Black Fridays Past...

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AuntJamelle

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You know what I really miss? Which is bizarre really. But I miss getting up at crazy coo coo time on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving to go shopping. I would play Christmas Carols in the car, sip my coffee, review my ads and shopping lists one last time - I had a whole SYSTEM!

There were crazy years when the roads were slick and no one should have been on the road but I went anyway - along with a whole bunch of other crazies :)

Ah, driving home white knuckled but with a car full of "deals" LOL

DH loves/loved to Black Friday shop too. We'd always split up to go thru the lines because we were buying for each other.

Then after we were done there was a nice breakfast out and then home to nap...oh who am I kidding - that never happened - well breakfast happened but no napping. DH always ALWAYS has to work day after Thanksgiving so we'd do our shopping super early and then he would go into work.

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite memories of Black Fridays Past? Or even some of your worst? We all probably have some stories to tell!
 

Minta

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I also miss getting at those ungodly hours to go shopping :)

Never had any bad experiences ... always had a lot of laughs but I do have one that stand outs which was about 11 years ago. It was me, DH, SIL, MIL and my best friend in our mini van. We had been out shopping all day and had bags and stuff stuffed everywhere. It was hilarious every time we had to open a door .. didn't matter if were getting out of the van or trying to get in ... bags were falling out every place. It was like watching a juggler on ice trying to catch everything and not drop anything.
 

Cathymac2

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I’ve always liked the idea of Black Friday shopping more than the actual going! My favorite part was always going to breakfast out after we picked up the one or two items we were in search of. But then breakfast out is always the best part of any weekend! Lol.
 

PamelaG

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We used to love Black Friday shopping! We'd get up at some ridiculous hour, 3:00 or 4:00am, and head to our local mall. We'd stand in a long line with other people, waiting to get in, chatting to others about bargains or how our Thanksgiving Day was spent, and then into the store to browse through the deals and soak up the Christmas music and decorations, sipping a festive drink and just enjoying the time together.

Recently, not so much. People are camping out on Thanksgiving Day or stores open Thanksgiving Day afternoon. There are crazy people out there - on the roads, in the stores. The whole sense of fun is gone. No bargain is worth trampling another person or coming to blows over. A sign of the times I suppose, people seem to be less civil these days.
 

missjane

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Worst one was several years ago. DD21 and I both caught the stomach virus, but had no symptoms until we were in Monroe (50 miles from home). We both went outside to the car and I thought I was just exhausted, but my temperature shot up and I was shivering so badly, I could hardly hold onto the steering wheel to drive home. It was awful!. We laugh about it now, but we weren't then!

DDIL, DS, DH, and I all love Black Friday shopping...it's a real adventure...first, we ask a lady we know who works at the local convenience store to keep us back 4 or 5 papers with all the circulars in them...we scan them...plus look online days ahead of time...we have lists of what's on sale where at what time....how much it costs...maps of the stores...we take lawn chairs and sit in line in the stores...we've used rolling trash cans as buggies from the hardware section of the store because they were out of buggies....we've rented hotel rooms so we could sleep a few hours and go back...taken ice chests to eat sandwiches because the lines at the restaurants are stupidly long and no where to sit....we buy for friends who can't come...they buy for us if they're at another store. Now, DD25 and DsonIL live about 5 miles from the shopping center in Monroe, so we just crash at their house in shifts...coming and going as we get tired...we have shirts made that have some saying on them about Black Friday. Totally love it!! Gee....I'm excited just talking about it. :D
 

luludou

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Haha MissJane you make it out to be quite an adventure! Here not so many black Friday deals in Canada, not Worth it at all and store hours are from noon to 5 or 9 depending if it's a thursday or Friday.
 
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Holiday_Mom

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Such good memories for me...

I would get up early on Thanksgiving morning, head to the store for the thickest newspaper ever and a pumpkin coffee from Starbucks. It was always the first one of the season for me. I'd get back home and camp out in the bedroom so I could search through the ads for things to buy. I'd make a list with store, opening time and items wanted.

Then I'd make Thanksgiving dinner and spend the night chatting with family until 10 pm. I gathered my clothes, notes, shopping ads, make up, protein bar and water and put them in the first floor powder room. I'd set the alarm for 5 am and wake up. I'd get ready and out the door I'd go to Toys R Us, Target, Michael's and Bath and Body Works. Usually it was 9:30 am when I hit BBW and then I was ready to go home. I'd crash for a few hours.

