mcwalker

The results of the poll are consistent with reports on the transition in Black Friday shopping. Slightly more people indicated they would be shopping the leading online sites than the leading stores. As many have commented in other threads, this was reflected by what most of us who did go to stores saw: somewhat fewer people overall (and also more spread out). The "winners" for in-store shopping were Target, Walmart, and Kohl's. The "winners" for online shopping were Amazon, Kohl's, and Target.

I looked around for the same thing, as I prefer prepaid service, but didn't find any, especially for the more recent higher end phones.

I did this poll for some years starting in 2010, but have skipped the past few years. So here it is again, with some changes to the list of stores. Select all answers that apply under each of the four questions. New this year: a question about shopping for mobile phones on Black Friday week.

Not sure about discounts at Cracker Barrel, but if you are a Rite Aid Wellness Plus member, you can buy one or two $50 Cracker Barrel gift cards at Rite Aid 11/28-11/30 and get $10 Bonus Cash per card, then use them at Cracker Barrel yourself. That is like getting 20% back.

This is a good deal, the best I have seen. But keep in mind that this is just for the collection kit. You (or the recipient) will still need to pay the lab fee for either the Ancestry Service ($69) or the Health + Ancestry Service ($169).

Note that this will only search listings that have been typed up. It does not read the ad scans.

For years I have stopped in all three pharmacies to pick up some items that are free after points back and a few other good deals (and the newspaper for the printed ads), and Walgreens used to offer quite a few of those deals. Not a single thing here this year, so this will be the first time I will skip Walgreens.

Regarding those pillows, if you have a Macy's nearby, you can get one for free after $10 mail-in rebate (see ad page 1). Just don't forget to submit the rebate form and receipt. It is one per household this year, but if you team up with someone with another address, you can get more than one if you buy and submit each separately.

Best Buy has various Apple Watches in their sale. Free shipping too, in case you don't have one near you.

I typed up much of the ad and did not see any cables. Best Buy tends to overcharge for them. Look at Walmart, Amazon, and monoprice.com.

Many or most of the TVs will be available to order online and all shipping is free. Some may be available at the Black Friday price now, so it is worth checking once you decide which TV(s) you want (and also compare with the other stores).

Hate these early hours. I have gone for the JCPenney coupons sometimes in the past, sometimes getting more than one per family member (don't ask). I will be in Massachusetts this year, so openings will be after midnight, but the closest JCPenney is not in the town where I expect to start and where most of the stores are. Just the same, maybe I will head that way if other items on my list aren't time sensitive.

Missed out this year. So let's see. Here goes.

Agreed!

All of the items on the front page and many other items in the ad are outdated technology now, and DVDs of those movies are all probably in the $2 bin now. I will go with the $65 Singer sewing machine on page 2. That is a pretty timeless item and a decent price for a compact light duty sewing machine.

Note that the prices in this ad are good from Monday November 18 to Sunday December 1. So if you want something in the ad, you can shop there before Thanksgiving and save your Thanksgiving/Black Friday time for more time-sensitive purchases.

The 50% Off Any One Item $50 or Less coupon, good Monday 11/18 through Sunday 11/24 (the week before Thanksgiving), is a very good deal, as it can be applied to many items throughout the store, especially for items that rarely if ever go on sale. Mark your calendar if you want to use it, as it is for the week before Thanksgiving. Printed copies of this ad should be available in TrueValue stores by 11/18. It says one per household, but if you are a bit devious, you could rather easily get around that having different people make the purchases or visiting more than one of their stores.

I don't buy much before Black Friday, except usually very small souvenir items that I find while traveling. I just hide those away. I have a couple of hiding spots, but limited in size, and never sure that my wife won't see those areas, so some items I might wrap as a way of concealing their contents if they are for wife or daughter. Then I can continue to keep them hidden or put them in plain sight. Other than that, I do most of my wrapping in the week before Christmas right up to late Christmas eve. My wife and daughter tend to wrap late as well.

#1 Black Friday special: Two children for the price of one! #2 Don't even think of grabbing my 49" HDTV box! #3 It's not time yet. Just a few more minutes.

Congratulations winners. Time for the first ad...

Congratulations to the drawing winners. My guess was for today, which only has 9 minutes left, so not going to get that one, but I expect something soon.

We often travel for Thanksgiving, either to see family or just for a getaway. It is fun to do Black Friday in different locales. One of my most unique experiences was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where you mix with some Mennonites and even a few Amish out late for the deals. Rushing out of the Target parking lot to get to another store I almost ran into an Amish buggy that was going the other way (I was parked near the stables that they have at that location). I backed up, to let them pass, since it is harder to back up a horse and buggy in a parking lot.

I am not sure what I am looking for this year (for me or gift). I don't have any "must haves" this year (so far). That said, I am interested in replacing my mismatched side-by side computer monitors (I have one horizontal and one vertical to fit in my furniture) with a single larger screen computer monitor. I have looked at a couple of the lower priced ones at stores, but the resolution (pixels per inch) was not as good as my current separate monitors. I would like to find one that fits within 35" width for a few hundred dollars. Another item that I always get are some of the gift cards with nice discounts or points back from pharmacies and Dollar General, with discounts of 10 to 20% off.

I don't budget for Black Friday, I just buy things that 1) are a BF level deal and 2) that I need or that make good gifts for someone.

Harbor Freight, October 9. It would be nice if another store would get in the running to be first. (Except Half Price Books, as I never found their add to be compelling for me--although I grew up a 1/2 mile from and frequented their very first store, which opened in 1972 on Lover's Lane in Dallas.)