I’ve done the Black Friday thing and, I’ll be honest, it’s not for me. I’ve actually come to avoid the stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas all together, but especially on Black Friday.
I have nothing against Black Friday shopping. I know some people can get great deals and stores can get a final boost in their 4th quarter sales. However, I will not be shopping on Black Friday this year. Why, you may ask?
1. Too Many People
I dislike crowds. Large amounts of people in small spaces gives me anxiety. I go to the grocery store at 9am on a Thursday just to avoid as many people as possible. Just thinking about the large amounts of people in the stores on Black Friday makes me break out in hives. I’m avoiding the crowds and staying home this year!
2. Causes Unnecessary Spending
We’ve all been there. We go with a list, but other tempting deals reel us in. Things we didn’t know we needed before we saw it on sale. Then all of a sudden, we had to have it. After coming home and realizing we went over our budget, we get a sickening feeling down in our stomach.
The best way to avoid unnecessary spending is to STAY. OUT. OF. THE. STORES. Don’t go! Just don’t! It’s not worth it! If you stay home, you won’t find things that you didn’t know you needed.
3. Better Deals Online
Really. Big. Confession. Time…. I have come to really dislike shopping in stores. If I do go to a store for something, I generally have a plan, make a beeline for the item, check out as quickly as possible, and get home. This has led me to the wonderful world of online shopping. I have found that I can find better deals online Black Friday than I could find in stores. Plus, I can do it from the comforts of my soft couch while sipping hot coffee in my fuzzy socks! Enough said.
4. Long Lines
See item 1. If large crowds make me break out into hives, large crowds in long, never-ending, lines would do me in. I will stick to my online shopping with my feet propped up on my couch!
5. Thanksgiving Day is Lost
Black Friday is cutting more and more into Thanksgiving Day. It seems like every year the stores are opening earlier and earlier on Thursday and employees are missing more of their holiday with family. Thanksgiving has become more about the shopping and less about the time spent with family. I’m spending my Thanksgiving and Black Friday with my family and friends enjoying lots of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie!
6. Goes Against the Reason for the Season - Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year and all the wonderful gifts God has given you. It’s a time to be grateful. Our hearts are not filled by the things that we have, but rather God’s blessings in our lives. Shopping on Thanksgiving encourages a less thankful attitude.
7. Sale Items Are Cheaper Brands
This is not always the case, but I have found that the sales on Black Friday are mostly on the cheaper, off-brands. It’s rare to see a Sony or Samsung TV dropped by 75%. You probably aren’t going to get a crazy deal on a MacBook Pro. The Nikon or Canon cameras are not going to drop in price that much.
I’m not saying that these brands don’t run sales on Black Friday. I know they are cheaper and can be found for great deals. However, the door buster items that everyone seems to flock to are generally not highly sought after brands.
On another positive note, the sales on the more popular brand names can usually be found online as well. So if you are going after that awesome Samsung TV, you can probably go online and get a good price Black Friday rather than beating the mad rush at the store!
For all of these reasons, I will be staying home Black Friday. Oh, and the leftover apple pie. I definitely won’t be leaving that to go out shopping! 🙂
Are you a Black Friday shopper?
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