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Make a plan so you can take advantage of the Black Friday deals that mean the most to you.
Yes, I know it seems like November just started and you probably haven’t even packed up the Halloween decorations yet — but it is time to start strategizing your Black Friday Shoppapalooza because it is less than three weeks away!
Haterz gonna hate, but you will have the last laugh when you are done with all your holiday shopping by the end of Thanksgiving weekend and know that you’ve saved possibly hundreds of dollars while doing it.
Like it or not, Black Friday has become part of the American holiday season. In fact, it seems like you can’t get away without a plan in place ahead of time, what with the massive crowds, the fact that pretty much every major retailer is in on the action, that the deals really are that good, and that it all takes place at ungodly times in the morning when one is better suited to sleeping off the food hangover from the excesses of the day before.
The first step, according to Consumer Reports, is to shop the Black Friday ads. It’s like The Art of War up in here, people: You have got to know your enemy. Continue reading »
Surprise them with something different this year.
Now that Thanksgiving dinner is out of the oven and leftovers are in the refrigerator, another holiday tradition has begun: Shopping. For many, the barrage of items available for sale, especially those geared toward children, can be overwhelming. If you’re looking for a unique gift, something beyond the standard Barbies and Legos, the 5th annual Toy Insider Holiday Toy Guide is a good place to start.
This year, the panel of toy experts teamed up with Women’s Day Magazine to suss out not just the hottest toys, but the ones most appropriate based on a child’s individual interests and skills. These are toys that help kids learn, become more active or enhance their social and emotional development.
The list is extensive, but here’s a few that caught my eye.
Teach My Baby, 6 Months+
The first in a series that also includes Teach My Toddler and Teach My Preschooler, this baby learning kit is divided into four sections—First Words, First Numbers, Self, and Sound & Touch. The makers claim this system has everything you need to “teach baby the basics,” including nesting blocks, finger puppets, puzzles and more. (And it comes in its own carrying case!) Continue reading »
Is it really worth all this?
As someone who loves to sleep and hates crowds, Black Friday sales have never interested me. But a few years ago, after much arm-twisting by my eldest daughter, I was convinced to give it a try. She and I got up before the sun on the day after Thanksgiving and hit the mall at 5 o’clock in the morning. After scoring a sweet parking spot, I thought we were in for a great shopping experience.
I was wrong. The stores were uncomfortably crowded, the salespeople were rude and the shoppers more so. The entire experience was stressful and I vowed never to do it again. I like a good deal as much as the next girl, but I would rather pay a little more and avoid being shoved around by the bargain-hunting masses first thing in the morning.
But according to experts, the assumption that I will pay more for my Christmas gifts if I sleep in on Friday is not necessarily true. In fact, they call that the Black Friday Myth. Continue reading »
Ho ho no! Gimme back my Thanksgiving, Santa!
The New York Times revealed today that Black Friday sales, traditionally reserved for the day after Thanksgiving, will start tomorrow (Friday, 10/29) at several big-box retailers. Wal-Mart and Sears will both be offering their customers deals this week and into the beginning of November, along with Amazon and Target.
According to the Times, “Black Friday creep has been around for a while, but analysts say this year breaks new ground: the range of stores offering early discounts is wider, the discounts are steeper and the sale periods longer — in some instances, a full month before the real thing.”
Along with sale creep, of course, comes holiday creep. Santa has already reared his ugly head in the candy isle at various drug stores, which is ridiculous. If retailers had their way, people would be passing out reindeer-wrapped Crunch bars in stockings next to jack-o-lanters with a sleigh carved in their side this Halloween. If Christmas creeps up anymore, soon it really will take place in July!
I say let’s reclaim Thanksgiving this year – for the kids. Continue reading »
Black Friday 2009 was a little calmer than 2008 — when at least one person died after being trampled by a stampeding crowd at Walmart. Though retailers adjusted a few things to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening again, some shoppers still managed to prove that common sense just isn’t their strong suit.
A Georgia couple left their two children, one 9 years old, the other just 9 months, alone in the shopping cart while they raced off to score Black Friday deals. Charged later with reckless conduct, the dad explained with a perfectly reasonable explanation: He thought the kids would slow him down.
Oh, well that explains it.
And then there’s this:
You’ll hear a lot about how times are tough this year, and how stores will be offering deep discounts. It seems like we hear that EVERY year, though, and this year is no different. People like to save money. That’s why lots of us drag our turkey-soaked heads out of bed before sunrise on Black Friday to scour stores for cheap stuff.
But why wait for Black Friday? Continue reading »
Walmart wants your money. The all important holiday shopping season is almost upon us and the super store chain will attempt to tempt consumers with cut rate deals. Last year Wal-Mart offered up 10 toys for $10 each. This year? Continue reading »
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