A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2004 Who gets excited about.......

Black Friday!!! I can barely wait.....I'm so ready......Thinking about getting up and going shopping on Black Friday keeps me going through the Thanksgiving dinner with the inlaws .

I used to be one of those people that thought it was ridiculously stupid....why get up that early to save a few bucks, and freeze your butt off while you wait in lines? But then 4 years ago me and my mom decided what the heck, let's try it out and see what we think. Now we are hooked....

Yes, it feels good to save a few bucks--but I like it more for the tradition of it--and sharing the experience with my mom. I love getting the paper on Thanksgiving and seeing all the sale papers and mapping out where we are going to go....But, I will not fight over something like some people do. I think that is so silly. Me and mom are quick. We get up early, get in the store--get what we want, and get out. No lollygagging around for us......Oh, and just to mention I'm already about 80 percent done my shopping now, so I really don't even need to buy to awful much--I'm the type of person that has problems setting spending limits though.

Plus Black Friday will be the day I drag out all of the Xmas decs.....I'm so excited I can't stand it.....my mom's been sneaking decorations up already....I went in her house yesterday and she had a big snowman picture on the wall. I just laughed at her....she's as ready as I am to put it all up.

Anyway, who else braves the crowds and the early morning to go shopping to save a few bucks?

Oh Loz, you make me laugh, I had the same attitude until a couple years ago, now I love going out the day after because I am a people watcher anyway and there is plenty of watching to do! Some of my sisters and I go , we bring walkie talkies and we don't plan on getting too much done , it's so crazy

Ya know, I normally would say, never!!! I was actually considering trying it this year.. well, until last night's disaster here anyways. Now, I just hope we can still go "home" for Thanksgiving, and wonder if Steve will get to go hunting as planned. Since we don't live there anymore, his hunting license has gone up in cost to over $100, and then to tow the camper so he can stay there for the week after and stay out where he hunts.. that's gonna cost us in extra gas, easily $200. I didn't know how I was gonna scrape up that $300, other than going in the hole more, but now.. we may not have a choice but to go in the hole by not paying bills & not doing any Christmas shopping.

Loz, I owe you a PM.. sorry I'm a few days behind right now. And didn't mean to be a downer in your upbeat thread.

Meg

I've always enjoyed "Black Friday" I've met and had conversations with the neatest people while waiting in line. I always end up having tons of fun! Last time I went someone volunteered to go get coffee and bisquits for whoever wanted them,we saved his spot in line and he ended up getting breakfast for 20 people(everyone paid for their own). We had a ball eating breakfast together! On that day I got a 13" T.V. with built-in vcr for $49.99 and a Gameboy for 29.99

Oh not me! Definitely not me!

You girls must have some kind of seasonal insanity? Maybe?

Merme

RIGHT ON! ! ! ! !

I wouldn't go shopping on "THAT" day if they gave me $1,000. and even said I could HAVE everything I wanted FREE! ! !





Cindy

I hate fighting the crowd for a nickle. I try and do all my shopping early

You know, I don't think it's as much for the saving money as it is for the "sport" of it.

...the thrill of the "hunt"..........

This is how much i hate shopping........I didn't even know it was called "Black Friday"!
I don't do shopping very well. People are always on some kind of mission and if you get in there way , oh boy!! I enjoy my stress free way of shopping. We have a Super K-Mart thats open 24 hours, since John and I are both night owls, it makes for a stress free shopping expierence.
Linda

I had to read that twice I thought you said the thrill of the huRt. I've seen people almost kill their selves at some of those sales.

G-mom- we are going, right?



