Author Topic: Black Friday: Yay or Nay? (Plz include any crazy BF stories you have or heard!)  (Read 32354 times)

Monocle Money Mouth

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I see no issue with taking advantage of Black Friday sales. If it's something you need and you can get it at a decent discount, why not? I picked up some new undershirts at Penney's that were buy one get one free. The shirts I like are $40/four pack, so that was a significant savings. I also bought some new computer speakers at Best Buy. They were $5 off and I was able to use Apple Pay with my Discover card for 5% cash back. The speakers on my wife's computer were shot and this allowed me to get them for less than I was planning to spend.

As a side note, I used to work retail, so I saw people camped out the night before for the 5am stampede for cheap TV's and toys. I still think that's silly, but  it is what it is. If you can make the sales work to your benefit, go for it.

Megma

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Went BF shopping around 10 with my aunt, she also bought a Samsung 40in smart tv (but paid more than iwaswomdering!) but the great thing was as we're leaving, mostly to to do other things, she says "do you mind if we stop a local appliance and tv store? I am sort of thinking to get s new tv?"

Me: "no, I have no plans, we can go wherever you want. Why do you want a new tv?"

"Oh because the box television I bought ten years ago at an auction for a $1isn't working anymore but hey, I got ten years out of it."

She then asked me about Netflix, since her 15-channel cable package went up to $30, she is thinking to switch and just do that in the new tv.

I'm a red panda

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I used to go to Joann's for 99 cent flannel. The lines were insane- hours long for cutting table, but the people wonderful. You'd shop out if the carts ahead of you- asking people to pass back bolts when they were done. I stopped going once they raised the price to $1.99. Not a good enough sale for that line, plus you can get it online.

This year we went to Target, but at noon. It was just normal day crowded. I bought a pair of jeans.

When I was little the big family shopping day was day after Christmas. We'd wake up at 4 to get to the mall by 5.  My mom used us to sneak into crowds and grab things because we were so little and agile in crowds.

cjottawa

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I'm a minimalist but I keep lists of durable goods I want/need.

Black Friday weekend: free shipping + heavy discounts shopping online meant I saved a lot of money.

More than happy to game the system to my advantage.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 08:26:02 AM by cjottawa »

maco

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Quote
Hell will freeze solid with the devil in the middle before I do BF. I didn't do BF even BEFORE I was mustachian, because I figured out years ago that all the actual good deals are during the month of October. The real deals are gone by 2nd week in November.

It took me 30 years just to get my momma to quit buying that shit to give to me. I'd rather her make me some biscuits and pork chops.

Great thing now is, I get biscuits and pork chops any time I go home to visit. Life is good!

Maybe your mom can talk to my mom!  I've been trying to get her to stop buying crap for years, but to no avail. I'm 40 and almost FI!!! All I want is to spend quality time with her. She even has the kids dreading Christmas.  All my son wants is one of her pecan pies


And no, I don't go shopping on BF. Because both of my brothers are nursing in a hospital and usually have to work the holiday we using celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday.

Well, she still talks about buying me stuff, but I seem to be able to distract her with the biscuits and pork chops, so don't misunderstand, it's kinda an ongoing struggle.

Regarding your mom: Figure out what you like best that she makes (it helps if she's good at it too) and lay it on thick. BEG for it. Pour on the guilt, and tell her you'd WAY rather have her cooking than her buying presents.

It helps if she's the kind of mom that likes putting food in front of you, too. My mom is that way.
A couple years ago I started using Google Docs for my wishlist. I put at the top "Joe's pumpkin soup" (Joe being my brother in law, anonymized). As he and his wife were doing their shopping, they get to "ok, what about maco?" The wife pulls up the list and goes "uh, Joe, you need to look at this."

maco

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Definitely not.

Getting a deal on tires hadn't occurred to me though. Might have to check into that one since I do need to replace tires on both my vehicles (waiting for Faraday to turn those facepunches my way).

