The Life of Bon: I went shopping on Thanksgiving. I am not a crook.

Sunday, December 01, 2013

I went shopping on Thanksgiving. I am not a crook.


A week or so ago I read this interesting blog post by Matt Walsh entitled "If you shop on Thanksgiving you are part of the problem."  I thought he made some good points but mostly I wasn't terribly concerned because I was planning on spending the entirety of the day with family.  There wasn't anything particular I was wanting to buy on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.

Yet.

You see, I've had my eye on a DSLR for awhile.  Thanksgiving day I saw an offer at Wal-mart for a DSLR package that included two lenses, camera case, and 16 GB memory card for over $250 below the usual asking price.  Now that's hard to pass up.

But I didn't really want to go out on Thanksgiving.  Walsh's blog post was still ringing in my ears and this line, especially, seemed to play itself over and over in my mind:

"How appropriate, then, that a holiday created by our ancestors as an occasion to give thanks for what they had, now morphs into a frenzied consumerist ritual where we descend upon shopping malls to accumulate more things we don’t need."

I also have a lot of students who have to work Thanksgiving and Black Friday so it felt kind of cruel of me, their own teacher, to be among the group of people who make teenagers work on holidays.  On top of all that, I felt some allegiance to my old man, who loved Thanksgiving more than anything.  Certainly I couldn't dishonor him and his favorite holiday by hitting the sales just minutes after saying thank you for what I had been given.

So I resolved myself to wake up Friday morning and go get the camera.  No big deal, right?  

Thanksgiving night Greg and I were playing games with my brother and his wife.  On their way out, about ten o'clock, they mentioned they might stop at the outlet mall that is practically in our backyard just to see what sales are going on.  Mostly I like being around people and I like having fun so I told Greg we should go just to look and see if there was anything interesting.  I caved.

The outlets were an absolute mess.  We should have known purely by the amount of cars that we were in for a walking disaster.  We entered American Eagle where the entire store was 50% off.  It was a mad house.  The line to try anything on was 20-30 minutes and the line to check out was at least that long, if not more.  You couldn't even turn around in the store.  People were acting like chimpanzees, screaming and beating their chests.

It took Greg all of about seven minutes to abort the freak out of there.  
"I can't take this, Bonnie!" he exclaimed, "I'm going home!"  
"You can't go home, we drove together!" 
 "I'll walk."  
"Seriously?!  You are going to walk home in the freezing cold rather than just stay and look around?" 
 "Yes."  And he was off.

Which left me by my lonesome at 10:30 on Thanksgiving night fighting a mob of serious shoppers for a cheap pair of jeans.  It wasn't pretty.

The whole thing ended up being too insane, even for me, and so I decided to just go home shortly after Greg had hightailed it out of there. Although the sales were great, the lines were not even close to worth it for things that I didn't particularly need or want.

I walked to the car and headed toward home.  Then the idea dawned on me. As long as I was already out I might as well just hit up Wal-mart for that dumb camera and then come home.  That way I wouldn't have to worry about it Friday and could just relax and enjoy the day.  I was out already anyway.  I turned around and drove on toward Wal-mart.

By the time I got to Wal-mart at 11:00 on Thanksgiving night I was feeling tired and ornery and ready to put the whole thing behind me.  The electronics section of Wal-mart was exactly what you would expect it to be- pure chaos.  People were rifling madly through shopping carts full of marked down merchandise and there wasn't a worker in sight anywhere.  Finally I found a woman in a blue shirt trying to pretend like she didn't work there.

"Do you work here?"  I asked.
"Yes.  Shhh."  She replied, averting my gaze and trying her best to look incognito.
"I'm looking for a Canon DSLR package that is on sale today."
"Check the carts" she said without even pretending to listen or care to what I had just asked her.
"You put $500 cameras in those carts?"
"Oh!  It's a camera?"
"Yah."  I showed her my ad.
She literally laughed in my face, "We sold out of that hours ago!"
"Hours?"  That seemed a little dramatic.
"Oh yah.  We opened at 6 pm.  They were one of the first things to go."
"And you won't be getting any more?"
"Not on that sale."
"Not even tomorrow?"
"Nope.  The sale was for today."

And just like that I walked out of Wal-mart empty handed.

