Help With Black Friday

         

When you think of Thanksgiving, you think of.....

-Turkey

-Family

-Pumpkin pie

-Football

-Opening up the newspaper and reading all of the ads for "Black Friday"

Yeah, that's us.  Every year, my wife and I pound thru the ads....figure up a strategy...then wake up at the crack of dawn ready for the riot of the Holiday Shopping season.  I guess we are sadists that way.  I think we enjoy the competition of it all.  I mean, we want to be able to go in somewhere...run around like man people...and get exactly what we set out to buy.

I remember standing in front of a Circuit City, in the freezing weather.....for a DVD player.

I remember standing in front of a Best Buy, in the freezing weather....for a "24" DVD.

I remember standing if front of a Shoe Carnival, in the freezing weather....for a pair of Reebok Classics.

I remember standing in front of a mall, waiting for the doors to open so I can run in and stand in front of a line at the KB Toy Store....for a bunch of Teletubbies.

And there are other memories, too.  My wife and I listening the Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys....getting hyped up....before dealing with a Best Buy crowd.  I remember dragging my wife's 9-yr old cousin out to Kohls.  Standing at the checkout line at Target, munching on popcorn.  Eating at Pizza Hut after a hard days shopping.....at 10 am. 

Alas, for those people who wish to pre-shop before the ads come out this Thanksgiving...here is a couple websites for you.

Black Friday 2005 - The OFFICIAL Site for the Hottest Day of the Year

Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com

Some notes:

*Just click on the stores on the left hand side of the screen to see what those stores will have on ad this Friday. 

*You can even create your own shopping list!

*There is even scans of actual ads.

Enjoy!!!

Here is the "Story Of Black Friday" from  GottaDeal.com:  "The origin of Black Friday comes from the shift to profitability during the holiday season. Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or "in the red," to being profitable, or "in the black" - at a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red indicated loss and black profit. The day is not important just for traditional retailers. Black Friday is also a huge day for internet retailers.   There are several tips for getting the best deals on Black Friday. First, the easiest strategy is to get to your desired stores early in the morning and take a list of what Black Friday items you are interested in. Second, if possible, use a buddy system with friends or relatives so that some people take certain stores and others take the rest. Plan out your items so that you can get in and out of the store quickly. The sooner you get to the register, the better. Especially if you go when the stores open. Make sure to keep track of the timing of promotions as many deals are so-called "early birds" that may only be available for a few hours. Another great tip is to use the store's pricematching policy to your advantage. Find a store that will match a competitor's price, and save a trip to another store. Finally, another possible option is to purchase the item before Black Friday and then go back to the store to attempt to get a refund. This is now discouraged at most stores, but you may find some stores that will allow it."