G-daughter

I LOVE Blank Friday! My sister and I used to go every year. We'd get the Christmas lists from all the grandkids (I think there were only 8 at the time) and then go to the KB Toys store 1 week before to map out where everything that we wanted was in the store. The Barbie clothes that are always way cheap on Black Friday was always highest on the list. After mapping out where everything was, we'd split the store in half. I'd take the things in the front of the store and she'd take the things in the back of the store. Now, KB always opens at 6:00 am on BF so we'd be there at 5:00. We'd never quite be at the front of the pack (everyone would be right up against those weird gate things that stores have at the mall). But by the time 6:00 came, I would have squeezed myself right up against it. Then.....at 6:00....the gate would start to go up and I'd quick crawl under it to get a head start. The people from the store would always yell at me, but never caught me because the herd of people would be right behind me! Usually there was a first timer sales assoc. there and he'd be shakin in his boots! So, off to the Barbie clothes to get what I needed....6 different outfits....no duplicates. Then off to everything else and right into to line...where we'd be for the next 45 minutes. Usually the line would be all the way back to the back wall, splitting into two lines when it would get to where 2 aisles came together. Usually I'd be in one line and my sister in another, but whoever got to the main line first, the other would join. I don't do the Black Friday shopping so much now tho. Stephen dreads it because now he is in the store's position. Although, there isn't usually a line to get into the Radio Shack! But its the best place to get batteries!!

Jenn.....

...I think I saw this "episode" on the 6:00 news a few years ago!

And let me tell ya! I DID find over stuff to!There would be like 10 women around the Barbie clothes and I'd take one off the hook and if it was a duplicate to one that I had, I'd be like "nope" and hold it up for someone else to grab...and if someone else was going through the 2nd hook of clothes and had one that I didn't, I'd just grab it and be like "thanks!" what can you say to that??? It's like that commercial on TV where the 2 ladies are in the grocery store at the produce section and the one lady is like "ohhhh...you must be havin' a boy!" and the other lady is like "what! I'm not pregnant!!!" and the first lady says "uhh...umm.....Thank you?" And the other lady is like "me? aww.....give me a hug!!!"

WOW.....That is way to crazy....Yet kinda cool.......Hmmmmmm, can that be??
Linda

I enjoyed it....

We don't do that now...maybe when I have kids. ButI do like to go out on Black Friday as long as I don't have something planned for that day. The key is to not have a schedule so that you don't feel rushed....because when you feel rushed, you'll get flustered and then the fun is completely gone. I like to look at the sales that all the stores run...even if they are not toy stores, there are good sales out there! I can't wait to see what Boscov's and Sears have!

You go girl And when your done you can come here and tell us all about it......I'd love to hear about it. Maybe via your stories I'll get the courage one year!!!
Have Fun!!
Linda

we can go together one year....Ohio is in the middle of us, right. I guess there are malls and stores in Ohio?? Seems like such a flat place when I was there....oh!! Wait!! Cleavland is nice!! I've been there before!

Yippeeeee <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" /> Sounds like a plan!!
Cleveland is good.....
Linda

haha...great! now, start saving your money (we'll have to share it....just kidding!!! ). I'm starting to get skinny so that I can buy new clothes!! (thanks Jiffy, its working well). Just remember a warm coat! Its cold there for Black Friday!!!

I love reading all of your thoughts on it, and your experiences!!!

I'm in Merme and AFGrey's camp. HATE, HATE, HATE shopping. (Except at hardware stores.)

Linda- I didn't know it was called Black Friday, either. Where did you guys hear this?

Anyway, just the thought of going into a mall between T-giving and Christmas is enought to make my skin crawl. Thank God for friends and relatives, who know I'm shopping impaired, or I wouldn't have any clothes that fit. My idea of good shopping is to cruise into Sears/K-Mart/Target at about 10 a.m. before it gets busy, grab about six things that look like they might fit, pay, and get the heck out.

It's been called Black Friday forever! It got that name a long long long time ago when stores would have sales on the day after Thanksgiving and it was the first time for the whole year that the store's sales went from being in the red (negative sales gains) to the black (positive sales gains). I thought that everyone knew it was called Black Friday!! Oh well...learn somethin' new everyday.

