ChristmasShopping

Kids get to open one present each on Christmas Eve. It is always new PJ's... They also get to open one as a group-- normally a new movie and they get to go upstairs and watch it as they go to bed. Everything else is opened Christmas morning. Santa gifts aren't wrapped so they play with those first and then everyone does their stockings-- then after breakfast- we open the presents under the tree!

I think we will see the changes again this year! I think especially with places like Wal-Mart!

If I get big ticket items, I normally spend around $1200 but if it is just smaller stuff -- normally around $400.

Dh and I were talking to some friends who just moved here (Texas) from Michigan. I use to go shopping with the wife when I lived up there and we were telling the guys we use to stay out from 11 PM on Thursday until about 9 or 10 PM on Friday. They laughed and told us we exaggerated and NO ONE could shop that long! LOL! They haven't met people on this board then. So how long do you normally stay out shopping on Black Friday?

I shop for my sister and my mom. We sit down on Thanksgiving night and they give me the money and list of what they want.

Some years I go by myself.. and sometimes I go with friends or family. This year I think a friend of mine will be going with me. She is a big time shopper and I think she can keep up with me !

It was the Best Buy in Grapevine. I know the NRH's BB by the mall had people in line last year by noon -- our friends were there at 3 pm and talked to the people in the front. And I moved here from the Ohio/Michigan border.. I remember the cold snowy Black Fridays!

I'm in the DFW area and I ran by BB on my way to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. I HAD TO stop and ask the guy who was first in line what time he got there. He said he got there at 6 am (Thanksgiving morning)!!

I use a locking hope chest at the end of my bed, the attic and luggage. We have a closet that is full of luggage and I put presents in them and then lock them. We have a chair that sits in front of the door because we don't really use the closet except for storage. No one ever goes in there and I know they don't have a clue there are presents in there.. not even DH!

If I remember correctly, it opened the first week of September (but I could be wrong).

I made my list of things I will be looking for when the Black Friday ads come out & boy is it a long list!! (and yes I know it is early but I have lots of people to buy for!) I can't wait for the forum to open up!! It was fun to read all the threads last year!

I have been checking in once or so a week to see any news on Black Friday.. so glad I am not alone with my love of BF! Also, been wondering about McD's Monopoly/Best Buy! I hope they do it again this year!

I had a BF dream/nightmanre too! I thought it was just me or the Nyquil I took! I had a dream the other night that I was at Target and it was a mess!! I asked a person at the store what was going on and she told me it was Black Friday silly :eyepoppin ! I looked at my watch and realized it was late afternoon and I had overslept!! :tired: :eyepoppin I woke up in a panic! Doesn't look like I will be sleeping on Thanksgiving night. :tired: .. !!

I normally by a couple of the toys that are on sale on BF for our annual toy drive at our church.

There is NO WAY I would take it. A guy that was behind us in line last year had a portable DVD player and movies with him all night. Then he threw it in his car on his "potty break". We ran into him in the parking lot and he was with the police filling a report. His window had been smashed and someone had taken his DVD player and his movies. They think someone saw him throw it in his car and waited for him to go into the store to grab it.

How about- a small packet of kleenex small bags of pretzels, chips or snacks book of cross word puzzles

I like the binder idea too. Especially for taking in with me to Wal-Mart for Price matching. Thanks for the idea!

My do over would have been not going to all the other stores when I could have just price matched 90% of it at Wal-mart when I was there that morning!

Last year was the first year that I PM at Wal-Mart. The cashier was quick with my price adjustments and told me that A LOT of people were price matching that morning. I actually gave her my Target ad so she could price something herself at her break!

My family already knows I am NUTS. :cheesy: .. but they are too! LOL! I have been going out on BF for a long time and have been joined by my DH, Mom, Sister, SIL, and MIL. This year I will be taking my best friend with me. She worked retail for years and HATES Black Friday:eyepoppin . But I have convinced her to go out with me and see the "other side" of Black Friday! But she still thinks I am nuts!

We don't wait until after dinner to rip into the ads. We do it over breakfast as we are getting food ready for the big meal. We leave them on the kitchen table all day for people to look through and we also leave a couple pads of paper on the table for people to mark down what they want. Later that evening when all is calm and the kids are watching the first Christmas video of the season, we go through them again and rank them in importance. Then we break it up into those going out really early (Best Buy) and those going out a little later (Wal-Mart, etc). Everyone gather's their lists and groups and makes plans. This year, I will be hitting Wal-mart (if they have anything good) with my best friend. We are sending the men to line up at Best Buy! I can't wait to see the ads! I am so excited. This will be the first year my best friend goes out on BF. She worked in retail management for years and HATED BLACK FRIDAY (is that allowed to be said here! LOL!) So this year I am taking her out and showing her the other side of the day.. the fun part!

We will be hitting the DFW area in Texas.

Normally head out around midnight or 2 am depending on where I am heading. Normally make it home around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I am normally done shopping by 11 am but end up going to lunch with shopping buddies and then to the mall to walk around and see all the "crazy" shoppers! :eyepoppin

Two of my local Hallmarks also had a huge selection of things at 75%. They even had some Dept. 56 items for 75% off.

Thought it was just me and my computer! Glad to see that it isn't .. Had to come through the regular Gottadeal.com to get here!