We're both off work that day and the idea of going shopping isn't even on the radar.  Instead I plan to take the dog for a run, go see my horse, relax and read and either work on the yard or work on some indoor projects depending on the weather.  We might venture out for Small Business Saturday if Amex does the same $10 cash back deals it ran last year.
I got an oil change on Friday. No discount, but I walked in and said "do you have any openings for an oil change?" and they had me out of there in 20 minutes!

maco

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Nay!  I hate crowds. I like shopping but not like that. 

I was an ER nurse. Every year we would get at least one trampled old lady, a dfo, twisted ankle, crazy stuff.
People go to the ER for a twisted ankle? O_o I'd have been in the ER twice a day as a child and at least monthly as an adult! Stepping off the curb to cross the street is all it takes to twist an ankle.

NoraLenderbee

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I am in Canada and we don't have Thanksgiving today.  But we are still having Black Friday sales in some stores tomorrow.  My husband is going out to the Canadian Tire Black Friday sale to look for some kitchen cutting boards.

Canadian cutting boards are made out of tires?

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Happy Thanksgiving to my American MMM friends!

Thank you, and happy late-November sale season to you!

Jeremy E.

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I like getting up early on Black Friday and standing in line at Tristate Outfitters(where they give us free cookies and coffee), I then get a free pair of wool socks and buy 2 pairs of Levi 501 shrink to fits for $30 each to last me for the year. However what I absolutely hate is when on Thanksgiving when I'm still visiting with my family, some of them leave to go to Wal Mart for Black Friday Shopping. It's called Black Friday, why do you have to do it on thanksgiving thursday, this is the only day of the year I see some of my family that lives out of town and it's like that for many others as well.

Debts_of_Despair

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Bought some hockey equipment I needed over the weekend.  I had been eyeing it for awhile and waited until BF when I knew it would inevitably go further on sale.  Clearance + 25% BF coupon code + free shipping + 5% Mr. Rebates discount = win. No shame here.

StartingEarly

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I bought something I was looking for for years at a sharp discount. I needed a new motorcycle suit because the current one isn't very protective. The one I bought is normally 1600 and I got it for 1000 and they threw in a day at the race track. I know it sounds like a lot, but any time in the hospital costs more.

m0nk3y

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Now that my wife is finally onboard with the anti-BF, I spent the day consulting/stashing cash and with the family- worlds better than fighting for one of three toys in stock in a line for 8 hours with 100 other people.

golden1

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I hate crowds so any black friday shopping is all done online.  This year I really didn't need anything so I just bought an itunes card for 20% off and called it done. 

FLA

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Went BF shopping around 10 with my aunt, she also bought a Samsung 40in smart tv (but paid more than iwaswomdering!) but the great thing was as we're leaving, mostly to to do other things, she says "do you mind if we stop a local appliance and tv store? I am sort of thinking to get s new tv?"

Me: "no, I have no plans, we can go wherever you want. Why do you want a new tv?"

"Oh because the box television I bought ten years ago at an auction for a $1isn't working anymore but hey, I got ten years out of it."

She then asked me about Netflix, since her 15-channel cable package went up to $30, she is thinking to switch and just do that in the new tv.

Aww, I really hopes she loves that tv and the transition to netflix! She earned it.

FLA

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I went to Kohl's to return something the Monday of last week, well before BF madness.  I waited in a line packed with people for 45 mins in the morning. To me that signaled the craziness had already started and I will be going to zero stores until after Christmas. But I did order doggie stairs at a really good price from Kohls and then my brother gave me his set, so I will have to face the Kohl's return line again, blech. I am waiting til the very end of the return period.

I get the need to save on toys and big ticket items but online served me well.

I'm a red panda

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I really need to return something to Walmart- flea spray.  It cost like $12, so that seems like it would be worth returning; but I have never seen less than 15 people in the line over the last month, and that doesn't seem worth $12...