What the heck is "Black Friday"???? I live up here in Canada in an igloo, so i have no idea what you are talking about, but by the sounds of it, I want a piece of the action!!!
Michelle<><

Hisgal2......HEY!!! Whats the skinney on getting skinney???????
Do tell......I won't go unless I drop some pounds.
Linda

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and its the most wonderful shopping day of the year!!! There are all these sales...stores open at like 6 in the morning....oh, its sooooo fun!!!!

I started out with the South Beach Diet, which is wonderful, by the way. I lost 15 pounds in the first two weeks! There is a book and then there is another book...like a recipe book or something. We onlyhave the book that tells you about it and why you do things and stuff. Its good...there are recipes in the middle of the book too. Stephen is having wonderful success with it. I have slowed down with it because...well, I just don't know why! So, now I am drinking 8 ounces of water with lemon juice in it before I eat everything...dinner, breakfast, snacks, ...everything. Its working pretty well. I've dropped about 5 pounds since I've started it....thanks to Jiffy, she told me about it.

Okay...I am stayin home with you guys that don't shop! I have had my Christmas shopping done for a while now and it was ALL delivered to the house. I can handle shopping for groceries once a month and that is about the extent of it. I had never heard it called black Friday...I did know that it is the largest shopping day of the year...and the one time I did venture out, I drove by Wal-Mart at 5:30am and there were woman FIGHTING in the parking lot!PLEASE don't EVER make me go shopping...I would rather stay home and clean house...my house your house...any ones house...just NO shopping. I will baby sit the kids, de-bone the Turkey,clip the cat's claws...ANYTHING. besides...I am having to decorate for Christmas for the first time in 5 years....that is traumatic enough...can you imagine how many moths & boogers are going to be in those boxes? :rolleyes:

I've got the south beach diet too. I haven't started it yet(Procrastinating)...but i do have both books...it does sound great, but i have to go slowly with my husband...those first two weeks without rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc...has him just about in a state of shock!!!
...looking forward to it though, but i keep putting it off because we have a large family, and buying food for our diet and then for the rest of the kids is a little daunting, as well as cooking two sets of meals. Our kids don;t need the restrictions set out for those first 2 weeks, so it's gonna take a good bit of planning.
But I think i would recommend this diet to anyone, just from reading the book. It sounds like it would benefit just about everyone...especially diabetics.
Wish we had Black Friday up here in the North!! <><

Hey Ruddy! You can come clean my house on Black Friday!!! I will DEFINATELY take you up on that offer!!! While your at it, can you teach my husband to clean up after himself?

Oh man...I can't wait until Black Friday! I think I will venture out to the Park City Mall in Lancaster and then hit the stores around here on my way home. Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!!!

I would be more than happy to come clean your house! And, I am good BUT...I don't think anyone is good enough to teach a MAN how to clean up after himself!

Okay..so now I have to map out how to get from, AR. to PA...by Friday...LOL

That shouldn't be a problem....we can get to Florida in 2 1/2-3 days. Ok, so you clean the house and I'll do my shopping.....and any of yours that you need to get done. Anyone else want me to do their shopping??

Vanessa- you can clean my apartment too!

So....I said to Stephen today "I'm going to go shopping on Friday" he said "no your not, your going spending" Indeed!!!

Ok, all you shoppers out there!!!...

I don't know if you saw the commercials on TV or not, but Target is doing this totally great thing! They will actually call you and give you a wake-up call on Friday or Saturday morning! Its because they are having a massive sale, but I'm using it as a way to get up for my Black Friday shopping. All you have to do is go to Target.com and at the bottom of the screen they have an advertisment for it. You can pick 1 of 8 different characters to wake you up. Stephen picked Darth Vader and I picked Ice T.

That's too funny....a black friday wake up call from Darth Vader and Ice T....... We don't have a Target around here.....but I've been to them before....liked it.

Got the Walmart shopping paper yesterday for Black Friday....they have a few good deals but nothing that really screams out to me.....Thanksgiving Day is when our area puts all the sale papers in......so I can't wait to get that so we can figure out where the heck we are going to go.

