Black Friday Shopping Experience: A Personal Account and Lessons Learned

[heat123]

Hope your experience was Better than mine! lol

I attempted the 12am TRU trip and what a Nightmare! Lines wrapped around 3 buildings when I finally got in there! But it was still a 1.5 hr wait to get into at the point where I started!:yuck:

Got in and left within 15 minutes without 1 thing on my list (as it was all sold out)::cry:. Went home for a 3 hr nap, got up for the Walmart 5am sale but by the time I got there the ONLY 2 things I wanted were SOLD OUT!:grumpy:

So then I shopped the rest of the mall and at LEAST got 1/2 of my list done!:thumbup:

I came home kinda depressed and felt Defeated, on not getting the GOOD SALE things I really wanted from TRU and Walmart!

 

[raebates]

I shopped for 13 hours. God everything I wanted, including new shoes for me at a great price. Then again, I wasn't going after any of the big door-buster sales. I did get an 8-gig thumb drive at Staples for $12.99. Since I had a rewards certificate, my entire purchase cost me $0.83 out of pocked.

 

[heat123]

Nicely Done Rae! 13 Hrs. what a trooper!

 

[Dina Atnip]

Went got a few things on my list did not go after the door busters just got really good deals. Got husband a tom tom which is what he wanted for 120.00 that was a 100.00 off yea!

 

[sklay723]

I got up at 4:30 am and drove up to the mall 20 minutes from my home...went to the Disney Store, which apparently opened at midnight. I was pleasantly surprised: almost no crowd. Great specials, plus 20% off my entire purchase since I was there before 10 am. From there I went to WalMart, and the only thing I got there were DVDs. I think I got 12 DVDs for just a little over $40. Devil Wears Prada, Ocean's Eleven (and Ocean's Twelve), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Madagascar 2...pretty good titles, not just old nasty ones. By the time I got to the checkout the lines were really good...only had one person in front of me. Went to Target and got my son's Santa gift there, plus The Proposal on DVD, and no lines there either (since at that point they'd been open for 2 hours). Went to Kohl's but didn't bother waiting in the line there because it was ridiculous how long those lines were, and I can go back anytime to get the same t-shirts for my kids that I had picked out.
I enjoy going to Black Friday sales, as long as I'm not under pressure to get any of the door busters. I usually make a list of people I still need to shop for and then check out whatever deals I can find. Couldn't get the comforter sets at WalMart I'd wanted for my kids, but that's not the end of the world. I was back home at 9:15, right around the time my hubby and kids were waking up, so I can't complain one bit!

 

[leslieprichett]

I was up and out by 3 am. Went to Walmart, got a laptop for my hubby for $198, and a printer/scanner/copier for it for $25, and a 19" HDTV flatscreen for the kids (they are getting a Wii for christmas, so this is for them to play it on) for $128.
Went to Target, got the kids their Christmas pajamas for $5.99 each, got the youngest this interactive baby doll with a stroller, high chair and playpen for $27.98.
Then went to our local grocery store (Fred Meyers) and got 3 more remotes and 3 more nunchucks for the Wii at 20% off, plus 3 Wii games for 50% off.

I only missed out on 1 thing I wanted (and of course it was for me LOL), but I am FINISHED Christmas. I even wrapped everything after I got home LOL

 

[Tropicalburstqt2]

I wasn't as daring as many & wanted to sleep in, so I didn't end up getting out of the house (after some housework of course) at 11. I missed most of Wal-Mart's deals, but didn't really need anything there anyways. I got a pair of PJ's & a Car's outfit for my BIL (he's 2 1/2) for $16 total, a pair of earrings & shirts for my SIL (she's 9) & I got my mother a $30 digital picture frame. I'm pretty pleased with my purchases & so is DH.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I wasn't going out in the madness since I had to work ... but I was up uncharacteristically early (probably a mixture of sleeping in a friend's house and being worried about their family tragedy) so I figured since I was 7 minutes from a Wal-Mart, I might as well pick up a few things.The crock pots were all gone.The jeans and shirts... they had them in the men's and boys sizes, but you do NOT put my brother or his son in a white t-shirt! And I wasn't sure the jeans would fit my brother anyway. I would have overlooked the white shirt for my nephew, but the girl's jeans were gone in my niece's size.I did get a $7 coat for my niece, but she needs it NOW so so much for a Christmas gift for her today. Only actual "christmas" gift was thanks to my roomate ... we talked while I was looking for stuff at Wal-mart. Roomie was shopping at Amazon and offered to pick up a Tinkerbell DVD for my youngest niece. And later, same friend was at Target and saw a DVD for $3.95 that a mutual friend wanted.OH ... and the only gift I got before Christmas? My dad mentioned that he wants HOME DEPOT gift cards ... and not the Olive Garden gift card I already got for them! Grrrr! Sure, I can give it to his wife, but frankly, I'm sick of spending twice as much on them as they spend on me! Story of my life!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I slept in until 9:45 a.m. and didn't leave the house today! I had Thanksgiving at my house and was worn out!

 

[BadGirl]

My husband wen tup to Best Buy at 3:00 am, waited in a cold and rainy line, and when the store opened at 5:00, was able to purchase my new front-loader washer and dryer for $1,200 off of the original price!

Yahooooo!!!!!!! :cheerleader:


It's sad, really, to get excited about a home appliance, isn't it?

