I don't shop Black Friday... but I don't really consider that as 'saving money'. It is just another of many days this month that I didn't purchase anything....

I never venture out on Black Friday! There's only one reason for the season, and shopping ain't it. Actually, we're having our Thanksgiving today, since our family members didn't get in until yesterday evening. So I'm doing today what you all were doing yesterday, although I got the baking out of the way yesterday.

I was on my feet from 7am to 9 pm yesterday. I'm too tired to even THINK about shopping. I think I'll order in pizza for tonight.

Avoiding purchases one day a year, "Black Friday", to make you THINK you've SAVED money, is pure ignorance. You really haven't SAVED anything, have you? You didn't place some arbitrary amount in the savings account that you decide you won't spend on gifts? You've just delayed spending it.

A much better idea would be to have a CASH ONLY Christmas. If you haven't already budgeted for gifts, and you can't pay for them with cash, then who cares about the craziest shopping day of the year to fight crowds and get a bargain or two. I can get bargains all year long.

I normally only shop one, possibly two, days a week, so does that mean I SAVE 260 days a year (5 days X 52 wks)? Well NO IT DOESN'T. I use a strict budget for spending and another for saving. THAT'S how you SAVE. One "protest" day won't make or break commerce.

That being said, "Black Friday" is the kick-off for Christmas shopping. My gift shopping has been completed already, on a budgeted amount of money (CASH, no credit cards). I can easily sit back and avoid the crush in the stores and not worry next month when the credit card bill comes in - there won't be one.....

-Grainlady

Mine way to Christmas shop is a DISCOVER only Christmas.

I will start my shopping soon and put everything on the Discover card.

When the bill comes in at the end of December, I deposit the Christmas Club check and pay it off in full. Then I cash in the CashBack Bonus money for gift cards... to eat out free or get things at the Gap, etc. for free!

My American express card offered me a "deal" but I said no thanks. If I spend over $1,000 in any month November to January, they'll give me double Amex points. Now, why should I spend over $1000 a month on gifts in the first place? I plan on using cash for all my Christmas gift purchases and I have a budget for each person on my list. For example,DH and I just bought ourselves a new HDTV so we're getting each other NOTHING for Christmas. Well, I was planning on buying him socks and underwear.

I have very little shopping to do this season. Won't be spending all that much. Today, I did go out for breakfast with my sister, visited my cousin and stopped at the liquor store to get some beer before the sale is over at the end of the month. I don't intend to go out over the weekend.

I looked at the ads and have watched some of the advance BF ads and only saw one item that truly interested me and that was a notebook computer with a 3-in-1 printer for $229. That was a great deal. But I don't need the printer so I'd likely give that away were I to get it and you can buy notebooks now for $350-$400 anyway so, although it's a very good deal, it's not enough of a deal for me to stand outside in 15 weather waiting to get in. I stood outside for 2 or 3 hours several years back when I got my present notebook and got a decent deal on it. Seriously wondered if the savings was worth it. I'm expecting more deals before Christmas. And when it comes right down to it as we say, I don't really need a new computer. So by not buying it, maybe I saved money.

One shopping center here opened at 1 am and had about 15,000 people lined up to get in.

Then they interviewed a guy from Winnepeg (Sasquatchanon, Canada) who drove all the way here to come to an outlet mall north of town to pick up on the "bargains" he heard about.

One woman dragging a 6 mo old around under her arm (ala Michael Jackson's balcony fiasco) all day to pick up bargains.

All I could think when I saw this was:
Are they all NUTS????

in a word.... YES

I wouldn't have gone out on Black Friday if I had to, but I was working, so it didn't matter. I heard some horror stories about long lines, and rude people, though.

