reading books or playing checkers? what about familes who have small children to buy for? TOYS ARE EXPENSIVE! and I don't care what anyone says, maybe I'm one of those "professional" black friday shoppers, but there are PLENTY of good deals, especially at Wal Mart and Target. You have to compare ads in advance and be prepared to ask management to honor a sale at a competitor. (FYI: Walmart matches a competitors price and will BEAT IT by 5% but you have to ask for it!)
Quantities are also not as limited as you think, with the exception of electronics. However, four years ago I got 3 DVD players for $19 each and the first one stopped working this year. Well worth the $19 in my opinion and there were HUNDREDS in the store. So don't believe the hype, go prepared and don't stress out if they don't have what you wanted, go home and order it online. So enjoy the crowds and a CHEAP breakfast at McDonald's and continue (or start) a family tradition of Black Friday SHOPPING!

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This article makes a lot of sense to me. i only go to the mall when I have to and i know what I want and I get it and leave. that's hard to do from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, especially on the week ends.

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Money is tight. It is going to get tighter next year. Twenty companies have already announced over 200,000 layoffs in the coming months. There are going to be many more to come. If you are smart you will save your money for when you get laid off. No point in going into debt and then losing your job. You'll need that money for food later on. Makes no sense to me anyway.

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I used to work at Bass Pro and we would get in about 5 or 6 of the big Black Friday items in the flyer and they would sell out INSTANTLY. Usually to employees. Then we would bait and switch the customers into "the next step up". That place is SO crooked!

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Can't wait for Black Friday.....you have to compare the stores ads and find the best deals. I finish most of my family in one day. Plan ahead, go prepared. We will be eating Thanksgiving dinner, 23 of us, at noon to START A LINE, around 3 pm. Expensive lunch....never....my treat is hitting the sales. Bring snacks and beverages in my cooler! You really need a lesson in how to shop and prepare!!!!

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Black Friday doesn't even exist in our family.....thank you Mom and Dad...we, as a family...and even extended family members know that that is when we make our traditional rock candy and we have since I can remember...we start by 7 am and we don't finish until early evening. We have an assortment of left-over Thanksgiving food...that we eat together as we work!! I have to say 'that it is more fun than going shopping and it encompasses (sp) the whole family with laughs, stories and great times....I wouldn't change it for the world....the best is when we can give it out to our friends, packaged just nicely, to start off the Holiday Cheer!! I am hoping more people can start or have a Holiday tradition as my family has the day after Thanksgiving and will have for many years to come!!!

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Sorry. Black Friday is already a tradition in my house. I have very little money to work with and have to save money where I can. I have got most of what I have went for in previous years. I won't fight someone else for something. (I've seen it happen and it is NOT in the Christmas spirit!) I've learned to always have a back up plan if I don't get the first choice of what I went after. My kids have always been happy with what they have got and I can still pay my electric bill. For the most part I've had a good time,made friends in line waiting for the store to open, and had a good breakfast at home later or at McDonalds for $2 or $3 bucks. I guess you could say I have gone pro because I do well on my trip and have most of my gifts bought by Dec. 1. Then I have time to start the real family traditions like baking, decorating, you know, the fun things to do with the kids. I think they would prefer that to checkers any day.

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I will shop on Black Friday, aka the after Thanksgiving sales, for the best deals. What other day of the year can you get deep discounts of up to 50 to 60 per cent off on items? I look at circulars after I finish Thanksgiving dinner and the night before right before Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Most of my Christmas gifts I get on Black Friday and the weekend. I make a list without going overboard. But I don't get up THAT early like 5 am; the crowds are only on those first 2 hours. I've gone at 9 am and the lines are cooled down by then. When I was in the Atlanta area on Thanksgiving vacation in 2006, most of the items I wanted at a Lithonia store were sold out. Ended up not getting anything in the Atlanta area. Wanted to get something at a Panola Road Wal-Mart in Lithonia (the green colored store off Exit 71 on I-20), but that got scrapped.
In these hard economic times, I hope that most of us think smart this time shopping on Black Sunday without splurging or going overboard like in past years. Just keep a limit on what you want to purchase for your loved ones for Christmas.

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I personally feel it's to stressful to try to go through the sales on "Black Friday" and prefer to be at home relaxing; where someone else might find a shopping trip to the store or mall very relaxing despite the hurried crowds around them. Both of my children love to shop on "Black Friday" and get real excited when they score a great deal for themselves or their kids. I usually do all or most of my shopping after the holidays for the next year and then pick up little things throughout the year when they have great sales; this keeps me from having one big bill all at one time as weel that takes a whole year to pay off. I have seven grandchildren and its the cheapest way for me to shop. I guess to each its own and may you all have a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannukah" this year!

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I love Black Friday. It rocks The hunt for the perfect present, getting up @ 5am to be at the store for 6 meeting new people. It's an adventure, where is your "do or die" spirit? Ok maybe this isn't for you, you should try "Cyber Monday" all the fun of Black Friday from the comfort of your house.

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We have used Black Friday to our advantage. In the early years we got up early, found stuff we wanted, found stuff we could sell on Ebay, came home, processed the rebates, listed stuff on Ebay - ended up keeping about $1000 worth of Christmas gifts that had a net cost of $100.

But in recent years those deals have not been there.

Then we discovered sites like the one mentioned in PCWorld and on MSN http://www.2008 BlackFridayAds.com They list both the 2008 Black Friday Ads plus good deals you can buy now. We have used them and have already made Christmas gift purchases of items they had listed that could be purchased prior to 2008 Black Friday.

I think the deals this year will be online, before, during and after 2008 Black Friday.

Happy shopping!

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You can get additional savings by using online coupons for many retailers. I use http://www.CouponCorner.com

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