S/O of Holiday Hill... What's you Black Friday plans/preferences?

[CakeBeret]

I wanted to go to Walmart for a couple nice deals ($10 for a 6-qt crock pot, $20 for king sheet sets) but they are opening at 8pm Thanksgiving night this year. I take issue with that, so I'm not going.

Generally, in my family, Black Friday is a team effort. We each go to 1-2 stores and pick up things for other family members at that store. For example, last year, my mother in law picked up a food processor I wanted from Kohl's, and I bought things on behalf of my parents at Target.

[kareng57]

The Canadian equivalent is Boxing Day, December 26th.

Generations ago, it was a fairly quiet day to spend visiting friends that you hadn't been able to see on Christmas Day - most people had the day off.  About 40 years ago, stores that would never have been opened on that day started opening.  And about two or three years after that - they started opening at about 6 am, so lineups (especially at electronic stores) started at about 1 am.

Both of my kids did the freezing-lineup once or twice, no more.  Me - not at all.  I absolutely hate crowds and actually am mildly claustrophobic.  If I have to pay a few more $$ to order online - so be it.

[MindsEye]

Dh and I will either...

a) lounge around at home in our pajamas all day and eat leftovers
or
b) go to the range and get in some target practice (we are not 100% sure if the indoor range will even be open, but if it is we figure that it will probably be pretty empty)
or
c) go catch a movie...maybe Skyfall

Odds are that we will end up going with option a by default because we tend to be very lazy on the day after eating a heavy holiday meal.  Go figure!

[camlan]

I never go shopping on Black Friday. The crowds are just too much for me. And there's nothing for sale that I want so much that I'll miss half a night's sleep for it. And now that the stores are opening on Thanksgiving Day--I feel retail workers deserve a full day off, just like the rest of us. (Not that my boycott of BF is doing any good.  )

This year, my brother will only get to see his kids on the Friday of the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. So we are having our big dinner on Friday, because we'd rather have the kids with us than have a big dinner on Thursday without them. The poor kids are going to have to eat two Thanksgiving dinners, but since two of them are teenaged boys, we are hoping they won't complain too much.

[cattlekid]

Good question....DH and I both have the day off for the first time in a while.  I think he may go out shooting with a friend and if that is the case, then I will probably go to the local craft stores to see what yarn bargains are to be had.  But that won't be until much later in the day. 

[cabbagegirl28]

I'll be driving back to school for the end of the semester.

[Yvaine]

Hibernation. 

[mbbored]

I hate shopping on a regular day and add crowds and you've got the set up for a major case of anxiety. Fortunately my family and friends and I only exchange handmade or secondhand gifts. I will do some shopping online on Cyber Monday because I need a new pair of good boots and I'm not willing to pay $200 for any of the ones I'm interested in.

[Rhindle]

I boycott all retail except groceries in November and December so for Black Friday, I generally stay in. Or I might go out for a walk or to a friend's house to hang out. No shopping whatsover. This year's a little different, I've been invited to a party so I'll go to that. The rest of the day will be goofing off.

[demarco]

I don't shop on Black Friday.  I don't like crowded stores, parking lots or restaurants.  I pretty much stay home eating leftovers and watching TV with DH right there with me unless he has to work.

One  year, DH had to do some shopping Christmas Eve.  I accompanied him to the mall and planted myself on a bench near the confluence of several mall "wings." I sat there with coffee and a cookie watching hundreds of last minute shoppers go nuts.  It was kind of fun.  I wonder if some people do that, just watch,  on Black Friday.

[Firecat]

If the weather is nice, DH and I might drive over to a smaller town nearby that has some fun little shops and an old-fashioned main street sort of feel for awhile. And we'll go to our favorite local gaming shop, which is having a sale. We'll probably also buy groceries. But we don't do malls or major retailers on that day; it's just too much for me.

[katiescarlett]

Because I have epilepsy, and sleep deprivation triggers seizures for me, I can't go out all night with the rest of the family.  That being said, I actually still get my shopping done while staying home in bed.    All the rest of the family (aunt, uncle, cousins, mom, and sister) all like to go shopping.  Two years ago, I volunteered to keep my Wade and Ella, my niece and nephew, and sent money with my cousin.  They went to Wal-mart at 8 that night, and waited all night to get 4 laptops for $299 apiece, including mine.  The only thing I did was wake up and bring them donuts at about 3 in the morning, then went back home to bed (live less than 5 minutes from Wally world).

Last year, they decided to head to Oklahoma City (about an hour and half drive from our small town) and my mom and I sent them money to buy us kindles.  They got back to my parents' house about 6 that morning and were sleeping in various places around the house when the rest of us got up.  (We generally all spend the night at my parents' and then spend the rest of Black Friday either running around my small town, after the all night crowd has dissipated, or stay home and play games or go to the movies.)

Not sure what the plan is this year.  I just got a new laptop a couple of weeks ago, and my kindle fire is only a year old, so there are no big electronics I need this year. Probably I will just spend the day finishing my portfolio project for school, and resting.

[Amara]

One  year, DH had to do some shopping Christmas Eve.  I accompanied him to the mall and planted myself on a bench near the confluence of several mall "wings." I sat there with coffee and a cookie watching hundreds of last minute shoppers go nuts.  It was kind of fun.  I wonder if some people do that, just watch,  on Black Friday.

That's an interesting idea. I loathe shopping in the best of circumstances, and what I have to do gets done very fast. I can last about 15 minutes in stores; give me a bookstore and you may get an hour but rarely more. My impatience kicks in and I don't want to inflict that on anyone, including myself.

What appeals to me about the watching idea is that I might go and buy some big bags of wrapped candy and begin my usual holiday tradition of carrying it around stores and giving it to the retail workers with my best wishes for a happy holiday season. They suffer terribly during this time of the year and probably no worse than on BF and December 26. So maybe I will make an extra effort this year to go out on BF and make some workers' day better.

Anyone want to join me? 

[oogyda]

I'll stay home, like always.  That kind of mindset just isn't my cup of tea. 

[SiotehCat]

On Black Friday, we usually wake up late, eat a good breakfast and then go shopping.

We don't go with anything in particular in mind. We always to go ToysRUs. That's my favorite place. Sometimes we go to Best Buy. We do most of our Christmas shopping on Black Friday and its kinda fun.