Deals, Fights, and Craziness -- My Black Friday Diary

Some say that Black Friday is nothing but a bunch of crazy shoppers looking for great deals. And one may say that they are right, but somehow the shoppers have become way crazier than the deals. This weekend while doing my Black Friday shopping I learned a few things about the whole ordeal.

I started my shopping on Thanksgiving day at Old Navy.  In the Old Navy ad they had a $10 off coupon if you spend $50. By the time I got to Old Navy around 2:30 pm there were only a few shoppers, nothing too crazy. The deals weren’t amazing, but it was a good enough discount to get me in the store. I left with gifts for myself and family and saved $50.23.

That night however at Wal-Mart was crazy. The doors opened at 10 pm, but some of the electronic deals didn’t go on sale til’ midnight.  When I walked in I got my ticket for a 32’ Emerson TV, I had my sister wait in line while I ventured out into the store to get some stuff for my mom. The place was packed. I didn’t even bother getting a cart because I could barely move around myself, let alone with a cart. While shopping I realized that common courtesy doesn't exist on Black Friday. Everyone was so worried about getting what he or she wanted that they were willing to do whatever it took to get it. People were ramming carts into each other, screaming at each other, and there was even a fight between two ladies for a doll.

Some of the electronics that didn’t go on sale til midnight were wrapped in black plastic. But all of a sudden people started tearing the plastic off to see what was there. Then I realized that if everyone would just play fair, it wouldn’t be so crazy -- but not too many people were coming to the same realization. I ended up leaving Wal-Mart with a TV and 2 movies and saved $84.93.

By the time I walked out of Wal-Mart it was around 1:30 am. Next, I headed to Kohl’s.  Again I had a $10 off coupon if you spent $30 and for every $60 you spent you’d get $15 of Kohl’s cash. I didn’t end up buying anything because the wait to pay was almost two hours. Kohl’s was busy, but nowhere near as hectic as Wal-Mart.

My last stop of the night was Target. When I walked in, it was 2 am. The place was practically empty and they had a lot of stuff still in stock. I bought two TV series and a movie. I saved $64 at Target and was in and out of the store in about 30 minutes.

Savings is what Black Friday is about. I saved a total of $199.16, but was it worth it? For me it was. I didn’t get into any fights or confrontations, and I got everything I needed and wanted. What I learned though bothers me. People don’t look out for one another anymore, and people don’t play fair. Society has turned selfish -- and Black Friday is a showing of that impulse. Everyone has the same motive on Black Friday, and that is to get the deals. What everyone needs to remember though is common courtesy. If they get it first its theirs, if it doesn’t go on sale til midnight wait, and if someone needs help moving there cart, help them. We'll see what happens next year.