To Brave the Black Friday Crowds…or Hide

Now that it’s over, I hope everyone enjoyed a Thanksgiving filled with lots of good food, scores of family and friends, and an ample supply of disposable dishes, silverware and aluminum pans…so that you weren’t stuck at the sink for too long afterward.

My family spent the afternoon at my sister’s, which means I’ll be putting my own bird in the oven tomorrow (so my daughter can eat the coveted leftovers for three days).   Anyway…my sister is a very good cook, and we had a very nice time.  But watching my nephew go back for seconds and thirds (and I’m fairly sure I saw a ‘fourths’ in there somewhere), plus dessert, I truly wished I had the metabolism that young man possesses.  Instead, my stomach was a little queasy simply imagining it that full of food.

The information on YouTube says this is from the 1960’s.  How cute!

But now the holiday is over and, for many people, the most anticipated even of the year is nearly here.

Yes, folks, Black Friday is finally upon us…(cue ominous background music)

I guess I’m a freak of nature because, except for Hallmark and book stores, I’ve never really enjoyed shopping.  Especially when I know there will be larger than usual crowds.  The only exception would be the day after Christmas sales, and that’s limited to once every two or three years in order to stock up on gift wrapping supplies, cards and decorations at half price.  Right now I’m good to go until December 26, 2013.

For others though, Black Friday is to women what the Superbowl is to men.  More exciting than any holiday there is – or ever could be.  They will map their shopping route based on which stores have the best sales, trying to anticipate availability of the items on their wish lists.

When they talk about it, their eyes seem to glaze over, like they’re off in shopping heaven.  A place that’s full of piped in Christmas music and hoards of other shoppers, with visions of the warm and fuzzy feelings they’ll get as they empty their checking account, or run up charge card bills they’ll be paying off for the next year.

My daughter is such a Justin Bieber fan I just had to use this video.  Besides, it’s helping to promote a good cause-The Make a Wish Foundation.

So to all of you who will be braving the traffic, and tens of thousands of people who also live for this special day, be safe, save lots…and have a ball!

Only 30 shopping days until Christmas.

So let’s have a head count.  Who will be heading out with the masses and what time will you get started?  And who is like me and will avoid the stores and sales like the plague?

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8 Responses to To Brave the Black Friday Crowds…or Hide

  1. susielindau says:

    I am so proud of myself! I have not stepped inside a store yet!! My daughter did and said that for the most part it wasn’t worth it~
    Great post!

    • Thanks! And I wish I could say the same, Susie, but I went at the dinner hour instead and it really wasn’t too bad. Pretty much in and out. Just had to deal with the increase in rudeness that goes hand-in-hand with the holiday season. People blocking aisles, going in the out door and expecting you to get out of their way, etc…

  2. So there are more of us than I realized. Yay! We need to start a club or something…’Blacklisting Black Friday.’ 🙂

    Cool about the book, thanks! I’ll send an email now. 🙂

  3. Elisa says:

    I’m glad I’m not alone too LOL! I’m hiding as well.

    P. S. You won a free e-copy of my book through the blogfest. You can e-mail me here: ecboutique05@gmail.com
    for more info about that.

  4. Glad I’m not alone! I’ve been stunned by the posts from family and friends on FB the past day or so. SO many people looking forward to it and all I can think is WHY???!!! LOL…I’d rather pay full price than stand in the checkout line for half the day.

    I will have to make one trip tomorrow though. Unfortunately the well water in my area is awful, even with softener salt, so my pets (as well as the humans) drink bottled water. Sure wish I hadn’t been so distracted the past couple of days, but I have two 5 gallon jugs that have to be filled up. It’s either that or start breaking into my 20 ouncers…and Jack can drink two or three of those in one shot. And that’s just Jack. 🙂

    • I would so rather pay full price than fight crowds and stand in huge lines. Not to mention, most of the deals I’d probably pick up on if I went out are things I don’t actually *need,* and would never be buying if they were full price.
      I do check out deals online sometimes… if you can ship it to my house for free, I’ll take your deal, LOL.
      Bummer about having to go out tomorrow. Hope you can fill them someplace simple — when I fill mine (which, yay moving… the water here is tolerable with just a filter, so I haven’t had to fill mine too much) I do it at Natural Grocers, which is not a store that participates in Black Friday, LOL. I will stop by there tomorrow if I need anything. 🙂

      • Oh I wish there was a health food store close by! But I’d have to drive about twenty-five miles to get to the one I go to, so I’ll just do the local thing and hope I can get there while all the ‘real’ shoppers are taking a lunch break!

        I love shopping online…and think Amazon is the best thing since hand sanitizer! Even if I have to pay shipping, lol.

  5. I will be hiding, no question. 🙂 I have no real love of shopping in the first place (another freak of nature here, I guess), and the idea of crowds … well… here I am. 🙂

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