So I am curious. Are you the plow your own grandmother over for a good black Friday sale or more of the stay away from any shopping center at all costs kind of person?

For me I work retail so I get to deal with a whole new aspect of the black Friday insanity. By the time the day is over I want to huddle in a corner of my room in the fetal position repeating slowly to myself "it's only one day a year."

Actually I'm one of those that hate shopping! It's true when I shop I go in get what I want and get the heck out. Normally totally by pass those kind of days....

I totally agree! I'm not a big shopper not even at the super market. The one thing I can say is if a person stops to say hello to me I do give them my attention. Drives my kids nuts because we know so many people! Sometimes I may be going in for 1 thing and spend 10 minutes telling a member of our community that I hope their hard times are past them.

There are some very good deals out there.
Some stores are even starting earlier then Black Friday
to get shoppers in the stores...

If you're a serious shopper or looking for specific gifts it wouldn't hurt to first
1)check on line
2)check the newspapers and circulars
3) possibly window shop to find out about specials!

Happy Thanksgiving and happy shopping!

In Canada we have "boxing day" which is the 26th of Dec. It got so crazy that retailers now have "boxing week" sales ....still pretty nuts out there though...I have to be feeling pretty brave to go out into it.

I agree with you guys- the shoppers on these sale days can be brutal!

that's why some pre -shopping would help-

and online shopping can be a lifesaver!

I love Overstock.com -it's worth a look for certain items

the shipping is $1.00 -2.95 all the time!

I used to work retail as well.......I am done christmas shopping already!!!

Good luck at work that day

don't get me wrong if you enjoy the black friday shopping more power to you. My mother sisters and aunts all do. Just smile at the overstressed cashier on the other side and try to understand its not their fault. I try to supply my staff with lots of goodies and lunch and drinks to keep them motivated and energized!

UGH! I did it one year and will NEVER do it again!!!

I usually go later in the afternoon on Black Friday. You miss some of the big ticket items that were bargains, but for the most part they always still have some pretty good deals left over.

I have the added bonus of being at my mom's that day though and my stepdad works for Wal Mart. He usually has to work overnight on Thanksgiving so he's just getting off work when those big sales start. So we just give him a list!

I have great respect for the retail workers of America- I hope everyone is kind to one another out there on Black Friday!
Let's just be safe and enjoy the holidays!

Wait a minute...

I thought boxing day was like a large brawl involving a lot of time spent going from pub to pub.


You've just completely ruined my idealistic vision of how to spend the day after Christmas.

On topic:


I'm completely appalled by the very concept of "Black Friday." Mass consumerism for the sake of consumerism - ridiculous. It makes me wonder where the moral compass of our country is really pointing - I'm thinking down the drain.

We'd be much better off if we all spent the day after Thanksgiving taking a long walk with our families. Try and work off some of that gorging from the day before. That's what we did when I was a kid. Okay, technically we were "pheasant hunting," but the long walk with Dad, Grandpa and a few Uncles was still fun. Good exercise too. Just an idea, mull it around a little.

Like so many others, I too, work in retail. There used to be a time, when it was rewarding to interact w/ customers, co-workers, and taking pride in the job...not so much anymore...greedy corporations have seen to that! Perhaps, if they "REALLY" cared about their customers, and employees..things might return to how they once were. I guess the "love of money", truly is the ROOT of all evil. Living it, I can believe that, and it is truly a sad state. (jmho)

Do you know how absolutely packed 7-11 gets on Black Friday? Wasn't so much huddling in the fetal position as it was swinging an aluminum bat at heads...

I live in a very small town. There isn't even a 7-11 here! Lol but I can imagine any store on black friday is to be avoided unless u enjoy the insanity.

I'm not a big holiday shopper and I have never gone out on Black Friday. I do most of my holiday shopping online and try to do more homemade gifts anyway.

i always go.
oh the people and things you see.
entertainment at it's finest.
i usually never buy anything.
or not a lot.
i just like to observe society.

O...its a large brawl alright...ever gotten between a shopping crazed woman and a bargain before??

I love homemade gifts and the thought that goes into them. That's awesome!