So I guess that's where I disagree with the Matt Walsh post.  I didn't want to go out on Thanksgiving night, I didn't want to buy anything.  Out of pure interest I went to the outlet malls, and then out of a desire to avoid an inconvenience the next day, (and a little bit of panic that I would miss the deal) I went to Wal-mart. I did, in fact, miss out on the deal entirely because of my tardiness and left the store empty handed.  I tried to stand up for some kind of cause and not go shopping on Thanksgiving and because of that I will be spending an extra $250 on my camera if I choose to buy it.

I admit, I was frustrated by all of this.  I was frustrated that if I didn't get there right at 6 pm that I didn't stand a chance of saving $250.  I was frustrated at myself for not just showing up at 6.  Mostly, I was frustrated by the implication of Walsh's blog post that I need to stand up for a cause and sacrifice myself and my money in honor of Thanksgiving day. I don't at all believe that I am the problem, as Matt Walsh suggested, nor do I believe that the other shoppers who did get there at 6 pm and did get the camera deal are the problem.  I believe Wal-mart is the problem.  And Best Buy.  And Kohls.  And any other store that opened its door on Thanksgiving night.  They didn't have to open on Thanksgiving.  They could have ran their deals at 8 am on Friday morning, but they decided to open on Thanksgiving night and they decided to make teenagers work retail on Thanksgiving night and they decided to give ridiculous deals that any sane human being would have a hell of a time turning down for the cause of Thanksgiving.  I didn't make the stores do it, nor do I agree with it, but I don't think it is a sin for me to save $250 at 6 pm on Thanksgiving night if that is an option for me.  Certainly I wish the deal were available another time but if I find the savings too hard to pass up, I am not "part of the problem."  I am a teacher, my husband is an actor.  We are not rolling in money and so when there is a terrific deal on an item that we need (I realize this is an extremely relative term as our first world status means that all of our most basic and essential needs are well taken care of.) it doesn't seem fair that I should have to take up the cause of Thanksgiving and stay home while someone else gets the deal.

So, Matt Walsh, don't blame me.  Blame K-mart and the mall and capitalism and consumerism and whatever other words you want to throw around, but human nature is that if someone does not have much money and there is a chance to save a lot of it by showing up at an inconvenient time, people will take that chance-  Thanksgiving or not.  If I don't show up to get the great savings someone else will (and did!) and then I am the one who loses.  Stores could run that deal on a wedding day, a birthday, your sister's funeral and people would still show up because the savings are too great.  We should stop pointing fingers at each other for wanting to save a few hundred bucks and instead place the blame on stores for being open in the first place. 

Oh, and while we're on the topic of Black Friday deals, my best friend has got some terrific deals going on in her jewelry shop through this week.  I posted this on Friday but I don't know that a lot of people in the world were reading blogs on Friday.  Check out Amy's shop here- she sells very affordable and classy jewelry.  Through December 6 all jewelry is 35% off with the code lifeofbon35.

Oh, and to really sweeten the deal we're giving away five $25 prizes to readers. Count, em FIVE!  Winners will get a heart necklace and their choice of two sets of stud earrings.  Only mandatory entry is to follow @miaearrings on Instagram.  Entries thus far are very low so your chance on winning one of five sets is very high.  Get entering!




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59 comments:

  1. Love this post! I have read your blog for a while but never comment (total creeper reader). Anyway... I am a college student and work at a Macy's in Utah and we opened at 8pm on thanksgiving. I couldn't go home and be with my family for the holiday because I had to work at 7pm on thanksgiving and then for over 20 hours the rest of the weekend! It's not the shoppers, it's the corporate pigs who think that by opening stores on thanksgiving they are giving the consumers what they want. I 100% agree with you. Shoppers will come any day, any time for a deal. The last day it should be is thanksgiving!

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    1. I love total creepers! See, that is the worst not being able to go home for Thanksgiving so you can work retail. Seems like such a waste. If it makes you feel any better, I spent MANY MANY holidays busting my butt at a Sizzler in Provo. It's only for a season!

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  2. Awesome post Bonnie. What you said is so true!

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  3. I actually have a similar post going up today. I was adamant about not going out shopping on Thursday, but there was a deal I couldn't pass up. We were done with all of our festivities and after going back and forth on whether I should go out, I went out. I'm still mad that businesses were open and that this is now a new trend. Thanksgiving should always be about time spent with family!

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    1. See that's what I'm talking about- they make the deals sweet enough and even the strongest will break and than we all go around blaming each other for falling for $300 off deals. Doesn't seem fair!

