Black Friday deals, anyone?

**kork13** · 11-29-2019, 08:16 AM

I was up at 3am looking at stuff online!

But then, my work shift has me waking up at 10pm, so nbd. Realistically, I've never been one for shopping of any sort, I just buy things as I have a need for them. I'm looking at a few random things, but not in a hurry to buy anything, even with some of the discounts currently going. For example, I need to replace my laptop & phone sometime in the next year. I'm sure my wife will do some shopping, whether online or in store, but neither of us really ever go nuts for buying stuff. I've never really bought into the outrageous consumerism craze...

**Smallsteps** · 11-29-2019, 08:51 AM

After years of retail i have never went shopping on Black Friday.
In my time in retail we literally raised prices to have items be half off for black Friday...... if whatever item did not sell well they were marked down or the same sale was run again.
I worked many of these to watch people line up rush in and load up on stuff that was never really a great deal.

**james.hendrickson** · 11-29-2019, 09:03 AM

So I just cruised Wal-Mart and Costco's webpages. Walmart is offering better discounts - up to %40 - %80, but Costco almost always has better quality.

Black Friday might make sense if you need to replace a necessity - like a laptop or the like. A lot the merchandise on sale, particularly at Wal-mart seems like its the kind of inexpensively made low quality goods that are likely to fall apart in a few months. I doesn't make sense to buy it even at 80% off.

**kork13** · 11-29-2019, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by james.hendrickson View Post

Black Friday might make sense if you need to replace a necessity - like a laptop or the like. A lot the merchandise on sale, particularly at Wal-mart seems like its the kind of inexpensively made low quality goods that are likely to fall apart in a few months. I doesn't make sense to buy it even at 80% off.

Related, something you often have to be wary of with Black Friday deals (especially on electronics, especially from big-box stores) is that they'll tweak the "deep discount" models slightly with cheaper components, so while they appear to be exactly that TV/laptop/whatever that you've been eyeing, it's actually a slightly different, inferior model.

Turns out that I did ~$250 of spending today (all online), but it knocks out all the shopping for my BIL & his family (both sides of our family rotate siblings for who we buy gifts for each year), and much of what I'll likely be getting for my wife. We're in luck that my younger brother (he's ours this year on my side of the family) wanted a blender, and my wife recently won a vitamix at a party or something, so he's probably taken care of as well, unless we decide to get him something else -- he's graduating college in a few weeks, so alot of what he's asking for are housewares & a couple items he'll need for his new job as a pilot.

**scfr** · 11-29-2019, 10:48 AM

DH bought gift cards at his favorite local golf course (they are running a great Black Friday promo).
That's our only Black Friday shopping this year. It seems like most years we buy one item on BF.
I'm neither pro nor anti Black Friday. I'm always open to a good deal, and will usually check the Black Friday promos for items I've been waiting to buy. More often than not, I don't find the best deal on Black Friday, but sometimes I do!

Edited to add: I'll also be keeping an eye on Cyber Monday promos. If Target offers a site-wide discount, like they have done in the past, I'll stock up on some essentials for me and for my mom.

**corn18** · 11-29-2019, 01:04 PM

I needed a new laptop and my daughter just said that amazon had a 13" MacBook air for $650, which is $350 off. I bought it.

**kork13** · 11-29-2019, 01:25 PM

Originally posted by corn18 View Post

I needed a new laptop and my daughter just said that amazon had a 13" MacBook air for $650, which is $350 off. I bought it.

I saw that one and was definitely tempted...but still more than I want to spend (< $500). I'm looking to eventually replace my 2012 MacBook Pro. I hate Windows, Apple is excellent but too expensive, and both are blindingly insular, so I'm leaning toward a Chromebook. That way at least I can keep it simple & easily synched with my Pixel phone, and I'm finding that I do less & less on it besides surfing the web, writing papers, and streaming TV/movies. So I don't need much. But getting 7+ yrs out of a laptop that still works decently? I've definitely been impressed with my mac (and the 6 before it that I've grown up with). Enjoy yours!

**QuarterMillionMan** · 11-29-2019, 02:10 PM

On Thursday night I used a $5 off $15 purchase at Target. Sort of busy but the self-service kiosks didn't have any line. Bought undies and socks, total price with discount $16.49. I guess I'm not your typical "black Friday" shopper but technically I braved the black Friday madness. Target is only 2 blocks away so rode my ebike over. I was prepared to forgo it if the parking lot looked like a mad house and if people were lined outside the doors but it looked normal so I locked my ebike and went inside. Glad I went to use my $5 off $15 purchase and used it for necessities.

**Jluke** · 11-29-2019, 02:12 PM

Diapers at BJs. Saved $19 on 2 boxes using coupons. For DS2 due April 2020.

dog food at pet smart. Saved 11.50 on 30 pound bag.

garage flooring. Saved $70 (15%).

ETA: 9V Duracell batteries at BJs. Saved $7 on 18.99 purchase. That was crazy deal, I think

**disneysteve** · 11-29-2019, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by Jluke View Post

Diapers at BJs. Saved $19 on 2 boxes using coupons. For DS2 due April 2020.

Hope they fit. It's always a big gamble stocking up on diapers in advance. When DD was born, she was too big for "newborn" size from the start. Also, because she was long and thin, we had to try a few brands before we found ones that worked, and then changed brands a few times as she grew. There's no way we could have stocked up on anything.

**Jluke** · 11-29-2019, 03:11 PM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Hope they fit. It's always a big gamble stocking up on diapers in advance. When DD was born, she was too big for "newborn" size from the start. Also, because she was long and thin, we had to try a few brands before we found ones that worked, and then changed brands a few times as she grew. There's no way we could have stocked up on anything.

Agree. They worked well for DS1 so going off of that.

Diapers are sized for 8-14 pounds (Pampers Size1) so hopefully we’re ok.

**corn18** · 11-29-2019, 03:59 PM

Originally posted by kork13 View Post

I saw that one and was definitely tempted...but still more than I want to spend (< $500). I'm looking to eventually replace my 2012 MacBook Pro. I hate Windows, Apple is excellent but too expensive, and both are blindingly insular, so I'm leaning toward a Chromebook. That way at least I can keep it simple & easily synched with my Pixel phone, and I'm finding that I do less & less on it besides surfing the web, writing papers, and streaming TV/movies. So I don't need much. But getting 7+ yrs out of a laptop that still works decently? I've definitely been impressed with my mac (and the 6 before it that I've grown up with). Enjoy yours!

I am using a 6 year old MacBook pro right now and the keyboard is getting flaky and I must have used something weird on the screen as it is delaminating or something. It has been rock solid and I have been looking to replace it anyway. I did get a chromebook earlier this year and could not like the OS. Just too limiting and did not play well with Office which I use a lot. Certainly great value and fast if it does what you need, though.

**~bs** · 11-29-2019, 08:13 PM

Not for me. It amazes me how people buy a bunch of stuff they dont need, just because it's perceived to be a good deal. They buy a bunch of stuff and brag about saving $XXX. NO, IN REALITY YOU SPENT $YYY.

**mumof2** · 11-30-2019, 02:23 AM

its weird w enow have this in our state in australia...they have had "black friday" sales all week LOL...not just friday...but guess we just do our own version of things...but we didn't buy anything we just don't need or want anything...and our christmas shopping is all done

Black Friday deals, anyone?