Black Friday
 

I admit I have really enjoyed Black Friday the last few years. Since my shopping is usually completely or at least partially completed by the time Black Friday rolls around, I am not stressed about it and can just run around enjoying the sales and madness. This year I'll be a bit more of an observer than a participant (no more standing in line at Best Buy at 3am for a Wii), but I do still have some gifts to get, so I'm sure I'll be out and about anyway.

So if you're into the Black Friday thing (either online or brick-and-mortar), what's got you interested this year?

(including things you won't be buying but would like to)

For me, it's the Cobalt Blue Kitchen Aid Mixer for $209 on Amazon! (To see the $209 price, you have to click on one of the following colors: White, Cobalt Blue, Empire Red, Onyx Black and Metallic Chrome)

If you don't know about it already, you can track all the Black Friday deals on www.bfads.net

What interests me about this year's Black Friday is how much it will indicate the slippage of Consumer Confidence and perhaps the realization that we don't need to buy all those gifts ... despite the fact that Christmas spending accounts for 40% of all annual retail spending, and the economy will further tank if we stop having our decadent Consumer Christmas.


I'm sorry about the economy, but for the sake of the meaning of Christmas and the sake of Americans coming to grip with out-of-control consumerism, I'd like Black Friday and the entire Christmas season to be an economic disaster. And a spiritual awakening.

I think it will be (a disaster).

But regardless, there are some of us who still enjoy discussing the deals, Mr. Poopypants. Black Friday is the shopper's holiday. And for those of us who plan (shop) ahead, Black Friday is not necessarily about Christmas and Christmas gifts. But some of the coolest random products are not readily available throughout the year, just around this time of year. And it's fun to talk about stuff that's on sale, even stuff you don't end up buying.

Actually, from the stuff I've been reading, one of the reasons Black Friday is predicted to tank this year is consumers know that MUCH BIGGER SALES will come closer to Christmas.

Retailers are DESPERATE this year, and are reportedly willing to discount deeper and deeper as the season progresses.


Black Friday sales will be better than usual.


After that, they will practically give things away.


One less shopping weekend this season + ya know, national economic meltdown = major, major sales getting more outrageous by the day thru Dec. 24.

I only went out on BF twice, about 5 years ago. After that I said screw it, too much hasstle. But this year I need Blueray discs for my new system and there are some good deals out there like $15 each. I won't go out at freaking 2 in the morning, but I'll venture out a little this year....

I always schedule myself to work on Black Friday. I hate shopping, so it's no hardship.

Black Friday has a hugely different meaning for me this year. I found out that a friend who gave me endless grief about turning 40 is herself turning 50 on that day. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.

I have a friend that works for big retail. He says now is the time to buy. All the big stores are overstocked because they had to order for the holidays months ago before all this economic mess really kicked off. So while demand has dropped of supply is still running full steam.

Come January, everyone has drastically cut their orders so supply starts to dry up. If the ecomony picks up even a little bit it will lead to a real mess with demand up and supply down.

I love crowds in Disneyland, but I loathe crowds in malls and stores. So I try to avoid shopping in a store (as much as I can avoid it) between Thanksgiving and end of January. I may miss out on big sales, but the truth is, if there is a big expensive goodie to be bought, I'm probably going to be the selfish one and it would be an unecessary necessity for me. :blush:

I would really like to spend less this Christmas. But it just doesn't work that way.

We have Christmas with both sides of our family - mine and my husbands. For the adults, we pick names and there's a $50 limit to spending. This generally means that everyone spends $50.

For the nieces and nephews, of which there are 6, we buy them something.

So, not spending what everyone else is expecting you to spend makes for some wierdness.

Frankly, I'd be happy to just spend the day with the family and not buy any of the extended family gifts. Or just buy something for the kids.

I'm seriously considering a 100% gift card year here. I'm so not into it.

Even with our kids, I'd prefer to cut back. Just how badly to they really want/need that crap?

My husband and I don't exchange xmas gifts as money is usually very tight and it seems wasteful when we already have to spend so much.

yes- I've got some Bah Humbug going on.