The Black Friday Edition
Is it that time already? Only three weeks and it’s Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the official beginning of the holiday shopping season. The name of this day has changed over time, but it seems to have settled on “Being in the Black” as in “profitable.” For the consumer, it’s come to mean a day of shopping madness, getting up before the sun rises, and heading to the store with mobs looking to grab a bargain.
I have mixed thoughts regarding this day. A bargain for something you don’t need and won’t use or give as a present is hardly a bargain. Do you really need a new _____ ? (fill in the blank for yourself.) On the other hand, if you’ve held off on replacing a really broken electronic device, or know now what gifts you’re planning to search for for the holidays, you may find some savings to be had. I found a few years back that some stores will refund the price difference if you buy an item the week prior to Black Friday and go in on that day presenting your receipt. This at least saves you the risk of running into a sold out item.
If the whole idea of chasing down a bargain on this day appeals to you, try to plan ahead, there are a number of web sites that manage to get the BF ads in advance so you can figure out your best strategy.
- Retail Me Not
- Black Friday.com
- The Black Friday.com (not to be confused with….)
- Black Friday.net
- Black Friday at Gotta Deal
- Black Friday.FM
- Black Friday Ads
- Black Friday.info
I wish you well on your Black Friday adventures, let me know what bargain (if any) you bought.
Joe
I think this entire shopping holiday madness is a total brain washing cattle herd behavior that most of the American society seems to fall prey for.
Thankfully, I have avoided this obvious “shopping trap” by shopping ahead of the holidays and only items you really need.