I still do much of the same routine but now the ads are being leaked earlier so my list is pretty much done the day before Thanksgiving. Toys R Us has been replaced with Old Navy. Now when I get home, I try to bag the items by recipient, double check where we are with the budget, and then start wrapping the gifts. If I was unable to secure a gift in person, then I try to find it online and make my purchases on Black Friday. Sometimes it takes more researching for the gift so they are purchased later in December.
 

PamelaG

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Yes, Mary, the picking up and browsing through the Thanksgiving Day newspaper was always a big deal at our house. Loved going through all the inserts to see who had the best deal!
 
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missjane

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We have friends who take walkie-talkies with them, so they can talk to each other from all over the store...faster than dialing a cell phone.
 
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Myron's Mom

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I love Black Friday. I only go early on Friday though. Can't bring myself to shop on thanksgiving. Friday is the day I finish my shopping. My big purchase is always cat litter and cat food at pet smart. Of course I have to hit all the craft stores! I usually meet my husband for breakfast after then off to get our live tree.
 

MinnieCo

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Black Friday is something "newer" for me. My whole life I had to work the day after Thanksgiving. It was my busiest day of the year and it was pure "Heck". Black Friday was just something I seen on TV, so by the time I had the option the last 5 years or so, it was already shifting into something else. So I do go Black Friday shopping and I do make a "loose list", but my daughter and I call it "Hallmark" day. It's a day for us to kick off the holiday season. We go out about 8, pick up Starbucks, get some shopping in off our list and then just go to the mall to hang out. Sometimes we'd go down to the antique district and hit our favorite vintage stores and hope it snows while we're doing so. We'll usually go have dinner somewhere casual..and then she's so tired she's begging me to take her home, usually before I' was ready. Last year was my first year without her, since she moved out of state, so I just did the same routine but my myself. I Left at 9am and didn't get home till midnight. My family was literally about to send out the rescue squad for me. I just took my time and did a TON of shopping in one day. I was exhausted, but I enjoyed it and got sooo much done!
 

Holiday_Mom

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Last year was my first year without her, since she moved out of state, so I just did the same routine but my myself. I Left at 9am and didn't get home till midnight. My family was literally about to send out the rescue squad for me. I just took my time and did a TON of shopping in one day. I was exhausted, but I enjoyed it and got sooo much done!

I think that is wonderful that you still went out by yourself. It sounds like a nice day. I had to laugh though about the family getting concerned. That was a very long day of shopping! Did your family request that you check more often next time? :)
 

MinnieCo

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The funny thing is Mary it wasn't like I never checked in. I guess they just feared at 11pm I had passed out of exhaustion somewhere..hahaha
 

Holiday_Mom

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I'm feeling a bit sad about all these stores closing this last year. It's going to be a very different kind of Black Friday this year with Toys 'R Us closed. I just read that Sears filed for bankruptcy. That will affect Kmart too. I think they'll both be in liquidation by then. Kmart was my go to place to find great bargains. I can not tell you how often I shopped there the day before Christmas Eve because I forgot to buy myself something new to wear for Christmas. :oops: We had two JC Penney stores near us and they are closed too. :(
 

Minta

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I'm feeling a bit sad about all these stores closing this last year. It's going to be a very different kind of Black Friday this year with Toys 'R Us closed. I just read that Sears filed for bankruptcy. That will affect Kmart too. I think they'll both be in liquidation by then. Kmart was my go to place to find great bargains. I can not tell you how often I shopped there the day before Christmas Eve because I forgot to buy myself something new to wear for Christmas. :oops: We had two JC Penney stores near us and they are closed too. :(
They did release a list of sears and kmart stores that will be closing by the end of the year but not all are closing.
 

Miss JoDee

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I'm feeling a bit sad about all these stores closing this last year. It's going to be a very different kind of Black Friday this year with Toys 'R Us closed. I just read that Sears filed for bankruptcy. That will affect Kmart too. I think they'll both be in liquidation by then. Kmart was my go to place to find great bargains. I can not tell you how often I shopped there the day before Christmas Eve because I forgot to buy myself something new to wear for Christmas. :oops: We had two JC Penney stores near us and they are closed too. :(
My understanding is that while the physical location may have closed you can still shop on line. Carson’s was a recent closure near me.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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We don't have Black Friday sales here as we don't have Thanksgiving. However I did see an ad somewhere last week for a Black Friday sale and thought WOW.
I am not sure if it will take off here but will wait and see.
 
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