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  4. Well said, Bonnie! Being a Brit, I thought I'd be safe from all the Black Friday madness, and even though I didn't hit the shops on Friday (only at 10pm at night to do my food shopping, but that's another story!) there were (for the first time in Britain) Black Friday deals in some (American-owned) stores and people went mad! My cousin told me that at Asda (who are owned by Wal-Mart) one woman rammed her trolley (shopping cart) into another man's because he had two £99 TVs when it was one per customer. He said he was waiting for his brother to come and get the other one but she wouldn't let him move until he sacrificed his second TV. It's utter madness and I blame the Media and the Corporate Big Wigs completely for making us want stuff we simply don't need, bought with money we don't have! x

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    1. Oh wow, I didn't realize that Britain didn't do Black Friday deals. Sounds like a dream! Give it ten years though, I bet you'll have those Black Friday deals coming out of your ears. It's madness!

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  5. To me, it seems like our country is totally out of hand. Everything in excess.

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  6. "I believe Wal-mart is the problem. And Best Buy. And Kohls. And any other store that opened its door on Thanksgiving night."

    Well, they wouldn't do that if the masses didn't flock there to spend money! Supply and demand, you know.

    I agree with Matt Walsh.

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    1. I see your point but don't you think masses will flock any time of day any day of the week if it's that great of a deal. I admit it's a negative part of human nature, but it is what it is and so any day or any time that they are offering that deal people will show up. Why do they have to offer it on Thanksgiving night?

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    2. Honestly, Bonnie, it is the shoppers' faults. If shoppers refused to show up on holidays, stores wouldn't open for them. Don't just look at this one year, with stores opening on Thanksgiving night. Look at the last decade and the changes of Black Friday. Stores used to open at their normal times on Black Friday with their amazing deals... Customers lined up hours in advance. So stores started opening at 6am with their amazing deals... Customers lined up hours in advance. Each year, the customers show up early, convincing stores to open earlier next year. Give it another five years, and Thanksgiving will be just as bad as Labor Day or Memorial Day, with retail stores operating under normal hours.

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    3. Hmmm. Interesting food for thought. So if I understand you correctly you are saying that stores open early because the people are lined up outside early so for the next year they just decide to go ahead and open earlier so the people don't have to wait in line? I don't know that I entirely agree with this... I think retailers would open earlier regardless of whether shoppers were lined up outside. Anytime you tell people they can save hundreds of dollars just by showing up, they are going to do it. I don't know that you can fairly blame them for that.

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  7. I had to come back and comment a second time because I just heard on the radio about events at Walmart this Thanksgiving/Black Friday.... multiple people getting STABBED over parking spots, arrested for fighting over TV's, someone spit on a BABY, and another left a 2 month old INFANT in the car to go shopping. You still think its the stores' fault and not the people? Humanity is so damn sad. If you build it, they will come.

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    1. And that is absolutely depressing.

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  8. Oy, this is why I'm afraid of Black Friday……..this sounds HORRIBLE!!! Glad you survived!

    Carly
    www.lipglossandcrayons.com

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    1. Have you never done Black Friday shopping? You are missing out on some truly wild madness! Every year I say it's my last year but I just can't pass up the 50% savings...

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  9. I went shopping on Turkey day and am just fine with it. I'm the PT hotel worker who normally would be working on the holiday as hotels don't shut down (as lots of others don't) so honestly unless the entire world stops, someone will always be working on holidays. I went with few goals, nothing big like the camera, and walked away with the items I did eyeball.

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    1. Good point... there are certain professions that will always have to work holidays because like you said, the world can't just stop. I guess it just seems a waste for people to miss Thanksgiving for some $9 an hour retail job.

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  10. I agree with what Paige said above--everything is in excess. I was explaining to a family member of mine about a TV I saw on sale that was, as you mentioned about your camera, well under the normal asking price. This family member happened to be my grandma and she said something back to me that really put the whole day in perspective, "When I was your age, we didn't worry with what sale was on a TV if we already had one that wasn't broken." I felt really guilty after she said that, but I loved reading your take on this same situation! Thanks for a great read, Bonnie!

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    1. Wow, great perspective from grandma! I think that's what we all need to remember- we all have so much already that there is truly nothing we need on Black Friday, it's all just gimmicks by store owners.

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  11. Not sure which DSLR you were looking for, but the Canon Rebel T3i is on sale today on Amazon - camera, extra lens, case & 32GB memory card for 538$ before tax. :)

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    1. I ended up getting a camera from Amazon!

