{31 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas} Day 21~ Black Friday???

My motto has always been.."I don't want anything bad enough to wake up at 2 a.m. to go shopping for!" Well... ...two years ago I made the leap to the dark side. As my dear friend Flossie and I were quilting one October day, she was telling me that she has gone Black Friday shopping for years and shared how much fun she has. So..as the Thanksgiving dishes were being cleaned up that year I decided to check the online Walmart ad for what might be on sale...at 2 a.m.
It just so happened, that the only thing my oldest daughter had asked us for was on sale for an unbelievable price.

 So...I grabbed the resident shopping queen...(my mom) and headed out to Walmart at
2 a.m.   Needless to say I've learned some things in the past two years that, should you choose to enter the Black Friday nonsense... might make things a bit smoother for you. 

Check The Ads 

A few weeks before Thanksgiving many of the stores put their Black Friday ads online. Because I don't want to be tempted to make impulse purchases and spend money that I shouldn't, I look carefully through the ads and write down the things I think are good deals. This way I can look at it for a few days and really make sure it is something I should buy. I don't go out shopping just for the sake of going out on Black Friday. Last year, I wanted an item from Sears that the ad said went on sale at 4:00 a.m. What I didn't realize was that particular item was going to be on sale all weekend and it wasn't a "hot" ticket item so I didn't need to be there when the store opened. 

When I definitely decide to go out shopping, I plan which stores I will go to. Last year, Walmart had different sales every hour. Some of the items I wanted went on sale at 10:00 on Thursday night others went on sale at midnight. I have always imagined throngs of people trampling each other to get the last "Cabbage Patch Doll" on earth, whenever I thought of "Black Friday" shopping. The first year I only went to Walmart. I had never seen anything like it. It was pretty well organized with items on pallets throughout the store. I was told by my friend to get there early so I could stand close to the pallet if it was a more desirable item that I wanted. (which so far I haven't been interested in any "hot ticket" items) It was a very lighthearted atmosphere as people gathered around waiting for the items to be unwrapped. I had several opportunities to share with others some of our family traditions and why we never felt pressured to get our kids the latest and the greatest. 

I also would recommend not going out alone. It is so much better to go with someone else. The parking lots get crowded and people do stupid things these days so use extra caution. I noticed that at Walmart there were many people waiting in very long line for electronic items. I had overheard that the store had given out numbered tickets for those items. It is a good idea to check with the store when you can get tickets for those items. They may start handing them out at 10:00 for an item that goes on sale at midnight. Be prepared to wait in long long lines for these kinds of items. 

The first year I took my purse with me into the store and I was uncomfortable keeping it on my shoulder and felt like it inhibited me a bit. Last year I took one of those strap on waist packs. I felt like my money was more secure and I could keep my hands free. 

Black Friday shopping is not for everyone but if you're thinking about stepping out this year I hope some of these ideas will help. I'd love to know if anyone else has gone out shopping on Black Friday. Leave me a comment with any helpful advice you have to share.