AlanStache

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Not sure it counts as BF but I ended up buying one gallon of exterior paint at Lowes, no lines-no fuss at 10am. 

Question to those outside the US: What unit do you buy paint in?  Somehow going to the store for 3.7854 liters just does not sound right, and 1gal feels like a good size to buy paint in. 

maco

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I really need to return something to Walmart- flea spray.  It cost like $12, so that seems like it would be worth returning; but I have never seen less than 15 people in the line over the last month, and that doesn't seem worth $12...
Any chance it's a 24h Walmart and you can go at 1AM?

GuitarStv

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I for one, do not support the violence and social problems caused by our system of black Friday apartheid.  Free this lovely Friday from the shackles of consumerism!

pachnik

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I am in Canada and we don't have Thanksgiving today.  But we are still having Black Friday sales in some stores tomorrow.  My husband is going out to the Canadian Tire Black Friday sale to look for some kitchen cutting boards.

Canadian cutting boards are made out of tires?

Quote
Happy Thanksgiving to my American MMM friends!

Thank you, and happy late-November sale season to you!

No, our cutting boards are made of wood or plastic. :0 
The Cdn. Tire store is more like a department store.  They have household items, sporting goods etc.

JLee

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I really need to return something to Walmart- flea spray.  It cost like $12, so that seems like it would be worth returning; but I have never seen less than 15 people in the line over the last month, and that doesn't seem worth $12...
Any chance it's a 24h Walmart and you can go at 1AM?

I think the customer service desks usually close around 8 or 9pm.

daverobev

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Not sure it counts as BF but I ended up buying one gallon of exterior paint at Lowes, no lines-no fuss at 10am. 

Question to those outside the US: What unit do you buy paint in?  Somehow going to the store for 3.7854 liters just does not sound right, and 1gal feels like a good size to buy paint in.

Litres. The. Rest. Of. The. World uses the metric system.

Well, with caveats. The UK's road measurements are in miles. Canada is sadly dual in supermarkets, metric and imperial.

Jschange

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I am in Canada and we don't have Thanksgiving today.  But we are still having Black Friday sales in some stores tomorrow.  My husband is going out to the Canadian Tire Black Friday sale to look for some kitchen cutting boards.

Canadian cutting boards are made out of tires?

Quote
Happy Thanksgiving to my American MMM friends!

Thank you, and happy late-November sale season to you!

No, our cutting boards are made of wood or plastic. :0 
The Cdn. Tire store is more like a department store.  They have household items, sporting goods etc.

Shh don't speak of Canadian tire to our neighbours, I'm convinced tim hortons got worse and more costly since we started to share.

And I buy paint in the little can, the big can or the contractor sized bucket depending upon my needs. These will all be labeled in the number of litres contained within. I believe that the big can is colloquially referred to as a gallon.

JLee

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I am in Canada and we don't have Thanksgiving today.  But we are still having Black Friday sales in some stores tomorrow.  My husband is going out to the Canadian Tire Black Friday sale to look for some kitchen cutting boards.

Canadian cutting boards are made out of tires?

Quote
Happy Thanksgiving to my American MMM friends!

Thank you, and happy late-November sale season to you!

No, our cutting boards are made of wood or plastic. :0 
The Cdn. Tire store is more like a department store.  They have household items, sporting goods etc.

Shh don't speak of Canadian tire to our neighbours, I'm convinced tim hortons got worse and more costly since we started to share.

And I buy paint in the little can, the big can or the contractor sized bucket depending upon my needs. These will all be labeled in the number of litres contained within. I believe that the big can is colloquially referred to as a gallon.

Yep, that would be because it is. :)

I noticed that when I was in Canada over the summer. Somewhat amusing to see "3.78 liters" instead of rounding it to 4, but it makes sense (no need for another manufacturing process for a different size).

dragoncar

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I am in Canada and we don't have Thanksgiving today.  But we are still having Black Friday sales in some stores tomorrow.  My husband is going out to the Canadian Tire Black Friday sale to look for some kitchen cutting boards.