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  12. Anonymous8:53 AM

    I completely agree with this post! I went shopping on Thanksgiving because as a broke college student I cannot afford to buy gifts at full price. Did I feel a bit guilty for shopping? Yes. I'm not the one who decided to open the stores though.

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    1. Exactly! I don't want to go to the stores at that time but I am forced to because that's when the decide to open!

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  13. I think it's so cute that you thought they would still have that camera even five minutes after 6 p.m.! I bet they were gone at 6:01! I'm not a well seasoned Black Friday shopper, but in Arkansas, if you want to get a deal like that, you better be at the store a few hours before 6 (if not the day before), so you can get a spot. And you better come with friends, so you can hold each other's spots and help get each other's items.

    I know some people said it was better that the sales started on Thanksgiving night because they weren't waiting out in the freezing cold in the middle of the night. And I actually read a great rebuttal that discussed how some people just want to work on those days, make that extra cash, etc.--but waiting for the sale to start cuts too far into the holiday, and I know a lot of people didn't even have a choice as to whether they could take off or not. "Holiday" does mean "holy day" originally, and it's lost some of its holiness. (I know Thanksgiving isn't necessarily a religious holiday, but it does have some religious meaning.) I think it also speaks of a change that needs to happen in society. We need to pay more people a living wage (so there is not as much pressure to seek out items at the very lowest prices), offer better benefits so they can afford to put their families first (not just in a "meeting-their-needs" sense), and foster a change in our society so that we value each other and the time spent on them rather than expressing our love with material goods.

    Don't get me wrong--I'm all for a good deal and love the excitement in the air on Black Friday. But I think both shoppers and the companies are at fault. The companies open to get shoppers in, and shoppers come in, which supports this notion that they should be open...and the vicious cycle continues.

    However, with the sales starting earlier and earlier (including online "Black Friday" sales that started at the beginning of November, I think Black Friday is fading away.

    (Sorry for the long rant. I'm still working through my feelings on this!)

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    1. Interesting point... I can see how Black Friday may become a thing of the past as retailers all begin to start their sales whenever they feels like it. Also, funny that you described my thinking I could get a camera later as "cute." More stupid to me!

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  14. People are so worried about taking the retail workers away from their families, but in all honesty there are a lot more people out there working on holidays! If you stop for gas, travel through an airport, stay in a hotel, even watch football or newscasts on Thanksgiving those people are not with their families. I agree with you regarding the retailers being the problem--they have the choice to shut down and allow their employees time with family while other industries just don't have that option!

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    1. I totally agree. I worked many holidays at Sizzler when I was working through college. I think what rubs people the wrong way with retail though is that there doesn't seem to be a "need" to open on Thanksgiving as with places like airports or gas stations.

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  15. Seriously, just YES to this post. My family has always done Black Friday, but not on crazy terms. No lining up for hours or fighting other people for stuff, but we like to go as a family right when the stores open and just grab whatever cheap stuff is available there that we don't have to maul others for, and that we would buy anyway at a higher price. That became a little tradition for us in itself. And as the stores began to open earlier and earlier, I started feeling guiltier about going. But honestly, it's no one's fault but the stores. I'd even go as far as to say it's not any big-name retailer specifically who's at fault - it's the nature of the beast. Competition, the economy, etc etc. I will say though that they did a smarter thing this year where they had sales at intervals (like Walmart did their 6pm window, 8 pm window, 8 am window) and had different big ticket items at each interval - there was a lot less trampling and fighting because of this system, I feel like, but I wish maybe they could push it back one day later. Wouldn't that be nice?

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    1. I agree! I thought the interval thing was brilliant and hopefully more stores will adopt something similiar. (Although slightly confusing and also I imagine it would be frustrating if you were looking for more than one thing and had to keep coming back at different hours)

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    2. I loved the interval system as an employee because it gave me a slight twenty minute break in the craziness right around 7:40. I love working Black Friday/Thanksgiving usually, but it just sucked that I had to work all afternoon and evening this year!

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  16. I love this post and your whole perspective. I completely agree! My husband was laid off a couple years ago and since then we have struggled around the holidays (because he just hasn't been able to find as good of a job since then). We just don't have extra money. We have 5 kids and I want to give them the world (even though they don't ask for anything close to that ;). I go out in the evenings to shop for them because I know it will bring my sweet kiddos a happy Christmas. They get to stay at home with grandparents who dote on them (after we have already spent a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday together) and I get some great deals. Win-win. I do wish stores didn't open until Friday. It actually worked out better for me this year though because I had to work on Friday and probably wouldn't have gotten half the deals I did if the stores hadn't been open Thanksgiving night. Now I'm rambling, but truly. I liked your post and I hate being judged for shopping on Thanksgiving.

