Love Black Friday...???

Just to clarify, in spite of what everyone thinks they know, "Black Friday" is not the busiest shopping day of the year (actually it generally ranks between the fifth and tenth busiest). That day is generally the Friday and Saturday before Christmas (Dec 21st and 22nd, this year)

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Unfortunately, yes.
When I first started Black Friday shopping, I took the ads with me to the stores and kind of calculated how much I would save. Usually between 30-50% if not more in some cases.
When you got a kid to buy for, its totally worth it. Get there early, stand in line for a while, know where the merchandise is that you need and you can usually be in line within 10-15 minutes depending on what you need.

I like leaving the store with a full shopping cart and having people who are STILL in line to get into the store give me dirty looks.
Its funny.

 

That is kind of the information I was looking for. Target does have some good deals like those sheets!!! And games for the kids (my kids are CandyLand age..) for $3.98 or something!! What i want to know is are those prices offered throughout the holiday season? It seems like stores are always having sales in the Holidays, is it worth the effort to go out on Friday if I can just get it the next week for the same price??

 

My hubby got in between 2 women who were fighting over a stereo system at Target one year. The limit was 2 and we split up and both found 2 so we had to give up 2 of them. He turned and asked a lady who was standing there crying if she wanted the last one we had and another lady dive bombed him and her from behind. The lady who had been crying jumped all over the second lady. Hubby was shocked . . . couldn't believe women acted that way over stuff. After the shock wore off he said that was fun and couldn't wait to do it the next year.

Unfortunately, this year I have to work on Black Friday and will miss all the deals. I don't think hubby is brave enough to go alone . . .

 

I'm stumped as well! I have a 7 yr old girl as well, and she is telling me nothing about what she wants.
Sheri

 

How about nothing?

For many years I've asked mom, dad little sista etc... "What do you want to XMas" They said nothing - so they got nothing. For 3 years now we've done a gag gift XMas party ($10 or under) and that's so much funner. :mrgreen:

I really hate that Christmas is so commercialized. It's about spending time with family and friends. JMHO.

Now, I can't explain that to a 7 year old :lol:

 

I HATE black Friday and all the crass commercialism that goes with it. Our kids have become spoiled because all the commercials fill them with material demands. People sleeping outside stores, fighting each other, going into debt way over their heads and then whining about it. It just kills CHRISTmas for me. I buy my gifts(online when possible). Not everyone gets everything they want. What matters is that we are together and healthy.

 

Nope, got to jump in with the crowd to get these deals!
I will admit, Target & Walmart is pretty good about keepign a good stock of games. We went three hours later last year to Walmart and they had plenty left. I also like it because they normally put all their Black Friday deals in the center aisle so you can literally walk up, get what you need and leave.
(or wait in line...depends)

 

i just like to shop!!! majority of my purchases on bfriday are for me

 

I do 95% of my holiday shopping from where I am right now. . .parked in front of my pc. (cards and wrapping supplies is about all I go out and purchase)

There are many great deals, a number of sites offering very low cost, if not free shipping. Speedy delivery - usually within 72 hours. No crowds, no traffic, no lugging stuff to the car, or even the worry about where the heck I parked. UPS or FedEx bring it all right up on my porch, USPS honks their horn and I run to the driveway. I don't have to spend a penny on gas. I can even shop in my jammies, smoking a cigarette, drinking my coffee with one of my critters on my lap.

Ahhhh, and the other payoff is the lack of penance I have to do by simply avoiding cussing - which for me flows in abundance in grid-locked stores, parking lots and highways :shock:

 

Make that . . ."wrapping supplies ARE. . ." Tried to correct my grammar, but the site wouldn't let me :evil:

 

Walmart ad is up!

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/BlackFridaySales/Store/WalMart

 

Does anyone do group gifts for their kids besides us? Just curious. Our kids are obviously just amazed at the concept of Christmas here. Where they are from, there was no commercialized Christmas. (Santa doesn't come to orphanages). They did celebrate but very simplistic. They may have gotten an orange and a piece of candy for Christmas.

Here, I do one or two group gifts for all. --gets harder as they get older. Financially though, we just don't have it to spend. This year, a group gift, a stocking full of little stuff, and then one gift each that they wanted. I was shocked this year as their lists were extremely short. My older kids were disappointed we didn't have our annual Halloween Party this year to raise money. We had 5 hospitalizations and 2 major surgeries that month..yikes! Anyhow, we do this every year. Then we take whatever money was raised, go pick out underwear, socks and then one "goodie." We take that and then ship the huge box to one of their old orphanages in time for Christmas. Last year we did the older chidrens home(older kids over there are always forgotten). They were thrilled. My kids were hoping to do that again and it was actually one of their Christmas Wishes this year(ahh, the mom guilt now setting in...). We told them next year we'd help them out at the orphanages for Christmas.

I think having the background they do, they appreciate what htey have. Doesn't mean they can't make a list--LOL. But I never see a gaming system on the list or computer or cell phone. Thank goodness! I have to agree w/ some of the other posters about it getting very commercialized over the years. BTW, one year I ordered online...you can get the same black friday deals w/out the line! I was shocked. Don't know if that's true any more or not.

I sometimes wish we could give our kids more. I think all parents do. It's hard when they have friends at Christmas that "get it all." Last year their friend got a computer, cell phone, clothes, toys, etc. That must have cost at least a thousand dollars just for that one child. I can not imagine spending that much. I then have to give the you can't have it all speech. Urghh.

Have a great time shopping and battling the crowds. I'll be home waiting to hear of all the deals you found. Now, go get some deals!!!

Take care,

Stephanie--mom to 7

 

I'll be doing "group gifts" for my girls. They are two years apart, and the older one confiscates most of the toys anyways. I'm thinking of an outdoor playhouse or jeep that seats two. The younger one can ride "shotgun". A few years ago we got a trampoline for the family. I come from a big family, and we all shared Atari when it came out.

 

Somehow I think that group gifts may not work for my 12 year old and 10 month old, but hey.....it's a great concept!

 

Totally off the subject but is Little bit walking yet?

Baby koo isn't and knows she will get toted around anywhere she needs to be. :lol: Big bro has got to put on more weight to keep it up. He asked me the other day to teach him how to carry her on his hip. Sad thing is... her hips are almost bigger than his. :mrgreen:

 

My boys are 7, 4 & 2 and get some group gifts. Luckily they're all boys and like the same thing, so it works out well for us. You'd think the age range would make it hard, but not really. This year they're getting a cool race track to race their cars on...and tinkertoys, but that's mostly for the older ones. Sometime the two younger get things together, sometimes the two older ones do, depending on what it is. It really doesn't matter anyway, they all play with each others things!

 

I'm starting to feel really guilty. I only have one and between us and the grandparents, he wants for nothing. I had already decided we needed to scale back this year, now I am certain we are. :?