I did go out shopping on Black Friday late in the day, around suppertime and there was no one in the stores or at the registers. This year, we really don't need anything that was on sale yesterday and I did look through the ads and didn't see any huge bargains to entice me to go. I rarely go, but I am a bargain hunter and I usually do wish I could go..lol. We started our shopping on Friday because we had the time and we want to get the shopping done earlier this year to make Christmas less stressful. Also, my aim is to spend less this year, buy less, and if using Black Friday sales helps me to, then I don't see a boycott on that day helping me. I do see that perhaps you are thinking of making a statement to start to increase awareness of the issues of 'consuming' things. I do agree with that goal and it might be that I could get behind you with the Friday boycott. I will think about it for next year. :-) I have to say that I have not felt I missed out on anything in years that I didn't get into the stores on BF, because the prices I found later in the season were just as low or lower on items I was tracking.

Heather, I think you are on the right track. With the planet in the condition it is in and the world in the state it is in, I feel like you do, wish we could do 'something' about any of it. I am definitely starting to build up a head of steam in my desire to 'consume less' and do so in a way that makes a difference to the environment and the economy. I am still thinking through how to do that.

For instance, I was in Lowe's over the weekend and see they are still selling huge light displays and all the gadgets that go along with it. We have never put lights up on our house, so we won't feel the pinch to change, but really with energy costing what it is and the environment being effected by our use of energy, I was really shocked to see that people haven't immediately stopped putting up these light displays. It is discouraging because it makes me think that people are just not understanding yet, the impact their small decisions like this one are having. I refuse to think that people don't care, as some people have suggested to me. It has to be that they don't understand it.

pm2

I don't do Black Friday shopping but I discoverd by accident that the thrift stores in my area have Black Friday sales! Maybe to get people into the stores on a day when they know a lot of people will be out shopping anyway?

I stopped in to one of my favs to see if there were any new items and discovered the BF sale at my fav thrift store. WOW. My lucky day I thought.

I didn't need any of the BF items offered as it was mostly children's stuff, but I did come away with four pairs of brand name pants @$2.99 ea (the regular price for pants there).

Hi cynic,

That "BF" that you refer to ... that's "Boy Friend", is it?

As for Winnipeg ... that's the capital of Manitoba, just down the Red River a few miles.

As for Sasquatches ... they're mythical creatures said to roam the Rockies ... and they're to be found on the western border of Alberta, which is west of Saskatchewan. Which is west of the Manitoba of which Winnipeg is the capital.

I began attending the University of Saskatchewan (and didn't see any sasquatches around there during those days) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 60 years ago this fall.

One could get a notebook back in those days for about 5 cents.

But I did get a typewriter during that time ... and learned how to use it - using all ten fingers (though the little guy on the left has a touch of arthritis now, and tends to hit the caps key along with the "a" at times - or, even worse, the darn "Caps Lock").

Still doing it - "typing", that is. Well, I guess that they call it "keyboarding", now ... though it seems to me that that term should have something to do with a piano.

But I couldn't put my notebook into it.

Or it into my notebook.

If I'd ever got a mouse anywhere near either one of them, and my room-mate found out about it, I imagine that he'd have had a fit! Maybe not, for mouses are frequent participants in life on the prairies ...

... as they are around here.

But I've never tried having a mouse around my thighs, to try it on for size (as one woman did over on the KT the other day). I think that would be a bit too intimate for me.

Did your BF do some shopping on BF?

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

ole joyful

Joyful, Maybe one day my fingers will have arthritis too. Im hoping i will tpye as well as you!

Bud wi, What kind of sales did the resales stores have? I was out of town but next year i will look for them.

It was a 'buy one, get one free' type of sale on selected merchandise. There was one whole rack of children's winter coats, toys, xmas decorations, and clothing on a special rack of adult clothing that I just did not take the time to look through. I came there for jeans/pants and did not need anything else or have the time to browse although I did fall victim to their "product placement" and buy a porcelain angel and a holiday ceramic painted bird, that was with other xmas stuff on a table near the checkout. The angel will be a gift to my mother who collects angels for decorating both home and garden. The bird was so lovely I bought it for myself even though I am not a 'knickknack' person and don't care for cluttery things in my home, but this one was sooooo beautiful. The angel was $1.50. The bird was $2.99. I also had intended to buy a large mixing bowl since I broke mine while making Thanksgiving corn muffins. No luck on finding a large mixing bowl but I know they turn up on a regular basis at these places, so it is just a matter of time......

