Black Friday Shoppers???

not sure how you are telling them apart, everyone is spending money, from cash in envelopes to credit cards. there is no way to tell who would be considered "rich" or "poor" on BF that I have seen.

Was referring to the retailer vs the consumer. Hard to gain wealth when spending mindlessly. 

sulross - 2012-11-21 12:30 PM I can't even begin to think how rushing out after Thanksgiving dinner, or 3 hours before daylight the morning after, would benefit me. Life is too short. No one I know needs a "big ticket" item so badly that I have to stretch my budget to the hilt just to afford to buy the item on BF sales price. The games the retailers play to get you in and then take advantage of your "zeal to win" with purchasing just after a day of giving Thanks makes me sick. The holiday is meant to be a time of reflection and gratitude. I'd rather be at home watching movies with my family/friends, or eating homemade waffles with them the following morning than be rushing around trying to buy electronics, or other stuff. My .02. To each his/her own. If that's your family tradition, then I wish you well and I will give extra thanks that I won't be joining you

This X200.  Big box store with deals on products made overseas.  IF I do any shopping it will be on Saturday.

I did it a few years ago just to see what the hoopla was about. And to people watch (amazing!). I was sleeping on a lumpy couch at my grandparents so I was awake at 4 a.m. anyway... lol. I bought 3 items for other people, nothing for myself that day.

Don't think I'll ever do it again, but also won't look down on those who do. For some it's a hobby, and/or a big financial savings for items they'd purchase anyway. I don't feel right about faulting people for either.

My wife does the majority of Christmas shopping for both families on Black Friday. Last year we pre-picked everything in the ads in the paper then went and got them. Went to Target t 12:30am and got most of it, then she went out again at 5:00am and got the rest.

Didn't get anything for us, but saved us a lot of money on buying presents for our families. 

McFuzz and I peruse the ads and see if there is anything we absolutely "HAVE" to get on Black Friday.  Usually, we stay home for breakfast then go to the Santa Parade.  This year the grandson is 2 and will love the parade and we are planning on getting a Christmas tree on Saturday while I have most every one home.

Spent many,many years out shopping on BF with my mom and just don't enjoy it anymore.

I will be holed up in one of the bars in Vegas getting drunk while watching football. 

I think it's a good plan. 

went with my GF to the local target since it' opened @9pm.   She thought it was well organized and nothing like the mess it usually is.   while I was cooking she was going through all the ad's to see if there was anything that she needed, that was a good deal.  She goes for the hoopla.   I went just to see.  I was bored out of my mind. And we just got towels and new bed sheets that were a great deal.   then left.  She's out now following her plan. 

However she's from a large family of eight so she has more to buy for than me, so it is gifts for her family, & I give her credit, she comes up with a plan and sticks to it.

FTW!!!

Driving home last night from dinner, we passed the retail corridor right by our house around 8:30.  Walmart was packed beyond their parking lot.  Target had such a huge crowd we just had to drive into the frontage road to see how bad it really was.  HUGE line waiting to get in at 9:00. 

I actually will be shopping today.  Binny's, the local liquor store sent me a today-only 10% off coupon and I am fresh out of Basil Hayden.  I'll swing by after my swim so I won't feel so guilty.

So Paul, you're kind of wrong here.  It's more like, "the day the rich sweat and the poor gorge."

When I was younger, I took on some retail sales jobs.  They pay was most often base + commission off of quota.  The quota was so high, that you never got any commission, the negative just accumulated UNTIL the Thanksgiving-Christmas time.  With that, you broke even and then hopefully made up the difference and went into the commission black.

Now that I'm older and don't do that anymore, I still have friends who are in retail management.  The model still stands.  The reason it's called "Black Friday" is that many stores and chains run in the red year-long, operating under a deficit, and they hope and pray that starting Black Friday, they can recover and turn a profit on the year.  So in most cases, the rich (retailer) isn't "reaping", but rather "sweating in hopes of reaping".

The poor?  Well in "consumption-based, who gives a damn about debt" America.  So many people with little to no disposable income still go nuts on Black Friday.  They get their thrill, they get their toys, they get their big ticket Christmas...  And then in January they get the credit card statement and choke.