Black Friday Question

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I have never ventured out the day after thanksgiving to shop because I hear the lines, the crowds, the attitudes are really, REALLY awful. I've also heard that half the time you get to a store for a particular item and they are out before you ever get in.

What are your true experiences with shopping on this day of days?

There are a couple of higher end items (mp3's etc.) that have peaked my interest, but I'll be really grouchy if I get up at 5am (or midnight!) just to find out its not available after all or to wait in line for 2hrs to save the $30.

thanks
Monica in IL

[BiggerPiggyBank]

It isn't that bad - but, go with a friend if you do the early AM stuff. That way you or the friend could get in line to check out, when you see it starting to get long while the other still shops. Then switch. By the time you make it to the front of the line, you both have all your shopping done. Also, if you go the last hour or so of the 'morning specials' there are no lines and the prices are still in force - not everything may be there, but you don't have the pushing & shoving you would of had earlier.

Also, the not as good specials for the black friday ads... the ones that are good for the weekend or that day... if you go later in the day - like 6 or 7P or on Saturday evening, the traffic and crowds are not bad at all.

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I grew up about 20 minutes north of the 2nd largest city in Michigan
(actually, it's closing in on becoming larger than Detroit), and
tried Black Friday shopping down there once. It was horrible.

The people were rude, shoving, pushing, etc. After that, I decided
not to do it again.

A few years ago, after I'd been living in a MUCH smaller town for
several years, I decided to try it. My aunt came up Thanksgiving
night, and we went out early the next morning. The stores were
probably almost as crowded (not as many people in town, but in the
big town, there's 5 wal-marts, 5 targets, etc, so it spreads the
people out), but the attitudes were 100% different. People were
helpful, kind, there was no pushing, no shoving, etc. It was just
amazing how much nicer it was. People waiting in line would talk
stratagy, and if they'd already been elsewhere, then they'd tell you
if something was already gone or not.

I've done Black Friday for 3 years in a row now (these past two were
alone), and fully intend to do it this year again. The prices just
make it worth it for me, because I can afford to get a few more
items for the kids. If I allot out a specific amount for toys from
us, and toys from Santa, I try to break it into specific amounts of
items as well as price. But if my $10 toy was purchased for $7.50 on
sale, and my $15 toy was bought for $10.99, that gives me $6.50 I
can spend on 1 extra thing, or put away and save.

My kids don't get a lot for Christmas, because I don't believe in
overloading them. My aunt used to buy for us as "santa" when we were
dead broke. One year, she easily spent over $150 on each of the
kids, and half the toys were never even used, or liked. I told her
if she buys again, she has to limit her amount greatly, because it's
just not needed.

I love seeing the kids opening presents, and watching how excited
they get, but we also have Christmas with my mom & step dad, one
with my dad & step-mom, one with my mother-in-law, one with my in-
law's whole family, plus my father-in-law sends us gift cards from
NC to use to buy the kids gifts from him. They get more than enough
toys over the course of several days.

I guess the bottom line is, I've had more good experiances than bad,
but it really depends on the area, the size of the town, the type of
people who live there, etc.

Check with the stores you want to shop at, like Target, Best Buy,
Kohls, etc, and see how many of them offer the same prices during
the time frame if you order online.

Oh, also, as to stores running out of items, some do. They limit the
quantity they have on hand for some items, and there are almost
always a hand full of REALLY good deals (like Wal-mart having a $900
tv on sale for $450 on BF this year) that will sell out quickly.

One year, I didn't get to Wal-Mart until after 8, because I over
slept, but woke in time to get to Walgreens for opening, so I went
there first. Anyway, I was able to get almost every item on the toy
list still at 8am, except the care bears. But, someone else had one,
and I realized they weren't as nice as the regular ones, so I wasn't
too heartbroken. Plus, Walgreens had also had care bears for $5, and
they came with a book. I got those ones instead.

If an item is very specific in what it is in the ad, you can price
match at other stores, which also heightens your chance of getting
what you want at the price you want it.

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I am pretty much done with my oliday shopping, so going out into the shopping centers on the day after Thanksgiving is just an outing for us. A chance to get out of the house. Not spending any money really. Maybe on a pretzel in the mall, but otherwise, nothing. I only need to pick up a couple of ornaments, but I am checking catalogs to see what's available as well.

