The countdown to Black Friday has begun, with stores opening even earlier than last year. Many shoppers are planning to skip a relaxing Thanksgiving to stand in line for those tempting deals. But I won’t be joining them.
Sure, Black Friday has plenty of discounts, but the time you spend getting them just isn’t worth it. Why wait in line for an hour and a half to save $10 on something? You’d be better off working minimum wage during that time. Plus, lots of these deals aren’t so special that you can’t find them at other times during the year or online.
Speaking of online shopping, that’s the best option for deal hunting. Most of the great offers you see in stores can also be found online. You can shop from the comfort of your home, in your pajamas, without dealing with aggressive shoppers or long lines. Though not every deal is available online, and sometimes you have to hope your internet is faster than everyone else’s to snag a hot deal.
Being 7 months pregnant and needing my sleep, another reason I’m skipping Black Friday chaos is that I’ve already finished most of my Christmas shopping. While some people take pride in doing all their shopping on Black Friday, I’ve been buying gifts throughout the year, stress-free.
For the younger kids, I picked up their clothes right after Christmas last year. They grow steadily, so guessing the next size isn’t hard. I got toys during Target’s toy clearance in August. For the adults, I usually go for discounted gift cards from places like Costco or Sam’s Club. Even Vons has some good deals on gift cards. I can give them as is or hold out for a store deal that adds more value to the card.
For example, you can get $100 worth of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf gift cards for $79.99. You can split this up into smaller amounts, giving gifts to four people for less than $20 each, or buy a bunch of coffee and mugs from their website using coupons and promo codes. Some people might think coffee and gift cards are boring gifts, but they’re practical and appreciated. On the other hand, grabbing items just because they’re Black Friday deals might leave you gifting things nobody wants.
Call me the Black Friday grinch if you want, but I recommend enjoying a peaceful Thanksgiving with your loved ones and getting a good night’s sleep instead of chasing sales.
So, are you planning to shop on Black Friday this year? When will you be joining the lines?