I, personally, don't shop at Target, but thought the wake-up call would be fun. Yeah, I got the Wal-mart paper today also...didn't see anything I was interested. Well.....there is that $20 smoothie maker, but its just a blender with a nozzle in the front of it.

How was everyone's Black Friday experience?? Mine was GREAT! The only thing I wasn't happy with was that Target's wake-up call didn't work. Well, it worked, it was just an hour and a half late. I think they had more of a response with that than they bargained for. ANYWAYS. I got up at 5, picked my niece up at 6:15 and was in Lancaster at the Park City Mall at 7:00. We hit Kohl's first (didn't know they opened at 5:30!!! ). I got Stephen a couple of really nice dress shirts that come with silk ties for 17.99 each and got Victoria(friend's daughter) a Peek-a-blocks set with an elephant thingie for 50% off...which made it only $15!! Then we went upstairs to FYE where Noel got her boyfriend something. Then off to Hallmark to get my MIL something. I got her a snowman made by StoneCreek. I think that's what its called. I don't know if anyone knows what that is. Have you ever gone in there and they have this nativity set where everything in the set is wearing something that is a quilt pattern? That is made by the same guy. We got her the whole nativity last year. A few months ago I saw that they make snowmen with the quilt patterns on them. Well, MIL loves snowmen, so that's what I got her. Then off to Sears to try to find something for FIL.....no luck..he's a HARD person to shop for. So, we were done at the mall. 9:30....2 1/2 hours...that was it. Not to shabby. So, we came home and then went to Friendly's for lunch...but it was still breakfast time..so we got breakfast. Then we waited for my sister to get home and we went out again. We went to Reading China a glass and I found a thermometer that goes into a wine bottle....that is for the FIL (he makes wine). I also found a garlic baker thingie...thats for the BIL. Off to Ulta where I got a huge make-up set for my SIL for only $10 (with the coupon that I had)!! Great deal! Then we went to dinner and then to Big Lots! where I found way too much stuff for me and a couple of other gifts for people. And wrapping paper...which I really don't need, but an addicted to. I've been told that I've been cut off.....but what Stephen doesn't know won't hurt me!

So I left the house at 5:45 and got home at 9:30 lastnight.....a good day spent, I believe! And I only spent $200!

Jenn,
I thought about you everytime I saw the news reports of the shopping MADNESS yesterday!


And people think I'm crazy!



Cindy

Cindy, it was sooo great!! We waited for 45 minutes to check out at Kohl's. I didn't mind the wait tho....you can't expect anything else on Black friday. Overall, things weren't too bad where I went. I avoided Best Buy, which had a checkout line that was 2 hours long. I only wish I would have known that Kohl's was open at 5:30 so I could have beat the late people that I was with when we got there at 7!

Hey, what can I say...I love, LOVE,
LOVE it!!

My daughter's boyfriend was at Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. yesterday morning. (She was in bed!)

While he was in line he was talking with another guy who was there for the same thing, and they agreed that whoever could get to the front of the display they were headed for would throw the other guy some of whatever it was they were after. Jeremy helped the other guy get to the stuff, and then the other guy grabbed a bunch of the stuff and Jeremy lifted his hands up to catch what the guy was supposed to throw him. The guy yelled "Sorry buddy! That's part of it!" and took off! He couldn't even spare 10 seconds to throw something to him!
I don't have a bad temper at all, but that would REALLY make me MAD!

And, I just stayed home all day, only left the house to fill the birdfeeders up!


cindy

Crazy!!

I stayed home to dig out my christmas decorations...I think I have a problem. A BIG one!!

*Hello, my name is Sarah, and I am a Christmas addict*

Well, I broke the carnal rule of Christmas shopping. I bought myself some stuff. Our rule is that you don't buy yourself anything after Thanksgiving. Oh well. I doubt very much that someone would have gotten my a coat rack for my wall........now watch me get one! :rolleyes:

Well, don't do what I did the other day!
I strung those icicle lights all the way across the front of the house before thinking that I might ought to plug them in before I went any further.

Half of them would NOT light, so I'm up on a 12' step ladder (not good!) trying to find the problem...
...which I never found so I had to take them all back down!