 

[chefheidi2003]

We got up at 330 to be at Kohls for 4am..went to a few stores..were home by about 9-930..and that was after Breakfast. Got a few good deals. I just love going out shopping on Black Friday..LOL

My best purchase deal was a $100 Christmas tree..that I got for $35

 

[robochick84]

My mom and I have been doing Black Friday shopping since I was a small child. Since I have been without work this year, there isn't going to be Christmas in our house.

However, we have been collecting the JCPenney snow globes that they hand out for FREE for as many years as I can remember, and we weren't going to miss them opening at 4 am!!!

 

[chefheidi2003]

My mom and I have been doing Black Friday shopping since I was a small child. Since I have been without work this year, there isn't going to be Christmas in our house.

However, we have been collecting the JCPenney snow globes that they hand out for FREE for as many years as I can remember, and we weren't going to miss them opening at 4 am!!!

I used to get one of them each year for my bff..she LOVES disney..but our JCPenney closed a few years ago..and it is not worth it for me to go to another town to get one..so..I stopped getting them for her.

 

[Melissa78]

I hit WalMart around 9:45am for the Sentry Fire Safe (i'm so cool 'eh?) and they had them left (because who stands in line at 5am for a fire box?) and I did get one of the $25printers for my laptop until I break down and buy the one I really want. Also got a paper shredded for 'my office' but I dont know if I'llkeep it. I bought an Ipod touch last night online for my music and to d/l all of the audio trainings. I think Santa Melissa is done....

 

[leftymac]

Evan and I were in the line at Target at 3 a.m. Usually I'm down home at my sister's house and we go to Walmart and it's always a mob. Here at Target everyone was very civilized. We got him a 32" TV for $246, a digital camera, and some shirts for me. Then, we headed over to Kohl's and I got myself a $300 leather jacket for $70 -- I've wanted one for years! I got some Food Network Pasta Bowls for myself and then some sweaters for his dad. We waited in the line to pay at Kohl's for an hour!How funny though that whenever I go shopping for Black Friday, it's always for things for myself!

 

[pckellyd]

I got up at 3:30 after doing T-Day for 15 (Decided I was completely out of my mind, but got dressed and left anyway. )I went to Penny's, got a snow globe and bought $300 worth of clothes for $120. I'll take it! I went to breakfast to figure out what I was doing next and decided to go to Walmart... couldn't even find a parking spot, so I headed to another Walmart, it was the only thing open and that whole plaza was parked full so I came home and went back to sleep. When we got up, DH, DS and I got dressed and headed out around 11. We were in search of the cricut Joanns had for $75 for me After 2 stores we found one (had to call around a bit) and that's going under the tree for me. We also picked up a heated mattress pad for $50 which I can't wait to be able to put on my bed... darn having to wait till christmas anyway! Also we made a doll for DS, and picked up a projector that DH wanted for a really good deal.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

We ALWAYS see things for ourselves in those ads, Keith! If I'd had the money, I would have been buying a flat screen TV and a new computer FOR SURE!

May stop by the Target on my way home from tree decorating today. Everybody raved about how great they were ...

 

[pc_jessica]

I did...and boy was it a nightmare! Went to target at 5am and then walmart and then nebraska furnature mart and then sams club...got stuff that is more for fun stuff not for christmas presents so it was a good day! but just super crazy!

 

[cathyskitchen]

I slept in until 9:45 a.m. and didn't leave the house today! I had Thanksgiving at my house and was worn out!

Me, too!! I had NO desire to go shopping on Black Friday. HATE IT, esp. since my days in retail. No thanks!!

 

[Jennie4PC]

I got up at 3:00 to go to Walmart, got everything on my list there, one was the $3 pj's. I was pretty shocked with how many were there wanting them. While I was there waiting there was a cat fight over them. my DH on the other side of the store got the LPS toy and a hot wheels toy or my 2 kids and he was in line before 5 waiting for me. (they let them grab the stuff way beore 5 while I had to sit at the pj's till 5.

Then we went over to kmart and i got 4 mp3 players 2GB for 10 dollars each and an easy bake oven for DD. Got pretty much everything I wanted so I am pretty happy

 

[heat123]

I got up at 3:00 to go to Walmart, got everything on my list there, one was the $3 pj's. I was pretty shocked with how many were there wanting them. While I was there waiting there was a cat fight over them. my DH on the other side of the store got the LPS toy and a hot wheels toy or my 2 kids and he was in line before 5 waiting for me. (they let them grab the stuff way beore 5 while I had to sit at the pj's till 5.

Then we went over to kmart and i got 4 mp3 players 2GB for 10 dollars each and an easy bake oven for DD. Got pretty much everything I wanted so I am pretty happy

LOL, I know the $3 Pjs were not what I thought though... they were sweats and no cartoon characters.. not what was actually pictured in the ad . So I ended up going with the Character pjs for $9!:grumpy:

 

[Jennie4PC]

LOL, I know the $3 Pjs were not what I thought though... they were sweats and no cartoon characters.. not what was actually pictured in the ad . So I ended up going with the Character pjs for $9!:grumpy:

My pJ's had characters on them. MY DD is getting Hannah Montana and Tinker bell, the other one is getting minnie and I believe Dora. cant remeber what I got DS. They will probably fall apart after a few washes but for $3 I will survive

 

[heat123]

My pJ's had characters on them. MY DD is getting Hannah Montana and Tinker bell, the other one is getting minnie and I believe Dora. cant remeber what I got DS. They will probably fall apart after a few washes but for $3 I will survive

My store must have run out and then subbed the sweats for the character pjs then.