Canadian cutting boards are made out of tires?

Quote
Happy Thanksgiving to my American MMM friends!

Thank you, and happy late-November sale season to you!

No, our cutting boards are made of wood or plastic. :0 
The Cdn. Tire store is more like a department store.  They have household items, sporting goods etc.

Shh don't speak of Canadian tire to our neighbours, I'm convinced tim hortons got worse and more costly since we started to share.

And I buy paint in the little can, the big can or the contractor sized bucket depending upon my needs. These will all be labeled in the number of litres contained within. I believe that the big can is colloquially referred to as a gallon.

Huh... I always assumed Canadian Tire was just the Canadian version of America's Tire here in the US.  Today I learned...

I'm a red panda

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I really need to return something to Walmart- flea spray.  It cost like $12, so that seems like it would be worth returning; but I have never seen less than 15 people in the line over the last month, and that doesn't seem worth $12...
Any chance it's a 24h Walmart and you can go at 1AM?

I'm going to try going this Saturday evening. The local university football team is playing in the big 12 championship.  I'm hoping that means no one will be there.

G-dog

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I really need to return something to Walmart- flea spray.  It cost like $12, so that seems like it would be worth returning; but I have never seen less than 15 people in the line over the last month, and that doesn't seem worth $12...
Any chance it's a 24h Walmart and you can go at 1AM?

I'm going to try going this Saturday evening. The local university football team is playing in the big 12 10 championship.  I'm hoping that means no one will be there.

Fixed it for you - NO WAY is ISU in a conference championship. I remember when the Big 10 conference only had 10 teams in it! And when the top ranked team automatically went to the Rose Bowl.... Ah, those were the days.

gaja

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Not sure it counts as BF but I ended up buying one gallon of exterior paint at Lowes, no lines-no fuss at 10am. 

Question to those outside the US: What unit do you buy paint in?  Somehow going to the store for 3.7854 liters just does not sound right, and 1gal feels like a good size to buy paint in.
1L, 3L, 7L and 10 L.

I'm a red panda

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I'm going to try going this Saturday evening. The local university football team is playing in the big 12 10 championship.  I'm hoping that means no one will be there.

Fixed it for you - NO WAY is ISU in a conference championship. I remember when the Big 10 conference only had 10 teams in it! And when the top ranked team automatically went to the Rose Bowl.... Ah, those were the days.

Thanks.  You can see I care deeply about football.  Though I did know that UI is Big 10. My fingers just didn't care enough to type correctly :)  I went to a Big 12 school, so I think I default to that. I used to follow them in sports, but now that they are SEC I just can't bother to care. I don't know anything about the teams they play now and don't care to.

G-dog

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I'm going to try going this Saturday evening. The local university football team is playing in the big 12 10 championship.  I'm hoping that means no one will be there.

Fixed it for you - NO WAY is ISU in a conference championship. I remember when the Big 10 conference only had 10 teams in it! And when the top ranked team automatically went to the Rose Bowl.... Ah, those were the days.

Thanks.  You can see I care deeply about football.  Though I did know that UI is Big 10. My fingers just didn't care enough to type correctly :)  I went to a Big 12 school, so I think I default to that. I used to follow them in sports, but now that they are SEC I just can't bother to care. I don't know anything about the teams they play now and don't care to.
I don't really care either. But as an alum I do recognize it is a big year for U Iowa to be 12-0, and to have a chance at a better bowl game. I used to care a bit more, but never that much. Being aware helped with some benign small talk at work.

northernlights

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I'm pleased to report I survived Black Friday with minimal damage to my wallet and no damage to myself. The biggest change in me now that I've gained a little mustachian stubble is I focused on only buying gifts for other people and replacing items that were on my buy for me list, rather than randomly buying myself things. I was able to get all the Christmas shopping done for our nephews and godchildren under budget, so that made me happy. :)