I heard from one of my friends that one of the thrift stores does a 2-4-1 on sweaters for Black Friday. Don't remember which one it was. I'm not a sweater person and prefer fleeceware so it did not make a mental note of the store with the 2-4-1.

Those are some great deals! You neglected to tell what stores. Or do you have that information under "Are you keeping secrets?"

The one I went to was one of the Salvation Army Stores in my area. I am a thrift store shopper. Nearly all my clothing I get at the second hand stores. About the only thing I buy brand new is; shoes, underwear, loungewear and special occasion clothing.

Jeans, shorts, sweaters, winter boots, winter coats, things like that I get them all at the second hand stores. A lot of it is expensive name brands. Most of it looks hardly worn and I've even scored items that still had the store tags on. (Xmas gift that did not fit someone maybe??)

When I do venture into a regular store I am floored by the prices that people are paying for clothing. I just bought a real cashmire coat in perfect condition for $6.50 and a wool reefer style coat for $4.00. Then splurged on a brand new looking, butter soft, leather jacket for $12.00 - It didn't even look like it was ever worn! Got a pair of new looking winter boots for $1.00 and a really nice expensive brand name pair for $15.00. (I thought I had overpaid until I saw the price in the retail store.)

Here is my IMHO ranking of second hand stores:

Goodwill Industries : Goodwill has rebranded itself in recent years. Stores are in convenient locations near other shopping. All the Goodwill stores in my area are in newly built or in newly remodeled buildings. Stores are bright, clean and well lit. They have their own parking lot. Things are organized by catagory and sub-catagory. Stores offer large sized, well lit dressing rooms. Lots of furniture and it GOES FAST - Like in a day. Staff is fairly pleasant and helpful. Prices tend to be a tiny bit higher compared to other second hand stores but still waaaaay cheaper than going to the mall. BTW Goodwill has an online auction site similar to eBay. Check it out. I find the majority of my shopping needs at Goodwill - kitchen items, furniture and clothing.

Salvation Army Thrift: Stores vary. Some have parking, some don't and finding street parking is a hassle and a long walk. Stores are neat and fairly organized in general. Some are dusty and creepy. They still have some very nice items hidden around the store and in the racks. If you want to try on something you have to use their public restroom. Yuk. The only thing that is consistant with all the SA stores is the RUDE and lazy staff and I am not the only one who feels this way about the SA staffing. They have a nice selction of furniture but this seems to vary and comes in waves. Occassionaly I have seen nice looking appliances there and larger items like bicycles and lawnmowers.

St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store: Most of their stores smell like BO. Don't shop there for clothes. :) I won't even paw through the racks. Furniture and houseware items in abundance and has the cheapest prices that thrift shops charge. The stuff is pretty beat up looking but if you are into 'refinishing and restoring' as a hobby there are some good finds. Ocassionally there is a "gem" hidden in the mess. Items do not rotate in and out of stock as frequently as the other stores and you see the same dishes sitting there for months. They also tend to price their *vintage* items higher than they go for on eBay - wishful thinking on their part, I guess. I do not go out of my way to visit SVDP stores anymore.

Humane Society: Clothing and some housewares. No furniture. Great prices. Great selections. Everthing is clean and organized by style and color. Well lit and clean. Friendly staff. No parking at the one I go to. I get my best clothing finds here.

American Council Of The Blind Thrift Store: So-so. Well lit and clean but a bit disorganized and chaotic. For some reason the staff can't seem to ever be able to converse with each other without shouting across the entire store. Parking lot. Prices are competative with other thrift shops. Lots of housewares. Furniture is pretty crappy looking and unsavageable. They also sell computers and appliances but good luck if any of them are in working order.

There are also lots of local organizations that have thrift stores in my area and I won't list them since they are not located across the US and won't do any good reading about them for most on this board.