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    1. Love this perspective! For some it really is a necessity not a luxury to get those black Friday deals! I can't afford to pay an extra $250!

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  17. Love this post! I agree with both you and Matt. Its kind of a vicious circle. The stores open earlier, so the people go to get the deals, the store make their sales forcast so they open earlier the next year. Soon it'll be midnight Thanksgiving morning when the sales start! I've just blogged about Black Friday too because I actually work in retail. I worked overnight from 5pm to 5am on Thanksgiving morning just to get everything ready and then had to be back at 7:30pm for the store to open at 8. Honestly it ruined my holiday. Its the one day of the year I truely hate my job and that's saying a lot because I love my job. It doesn't help that most of the people that do come out are rude and crazed. I really wish there was some kind of law saying retailers can't open on Thanksgiving. Its a national holiday for crying out loud! No one's open on Christmas or Easter and those aren't even holidays that everyone celebrates. In Illinois there is a law against car dealerships opening on Sundays - why can't we have a law like that for Thanksgiving so we can spend that time with out families. Being greedy can wait a day. blonderblogger.blogspot.com

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    1. I agree! I love the idea of making it a law that retail can't be open on Thanksgiving. I also think restaurants should be closed because I waited tables on so many holidays, it is depressing!

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  18. It might be worth it to check out some of the deals on Amazon (or other places) for Cyber Monday. Here's a link to the camera we bought in the summer:

    http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-Double-Zoom-18-55mm-55-200mm/dp/B00CCGZ6PO/ref=sr_1_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1386011653&sr=1-1

    As far as a DSLR goes, it's a less-expensive option that still takes pretty great photos. Since I'm not a professional (yet), it's been a good way for me to practice my skills without breaking the bank. And it looks like it's about $170 off normal price right now.

    If you want to see the types of photos I've gotten lately, you can check them out on my blog (http://autodidacticambitions.blogspot.com)

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    1. That's exactly what I ended up buying after I left Wal-mart! I'm waiting anxiously for it now... I am hoping I love it! :)

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  19. Loved your post! I stuck to online shopping this year...it made me feel slightly better about the whole Black Friday situation!
    Meet @ the Barre

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  20. oh this post! perfect.

    i couldn't agree with what you said more! I was after a DSLR deal too, but couldn't bare to stand in the cold and all of the comments about how WE are the problem were rattling around in my head.

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  21. This is slightly off-topic, but Matt Walsh's blog has started to frustrate me. Originally hawked as a guy who was going against the mainstream thoughts has turned into what seems like a guy just angry about the mainstream or just being contrary to be contrary. I know that if I do check his blog, he's going to be ranting about some other "injustice" that he perceives and how everyone is wrong but him. No thank you.

    And also-- you're a braver woman than me for going out in that mess. Those Black Friday (Thursday) shoppers are CRAZY!

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    1. Haha. I don't necessarily feel that way about Matt Walsh, but I can see how you would. He's definitely passionate but if nothing else it gives me great food for thought. I know a lot who can't stand him.

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  22. It's a precarious balance, this issue. I am against the whole idea of having retail stores open just for the sake of shopping on a day that is historically intended for family togetherness. But then, I see the aspect that TONS of folks have worked holidays for YEARS (I worked at Starbucks through college and LOVED working holidays - time and a half plus awesome *pity* tipping baby!). I guess my own personal silver lining was in the fact that the retail reports for Black Friday weekend (accumulating totals for Thursday-Sunday) were down 3% from last year. So, you know, booyah retail monsters! I understand wanting to shop a good sale, I also understand wanting to work a holiday to get a little extra coin, but I do NOT understand the retail conglomerates who don't give their workers the choice of being open or not when they didn't make their profit projections anyway! Go you for trying to snake a great deal, and shame on Walmart for being open that early on a "family" holiday.

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    1. Oh I didn't hear that about sales being down 3%. I agree completely about the retail conglomerates not giving the stores the option of when to open. Do they really make more money by having their deals Thursday instead of Friday? I don't think so.

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  23. I love this! I ended up going out on Thanksgiving to get a super great deal, but it was a madhouse! Also, this sounds creepy, but you live by one of my best friends! We were outside chatting one day and you brought your dog outside!

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    1. not creepy at all! You should have said hi!

