbusters but the regular sales) are still going on.

[maynard]

I usually stop by sears in the afternoon and see what deals there are on tools. But thats it. No way im messing around with that other crazyness

[cypher1]

My time is more valueable than freezing outside on a holiday, to save $50 off an LCD. 10 years ago I used to work at Best Buy part time, so I'd be doing the ad for media stuff (movies, music, games), but used to love walking past the line of freezing people hours before we open. Once 2 women got into a fight over the last TV/DVD combo deal, cops had to come, pretty pathetic. These days I enjoy working that day, and avoid the malls/parking lots with a passion. Shopping gives me a headache.

[nanamom]

I'll be there. We don't line up early not do we shove or fight. i find people going thru the bins offer to help you look for which ever one you want if you look for theirs. We often miss something we'd been hoping to get but that's ok. It is our tradition to buy stuff for our Angel tree people and toys for tots that day as well as gifts for the local nursing home residents in honor of our parents who are gone. Then we finish with a fun lunch of ice cream or something decadent that we don't usually do. This year we will be out of state but still plan to shop.

[cjscully]

Hell will freeze over before I go shopping on Black Friday.

[HappySaver]

Originally Posted by cjscully

Hell will freeze over before I go shopping on Black Friday.

Well put, and ditto. This year we're going one step further and we're just giving donations in family members' names. They certainly don't need more stuff. I wish they would do the same for us, but parents especially seem traumatized by the thought.

[cicy33]

I have done it in the past when had small kids to buy for. and there were better deals a few years ago. Trying to get a tv is useless I discovered last year. I showed up around 5 only to find out that they allowed people to get the tickets for them at midnight. I was quite pissed cuz the paper had said nobody before 5. I was ok to miss the deal but not to miss it cuz they let people do it hours early. So unless it is something I really want and it better be a super duper deal or I will not go this year. I was also able to walk around the store cuz our walmart is open 24 hours and they let people in they just couldn't touch the special areas.

[Ima saver]

I have never gone shopping on black Friday in my life. I haven't even been to a mall in over 10 years. There is nothing I need that badly.

[maat55]

I went out one black friday morning, it is dangerous.

[Thrif-t]

I've gone a few times and it's fun!! I don't line up and usually go to one or two stores. I get there when it opens and walk in with the line. I usually am not going for the big door buster things like electronics or tvs but simple things like towels or something along those lines. I'm usually back home by 7am sitting and drinking my coffee when all the family gets up. Its just kinda fun all the hustle and bustle. Not sure if I'll do it this year, I guess we'll see. Oh and it depends on the weather for me. I'm a fair weather shopper

[cicy33]

Originally Posted by cjscully

Hell will freeze over before I go shopping on Black Friday.

There are a couple of those mornings that I went I thought it might have! It was so cold. I am so glad that walmart allows us to go in now.

[cicy33]

Originally Posted by maat55

I went out one black friday morning, it is dangerous.

I think that is dependent on where you live. Where I live it is fun and people are really nice. Even bumping into people is considered part of the experience. In some areas however, people need to remember they are human beings and not animals.

[mrsmoneysaver]

I have gone a couple of times in the past, but I live in a small town and it doesn't get too bad. One of the main reasons I went, besides the sales, is the fact that my husband had the day off and could stay home with the kids while I got some shopping done.