She is probably getting her car to go the Black Friday sales! LOL I am heading out to my car at 3:15 (it's 2:07 right now). I had set my alarm for 2 after going to bed at 8:30 but woke up at 1:17 and could not go back to sleep.

Yuck I hate putting my makeup on in the light from the lamp good thing I am going into only florescent lights!

Maybe I will see you at Fred Meyer, Walgreen's or Fashion Bug!

Don't forget some protein this morning before you go and pack a sandwich of leftovers to tide you over!

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Not this mommy. For the first time in many, many years, I am not going. There was just nothing in the ads that I absolutely had to have and/or would save enough to make it worth my while. Did you find the same or is cj just getting old and lazy? I seem to be doing about 75% of my holiday shopping online this year.

Are you going/did you go?
Where did you go and what did you get?
How was it?

cj/
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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

Not me either. I saw nada also that really made it worthwhile this year. I might venture out later on this afternoon as I find WalMart sometimes has things leftover/returned from the service desk from that morning. Same price. You know, those people that think they have to buy them ALL and then get up to the checkouts and realize they don't have enough money to buy them ALL. Lol. There were a few things I wanted from WM, am trying to get on Walmart.com and poof--it crashed at 5 a.m. Still isn't up, sooooo.... Guess I won't be getting what I wanted. Oh well.

Update: The site just came back up and I put the most important thing in and checked out. Now back to see what else is left...

Well I got two hours of sleep so I'm going back to bed. My son and I were at Younkers at 4:00 and got comforters for $19.99 (reg $120-$160), an 18pc Pyrex set for $14.99 and used the $10.00 off coupon for a 6 pack of mens Gold Toe socks that ended up being .50 cents!! Then off to Penneys and Sears to look around but didn't buy anything. We then met up with my sister and walked around with her for awhile. Went to wait at Scheels for them to open at 6:00. Got a bunch of mens hunting type socks for .99 cents, reg $5.99. My boys like them and I will give some to my 28 yr old godson who had testicular cancer and ever since his treatments his feet are always cold. My sister got some for the homeless shelter. I went to Kohls then and the lines were sooo long but I just wanted to look around at the people and what they were buying. Then I stopped at Michaels where they honored the Joanns Fabrics ad for 50% off Jolees stickers and then an extra 25% off the entire purchase. It was a nice morning!

PS. I called my girlfriend in another town and there was not one parking spot at their Walmart around 4:00! Our mall wasn't as busy as usual but with stores opening at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 that might be why there didn't seem to be such a rush. And the clerk at Michaels said on Thanksgiving night they had close to one hundred people waiting for the doors to open! It was worth it for them to be open afterall. And good for the economy!

Out the door at 3:45 and home by 8am. Longest line Kohl's, crazy store was Walmart, easiest in and out Pennys. Hit 10 stoes in all.

3 stors this morning Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's Club.. left house at 3:50 home at 7.. ant that included eating breakfast at Sam's Club... all that is left to buy is stocking stuffers

I didn't go early this year. There was nothing I really wanted. Went to Walmart about 8:30 this am. They had lots of items still. I was able to get the RCA mp3 player for hubby. They still had 3 boxes of them.
Judy

3 stores this morning Wal-Mart, Target and Sam's Club... out at 4AM home by 7AM.. and that includes eating breakfast at Sam's Club... except for stocking stuffers shoping is done

I was second in line at the Springfield Fred Meyer. I spent $400.00 and did not buy one single thing that was not at least 50% off with many items 60% or more off ($70 boots for $28 for example). Then I went to WalMart (I don't shop there) my friend works in the baby clothes dept and I was visiting her before I hit my next store. They were not full neither was the parking lot but they are 24 hrs so maybe everyone was done by 7 when I got there. I then went to Walgreens where I mostly bought things for the toy drives and some really great organic Carrot body butter marked down from $12.99 to $1.98 (I went back four times and bought four).
My big shopping at Freddy's was a mixture of things for my husband and myself, gifts for my family, and more toys and games for the toy drive.
I had to go to another Freddy's to exchange the boots for the right size LOL I bought the wrong size just to get the special morning price! It was worse at the Santa Clara Fred Meyer than the Springfield one.
I am tired I still have to take a nap and go to the bank.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I went out about 1pm today after stopping in CVS to get passport photos taken for DS and getting his application filed at the PO. The CVS "Free after Extra Bucks" offers were fantastic (Gatorade, Philips earphones, Colgate, Aussie, nail polish, lip gloss, King Size Hersheys, etc) and DS and I did them on two cards, spending just a couple bucks out of pocket.