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  24. I love the Matt Walsh blog. We didn't plan on shopping on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, but we did. After Thanksgiving dinner, we decided to go out... not necessarily for the deals but for the experience. Besides if we were going to get any deals, we needed to be out there waiting hours and hours and hours beforehand. We ended up going out on Black Friday, but around 1pm, so it wasn't during the height of all the madness. I agree it is the corporations that are the problem, because they don't have to be open early. They can afford to be closed an extra day.

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    1. That's what we should have done! I feel like Friday afternoon is the perfect time to venture out.

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  25. Oh how I agree! Up until this year, I've always believed Black Friday and shopping on Thanksgiving was awful and should be avoided at all costs, not just because it goes against what Thanksgiving is all about, but I just didn't want to be involved in the craziness. But this year has been pretty hard on us financially and we've been trying to be as cheap as possible this season. So we went for the deals. And we got quite a bit- not just presents (so we wouldn't be reminded of how poor we were when we gathered around the Christmas tree) but also things we've long needed (like another pair of jeans so I don't have to wear the same pair every day. Literally). If it weren't for these 50+% off deals, we never would've been able to afford any of this and Christmas would be looking a lot more bleak. It was a HUGE blessing to us. And I understand it might not have been fair to the poor employees or to Thanksgiving as a whole, but it really really helped us out at a time when we really needed it (Christmas is freakin expensive, yo!). It brought me sooo much peace during a time of so much worry and stress. So yeah, I could use those good deals and if I have to show up on Thanksgiving to get them, I will. In the meantime, I'll just be grateful that they offer such great deals at all! And I'm grateful for a second pair of jeans.

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    1. Christmas IS expensive! I am glad to hear your perspective on this. It may create hardship for those who have to work, but it does make it so much easier for others. Thanks for adding your two cents!

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  26. "multiple people getting STABBED over parking spots, arrested for fighting over TV's, someone spit on a BABY, and another left a 2 month old INFANT in the car to go shopping."

    ...

    Seriously? That is extremely depressing! Sometimes I am so saddened and embarrassed to be part of the human race and therefore associated with these kinds of things on any level.

    I actually had a pretty enjoyable Black Friday shopping experience because I settled for the deals that I knew were attainable (at least for someone who didn't want to camp out) and strolled in around 10 a.m. All of the shoppers who were out all night were sleeping and it wasn't crowded at all. They even restocked the shelves! Wasn't that so nice of them? I'm sorry you had a less-than-ideal experience. I don't think Black Friday or other sales events are inherently evil, but I do think people can take things way, way too far.

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    1. What is your source on that quote? I believe it is from the onion because I read something earlier today that was very similar to that and if it is from the onion then it is false as the onion is a satirical/ falsified news source. I do agree, though, that the shopping brings out the worst in people!

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  27. Hi Bopper. Great post. Go easy on yourself. It's not a crime or a sin or morally wrong to go shopping on Thanksgiving. And I'm super sorry you didn't get the deal on the camera. I wish they would just wait 'til Friday to open their doors for shopping. It's nuts.

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  28. I like the diamond earrings.

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  29. Amen!! I started to leave you a comment but it was pretty long and I felt the need to share your post and my thoughts with everyone that wants to listen so you can find it here... http://www.todaywasafairytale.com/2013/12/my-message-to-bonnie.html

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  30. Complete honesty here, at first I read this and got really upset, and then I started to write a reply to somebody else's comment and have to agree with you now, Bon, if it weren't for the retail world being so greedy for the consumer's money, I wouldn't have missed out on Thanksgiving with my family. As it was, Walmart was dead the first half of my two to eleven shift and then complete craziness the other half. My question is, why can't the big wigs wait 12 more hours for our money? It's still gonna be there whether you put sales at 6p or 6a. Thanks for subconsciously helping me work through my opinions on this. & also, sorry for the book for a comment :)

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  31. Bonnie...I'll give you a hint of where to get cheap black friday deals...GO TO PRICE> My dad walked in kmart 600 pm Thanksgiving night and got the big tv he wanted. No lines outside for hours etc. Walmart may have had a line at 5 pm but you can totally get the deals you usually want. I have only done black friday down there or at the BX on base. I get the deals I want and go home. I got my DSLR camera on base thankfully due to the goodness of a manager and my pathetic look since I had the flu..she found me one! Sorry you missed out I do agree with your assessment of shopping on Thanksgiving.

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  32. And the bonus of seeing your Brothers...

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