BLACK FRIDAY

Sleep is for when you die! I love Black Friday and every year I learn something new. Here’s what I learned this year:

1)             Old people can’t drive. Still. That’s a fact not a just a statement. I counted no less than 15 old people driving 20 in a 50 mile an hour lane. Move it people. We got stuff to buy!

2)           The recession is still going strong and anyone who tries to argue that point with me did not see the football field size line at both Target and Toys r us. No exaggeration, there were at least about 1,000 people in line when I got to both stores.

3)            Some stores were not prepared for the above. Targets lines were wrapped all around the store, and one line to check out became entangled with one line for the electronics line, causing people to be in the wrong line, causing frustration.

4)           If a store opened at midnight, and you showed up at say 1:30, the crap was gone. Not kidding. I showed up at 12:45 to Target, they opened at midnight, and I got the last of several items.

5)           Organization is key. I had an excel spreadsheet with columns sorted by time/store/item and finally price. Again, if you want the item you need to get in and get out with it quick because the good stuff will sell out. This is not the time to just walk the isles looking for stuff.

6)            Some people are smarter than others on Black Friday. Note: the people that were selling coffee and donuts to the people in line at Target and Toys r us. Very smart!

7)           For the most part, Black Friday shoppers are very nice. We are all just trying to get the deals and get home. I couldn’t find an item and a dude that had found one for his wife snagged me one.

8)           Nobody cares about Home Depot on black Friday, except me. They opened at 5. I showed up at 530 and there were 15 cars in the parking lot, 14 of which were workers.

9)           Black Friday is more fun when your husband goes with you. Although mine didn’t technically go with me, he worked it and told me where the bad lines were. Score!

10)    People will bring their 4 week old baby (also not an exaggeration) out in the 45 degree weather for a good deal. No judgment. It’s not my kid, who by the way was sleeping at the grandparents house. She will cut me with no sleep but more power to you if you want to shop at midnight for hours with your kid. It made standing in line more fun for me to play with a baby.

11)        Black Friday deals are worth it. In looking at most of my receipts I saved as much as I spent. For example, we needed a new crockpot. Random but we did. I got a very nice one. Originally 40 bucks. On sale for 20 bucks with a 10 rebate form. $40 crockpot for $10 bucks. Yes please. This is just one example. 90% of what I bought was for Caydence.

And now, Santa needs to go wrap up the treasures. Happy Black Friday everyone!