I was able to get the ipod docking system for DS2 at Target that I was thinking about going out for at 6am and a raincheck for the other item that I wanted. Other than that, I mostly did returns and ended up being on the plus side for the day!

I thought the stores were not very busy at all....in the afternoon.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

CJ, I was with you! 7:00 came and went on the clock on my nightstand, and for once, I just couldn't rationalize it.

I tried to buy the morning paper yesterday, and it was sold out at the five gas stations that were even open. Unfortunately, it seemed that Sears had a $10.00 coupon for spending $50 on clothing items. I couldn't bear to shop without that coupon - and I couldn't find it online. That was the exact scenario for the other 3 stores where I wanted to shop. So I passed this time. It was painful, but it was the right thing to do. I am one of the few people who actually love the early morning shopping spree each Black Friday! But today, I was okay with keeping my $$ at home.

For you, though, CJ, it doesn't seem to be about laziness! You're so good to the military folk - you're the LAST one who could be described as lazy!

Old, though...hmmm.....

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"The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." - Thomas Russell

It took me four stops to get my paper yesterday. ONe store had some left but the employee was kind enough to tell me that they had been purchased and put back-I looked through them and sure enough the Younkers ads were gone. They always have a $10.00 off a $10.00 purchase coupon. On the fourth stop though I found a complete paper. With nothing I had to have this year it was really enjoyable out there shopping and not worrying.

I was home, haven't done BF for several years.
Even if I was tempted this year, I just didn't find anything in ads to make it worth my time. And this year we're spending much less. We don't do *big* gifts at Christmas here anyhoo (big gifts here come on bdays), just stockings and one big fam gift. Bought a Wii and Wii Fit a few weeks back for the fam gift, so we're set.
20 years ago I remember doing BF shopping w/my fave sis, and we always had a ball, fellow shoppers were in jolly moods, store personnel were the same. There used to be door prizes at stores for giveaways when we shopped, and those early morning forays were really worth the time.
The last Christmas I did BF shopping was 1998 or 1999. And that was the last year of killer online deals, the thing that changed my Christmas shopping habits. I remember spending just under $700 for 6 kids, dh, my folks, in-laws (7 of em!), 7 sibs, and friends. And that was the year we got a small color t.v. for about $25 (was that deal from Toys R Us?), a telescope, microscope, e-dolls and outrageous wardrobes for em for 2 dds, and small walkman type things for all the kids. Hasn't been the same since then, but I still do most of my shopping online since that time.
For at least the past 10 years it seems to me the deals haven't been worth the early morning hassle and the crowds seem to me to have been nastier than in the past.
My kids are all older now (youngest are teens) so I don't feel the need to hunt down the best deals for toys or clothing for holiday gifts, and that helps to curb my urges ;-) I might feel differently if I still had younger kids, I dunno.
MZ

I went to 4 different stores... 3 by 6 AM We hit Belks (gave out gift cards), Pennys, and Toys R Us. Then went to an electronics store and waited in line for 2 hours to check out! I really wanted the digital frame they had for 30.00, and an external hard-drive for dh. I am just about done with my shopping. Need to get one more thing for my mom, a few little things, and something else for my work presents.

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AKA: Airbornearmywife

I don't know about where you live but here the stores have extended the sales through at least today, Saturday. Of course there are not the "doorbusters" of yesterday. But if you ask me 50%-60% off regular prices if pretty darn good.
Now I know that this and that gets marked down to 50% quite often (or I would have NOTHING in my house LOL) but for EVERYTHING I want or need to be 50% off at the same time is worth my going out in the early morning hours.
Plus I don't know about the rest of you but this has become a tradition for me. Throughout the years I have gone alone or with friends depending on the circumstances and working schedules.
For those who love to shop (guilty your honor with no remorse) this day is like a hunting day. I get excited about my list hoping everything on it will be marked down if not then what can I get instead?
Also typically Black Friday is a day where I am able to get most of my winter coats, jackets, boots, and cold weather clothes as well as towels and sheets and other usually overpriced items for my own home.
It is fun-yes tiring and somewhat stressful (mostly due to rude people and the crowds) but I wouldn't miss it for the world!
And don't forget retailers base their projections on this day. If we all stayed home many people would lose their holiday jobs.
Stupid as it sounds and parts of it are really really stupid and somewhat counterproductive we live in a capitalistic consumer driven society and for the good of those who depend on supporting their families through retail earnings I am here! LOL supporting you now and throughout the year!
If you have to buy things this holiday season whether it be gits or clothes or household items I encourage you to do so now while the sales are on and now so that your friends family and neighbors can also have a Happy Holiday this year when there are so many pinching pennies.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.