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Entry bubble Black Friday Commando

By: Ginger | November 28, 2008 | Category: Money

I have never gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), but this year my mom is visiting, so we will join the madness. Since this will be my first Black Friday adventure, mom and friends shared some shopping strategies and horror stories with me. My mom told me of the “Cabbage Patch Kids” riots of ’83 when shoppers ran through the store when the doors opened and fought over dolls. My friend, Laura, got into a smackdown over a Teddy Ruxpin on a Black Friday.

Ginger in camouflage gear ready to shop on Black FridayI’ve come to the conclusion that this won’t just be shopping; this experience will require “extreme shopping tactics.” That’s right; I will be morphing into a Black Friday Commando. Since I’m not very athletic, I think dangling from wires above my purchase targets or attempting ninja moves will only result in pulled muscles. Instead, I will be camouflaging myself to sneak around for the best deals.

If these tactics sound a little overboard, I suppose you could just stick to normal shopping procedures. Not as fun, but probably more effective. The federal government has some holiday shopping guidelines and tips. ConsumerAction.gov offers General Buying Tips, a section on Gift Cards, and if you do have purchase problems, tips on how to complain and a sample complaint letter.

Preventing Holiday Shopping Headaches, Tips for Smart Holiday Shopping, and Holiday Shopping are good resources to read prior to hitting the malls.

If dealing with crowds, payment lines, and hunting for parking isn’t your thing, here are two resources that offer some good on-line shopping tips: On-line Holiday Shopping and Shopping From Home.

My mother agrees that the camouflage will probably work, but not because it will help me sneak about unnoticed. She thinks everyone will notice and run in the opposite direction, thereby clearing a path to the cash registers. I say, “Hey, whatever works!”

| View Comments [8] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: black_friday   ginger   holiday_shopping   shopping   shopping_from_home  

Comments (8):

blue comment bubble Posted by MaryJo on November 28, 2008 at 02:31 PM EST

Hi Ginger: Good luck with the shopping. Do You know why they call it Black Friday?

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blue comment bubble Posted by Nancy on November 28, 2008 at 04:54 PM EST

I always knew you could accessorize.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Thomas on November 28, 2008 at 05:31 PM EST

I made the mistake in going out today. I could not believe how crazy that everyone was acting. I decided that it would be better if I go out and do my Christmas shopping on Christmas eve because it would be safer for me.

Thomas

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blue comment bubble Posted by www.coolerchoice.com on November 30, 2008 at 06:17 PM EST

your probably right people will run a mile if they see you with all the camouflage,but at least you will get to the front of the queue

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blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on December 01, 2008 at 08:46 AM EST

Nancy, thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, I loaned out my camouflage feather boa and tiara recently, so they couldn't be part of my ensemble.

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blue comment bubble Posted by me on December 01, 2008 at 10:00 AM EST

Mary Jo, I believe it's called Black Friday because it's the day when retailers bottom line goes from "in the red" (negative income) to "in the black" (profits). Don't have a reference though, it's just something I know. Hope this helps!

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blue comment bubble Posted by SSW on December 02, 2008 at 11:31 AM EST

Black Friday tends to be a little overrated when compared to the last weekend before Christmas. I have been a regular participant in Black Friday shopping and have found that the traffic escalates and is definitely the worst on that last weekend.
www.stevenwevodau.com

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blue comment bubble Posted by Teachtopia on December 11, 2008 at 12:43 AM EST

In retrospect, I think we all need to think about "black friday". Indeed, with the loss of human life at several locations, there is a dark cloud over the day this year. Being involved in the tech sector (I am the CEO of http://teachtopia.com) I really believe that people shop safely from the comfort of the homes on CyberMonday and avoid the "black friday" madness.

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