Jenn...if anyone else is gonna hang a coat on that coat rack, you are in the clear! It wouldn't be just for "you"! Just a technicality, I know, but an arguable one!

Thanks for mentioning that Cindy...I think I'm in the clear, so far...we bought new lights this year for the outside of the house, blue and frosted white icicle ones...

I spent yesterday building wreaths and wrestleing 6' santa, mrs. santa and frosty into position on my porch.

If my husband ever wakes up, we are going to go trample through the forest looking for the 'perfect' christmas tree!

I keep my iscicle lights up all year round. When it isn't Christmas time, I zip tie the iscicles to the main wire and they act as a porch light for our porch because I hanf them from the inside of the porch roof. I don't put them up anywhere else. I have to wait until Stephen fixes the Jeep for us to get our tree. I don't think we have any trees that I could actually cut around here.

Well, we got up at 4:15AM---went up and picked up my 14 year old nephew who begged to go with us(which shocked me, didn't think he'd want to go).....Set off for a sporting store Dunhams which opened at 5:30....got in, got out fast. Went to Value City where I got comforter sets for 9.99 each(any size)....they only had 2 queens and I bought them both(one for me :rolleyes: ) Got some PS2 games for 9.99(very cheap).....headed off to Gabriel Brothers--got some really great deals there.....a 2xlt shirt for my brother for 6.99 regularly 48 bucks.....He's not big, just really tall 6'4" so when I can find shirts that will actually fit him I get excited. Got a lot of stuff in that store....fantastic deals....next we headed to Lowes where I got 2 beautiful pointsettias for 2 bucks each(and they are really full and healthy), then we were off to Ollies Bargain Outlet where I bought more for myself.... :p but they were xmas stuff.....a huge xmas picture, and some auto on window candles......then we were off to McDonalds for a fast, cheap breakfast.....we were all so tired at that point.....and it was only around 10am.....lol Headed home after that and got everything wrapped up! With 3 of us going shopping the car was loaded down to maximum capacity!!!! I'm now 98 percent done my family and friends shopping, although we still have the inlaws which are soooooooo difficult....

Putting up my outdoor lights this weekend.....they kind of neat.....arch lights that are long on the ends and shorter in the middle, like an arch.....we have 2 big windows out front that we are hanging them across.....we aren't doing the lights off of the porch gutters this year....it's just too much, and my hubby has to climb out on the roof to do it.....

Sounds like you were busy! I was about ready to drop around 10:30, but I pushed through it! And I'm really tired today! I ventured out to the mall today (where my Hallmark is). It was pretty busy...so busy that Stephen couldn't even go eat lunch with me!

I was up a 7am. Got to Wally world at 8, I got 2 27in flat tv's for $180 each. I also got some decorations. A 2ft tree, some lights, a star and glass "bulbs" to put on the tree. When I left my bill was $423!!! Then I had to figure out how to get the tvs home. onr fit in the back seat the ohter was hanging out the trunk. But I made it. When I got home I had to wake Robby up to help me bring them in. He was so POed at me. He thought I was kidding about getting the TV's! Well ha on him! :p

This will be the first year ever that we will not have a Xmas tree Would you all believe, l never go shopping for pressies until 4days before xmas day
I love Christmas with the family, and all the traditions.

Doreen.

Doreen I agree with you.....I love all the traditions of christmas......Do you have your christmas crackers with your dinner?

I used to be a last minute shopper, but I found that waiting stressed me out even more....lol So now I'll start buying bits and pieces right after xmas and putting them back....when all the sweaters are on clearance and such.

loz, yes we do have crackers, what l do with them, l open them up very carefully, and put a lottery ticket and a scratch card in each one. Last year lt was funny, because we all sit in the same seats each year, my hubby decided to change seats with me, guess what l won £50.00. on the scratch card
doreen.