As for the 5 a.m. shopping - some stores blatantly lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They know darn well that gobs of folks will come out for the advertised MP3 player for $15 and they only have 5. They only ordered 5 in the first place. So, you get there, looking for that item and it is not there. But, the store figures, since you are here anyway, buy something else! HAH!!!!!!!!!! I walk right out of there.

One year, I went to get something for my sister and they ran out (surprise, surprise), so I called her and asked what she wanted instead (she picked out the item, but since she worked there was not allowed to buy it herself that day). The store offered the same massive discount on a similar item, so she got that instead. It was a radio/stereo thing. She got a different brand name item for the same 75% off. A lot of people did. We insisted that they honor the price. They under-ordered, not us!!!!!

Herlean

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I work at a walmart.. and last year our store was nuts from about 2
am til 10 am..maybe a bit later.. I am planning on going and shopping
that morning since there is a few things I want.

I will say this.. Last year our store had a few issues.. and I know
that some people were escorted out of the store..

I do hope that people behave better this year..

Deb

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I have only really gone to Black Friday once, and it was to get about 2
things. Fortunately for me, they were things that my kids wanted that
hardly anyone was going for that day. It was at Walmart a few years
ago, and they had trampolines on sale for like $99. Our walmart was
open 24 hrs, so they were letting people in and we were just standing
around whatever it was we wanted, and at 0530 the employees started
cutting the plastic off of all the items that were on sale that day. I
got one thing and had to go search around the store for the other
thing, but I found it somewhere totally obscure ( it was a toy and I
found it across the aisle from the grocery section which is clear on
the other side of the store.) So Make sure if you go you keep looking
around. LOL! It wasn't that bad in the store. That year was the year
that the lady got trampled at a different walmart, i think. Some
people even helped me get my stuff into my car while we were in the
parking lot, which as you know is a rarity in this day and age.
Anyways, Good luck to you in all of your Christmas shopping endeavors!

Shirley in AZ

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I always go out and get the BLACK FRIDAY deals. In
past 10 years I only missed one time and that was
cause my middle girl was born on Turkey Day, so I
missed it but it was well worth it.
I always get good deals. Yea lines are REALLY long
and people are really rude. But with all money I save
it is well worth it. I got Bob the Builder dolls for
only 2.99 one year. I got smoothie machine for only
9.99 which usually cost over 20.00, Bratz dolls on
sale, and alot of tools for hubby, digital camera for
9.99, kids computer for 8.99(little laptop one)
This year I bet there will be alot of good sales on
Cars items from the movie. I get up about 2am and
leave house at 2:30 for the 30 min. drive to the mall
for the stores. For me it is worth wait and rude
people cause of all the money I save. KB TOYS and
TOYS R US are good one for sales, we also have an
OLLIES this year, so I'm sure it will be a hit too. I
think of it as MY TIME WITHOUT KIDS. great way to
spend time to myself rite??
Well that is my deals I get. How are you people
commin up with sale adds already?? They don't come out
here till week of Turkey Day.
Thanks,
Kelly

[BiggerPiggyBank]

The ad's get leaked online. Try BFADS.net and you'll see ad prices
and picture scans from the actual ad's.

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I love it. My niece and I go every year. We are up at 4:30 and out the door in a hurry. It is such fun. The crowds can be very rude and nasty, but I just ignore them, because I am half asleep anyway. I did get pushed one year. Some lady was trying to get somewhere in a hurry LOL and I guess I was in her way. I said "Oh excuuuuse me. Was I in your way?"
I used my sarcastic tone, which I can do in the time of need.
But this year my 11 year old is having a fit to go with us. I did not say that she couldn't go, I just said "if you sake up you can go."
My niece moved an hour and a half away and I was so upset because she is my shopping buddy. We have been doing it for the 7 or 8 years. Everybody thinks we are crazy.

The year before last, the waffle irons were 5.00 at wal-mart, but the 1st wal-mart we went to was sold out, so we took off on a 45 min. drive to another wal-mart where they had 1 left. I got it. That same year I got a toaster oven for 10.00 and it still works. I get a lot of neat stuff on Black Friday. I will keep going until I get so old I can't, then maybe my niece will pick me up from the nursing home and take me.

Tammy

[BiggerPiggyBank]

I found them o internet!! They are posted there.