Line Up!!! … It’s Black Friday!!

Thinking about taking advantage of those “Black Friday” Super sales? Well you better put on your suit of armor and line up! If you’re up for it and well prepared, you can get everything on your holiday shopping list done in just a few hours and literally save a bundle of cash. Are you up for the challenge?

Known as one of the busiest shopping days of the year, retailers all want to get in on the action and will offer some of the best deals you’ll find all year, each trying to out-do the other to get you into their store. Some stores will actually open as early as 3:00 or 4:00 am and offer “Super Saver Specials” for a very short time, maybe even for just an hour or two, and that’s when things get really crazy!

Hundreds of people will actually line up as early as Thanksgiving night or earlier at stores, hoping to be one of the first to grab an otherwise higher priced item at nearly rock bottom prices. That’s where your suit of armor comes in! Obviously I’m just kidding about the suit, but I’ve been out shopping on that day and honestly thought I could have used one.

I’ll never forget the first time I ever decided to get in on the fun, or what I thought was supposed to be fun! I was up bright and early and on the road with one of my sisters at 5:30 am, thinking I was going to be one of the first in line at a popular store that was to open at 7:00 am. Wake up Call!!!! When we got to the store, there were at least a hundred or more people already there with shopping carts in hand, none appearing to be in any line formation, waiting for the doors to open. When I started to take a cart I thought was unoccupied, someone actually threatened to shoot me in the leg if I took one step closer to it!! I laughed a little thinking they were only joking, but they made it very clear that they were serious and I had better leave it alone and get to the back of the line! Hmmm... at this point we hadn’t even gotten started and now I wasn’t so sure I was even ready for “Black Friday”! Well we decided to stick it out and just before 7:00 am, the store manager came out to make some announcements, reminding everyone that this was the “Holiday Season” and it was supposed to be a “Happy and Fun Occasion”. He continued to let everyone know that there would be “no pushing or shoving” and absolutely “no running anyone over with the carts”! Can you imagine the need to actually have to stand up there and tell this to grown-ups? It was beyond my belief! I mean... Come On!! It wasn’t like we were going on a hunt for a million bucks or anything... it was only shopping!!

When the doors actually opened, the race was on... sale ads and shopping carts in hand, and it was every man, woman and child for themselves! It seemed like some people morphed from an otherwise friendly human being into an aggressive shopping beast letting nobody or anything get in their way of grabbing that special item on their list, and despite the announcement made by the store manager, running you down with a shopping cart or a little body bumping was certainly not out of the question. It was absolutely the craziest thing! I came home a little bruised up, but still in one piece and still couldn’t believe the experience! All and all it was worth it though. For the first time ever, I had finished all of my Holiday shopping in just a few hours and saved more money than I could have ever imagined and I got everything on my list.

So are you going to brave it, suit it up and get in on the “Black Friday” action? Well, you can always take the easy way out by ditching your suit of armor, staying in your PJ’s and doing all of your “Black Friday” shopping online, where an equal number of retailers are offering deep discounts and free shipping.

If you have a “Black Friday” story that you’d like to share, I’d love to hear all about it. Whatever you decide to do... just stay positive, be prepared, and have a bunch of fun with it!