Hhmmm.....you are all making me feel really bad, so now I guess my idea of throwing some lights on Mr. & Mrs. Pilgrim is out! I am always much to tired and FULL after Thanksgiving to even THINK about Christmas (not my favorite holiday in the first place!) Although I am going to HAVE to put up a tree (by force only) for the baby...Oh, great, so now the tree I didn't want to decorate at all...I will get to decorate EVERYDAY! BAH HUMBUG!!!

***Vanessa,
I know that feeling sometimes, very well.
But after I FINALLY get that darn tree up,
I do get that squwishy feeling *and say to myself, how come I didn't get it up sooner :rolleyes: *

But when those wee~one's see it and gaze and dream in front of it, it really does make it all
seem worth while..*although, all the work of undoing it is somewhere's right there*
too

****Doreen,
You lucky~lucky girl!!!
Ask him if he wants to change seats again THIS YEAR?????

Weezie

I got all my Christmas stuff out and have decorated the inside,now I'm gonna concentrate on the outside and save the tree for last(how can something soooo pretty be such a pain in the @$$! )

I LOVE CHRISTMAS

G-Mom

Tomorrow I am going to clean my entire downstairs and then start putting up our Christmas lights......basically I'll just make another mess for me to clean up! :rolleyes: I am going to start out by cutting the zip ties on the iscicle lights and then will put up a second layer to make them look really good. I hate putting up those lights when they are brand new. They are all zig-zaggy. I usually tape skewers to them to make them stay straight!!

We will get our tree later also. I will have to get out alllllll of the ornaments. Stephen has a whole bunch of the Hallmark ones...he gets the Star Trek space ships every year. He has all of them except for the first one. I looked into getting it for him last Christmas, but it was selling for like $300!!! So forget about that!!

Can we say...
...obsessive/compulsive?

If I did that I wouldn't get to watch George try and put them up

Then by the time he gives up...they are all untangled and straightened out

G-Mom

Does anyone who has cats put garland up? I want to put it on one of our massive doorways in the house, but I'm afraid the cats will shred it. I just caught the baby cat trying to eat my spider plant! I saw the end of one of the leaves was shreded, but it was dry because it was Stephen's grandmom's plant and after she died, nobody watered the plant, so I brought it home to try to save it. That plant is over 30 years old!! Anyways, do you think the cats will mess with the garland if I put it up? They don't mess witht the tree.

Hey Doreen, I was telling my mom today about you again, and how all the men go to the Pub on xmas while you cook--she got a laugh out of that and said that quite a few years they all went to the Pub on Xmas while all the grandkids stayed with my Nana while she cooked dinner. She too said that they all came back in the xmas spirit after that...lol I told her how you put scratch offs in the crackers and I could literally see her gears turning......we just may get them in our crackers this year too!!!! She also said that she bets your husband kicked himself for changing seats with you! They are heading to England next summer for 3 months--they're so lucky!

Jenn, hmmmmmm I don't know about the garland and your cats.....my sisters cat scratched and clawed at everything in sight.....but, if your cats don't mess with your tree then maybe they won't mess with the garland.....Maybe you could just put it across the very top of your doorway where they wouldn't be able to get to it. I guess it just depends on the temperment of your cats.

I guess I can try. I'd just hate to spend the money on the garland and then have them tear it up. I'd make it myself, but I'm really allergic to the pine. I get pooka dots on my skip wherever I get poked by the needles. I tried to make garland last year and it was NOT a pretty site!

Jenn- I don't know about the garland, but I know my cats eat icicles, which is very bad for them, so we can't use icicles anymore. Do your cats do that?

What is the deal with cats eating spider plants?

Barleychown sent me a bunch of different plants, and my cat went straight to the spider plants when I was unpacking the box and started eating them!

I think Snot was going after it because I have it hanging in a corner of our living room and she could just barely reach it if she was standing on the arm of the sofa. I tied a knot in the top of the plant hanger and now it is out of her reach.

She is one of the reasons why I don't put pointsettias around the house for Christmas, although I'd really really love to, I'm afraid Snot and Thumbs and Coho would try to eat them and get sick!!