92 replies to this topic

[mea772]

I gotta say...I am so envious! I think it is so cool that you all have "traditions". My BF is a touch and go type thing. Sometimes my husband has to work it so I don't get to go. If he doesn't work, sometimes I can hit a couple stores, sometimes I can't because we failed to save up enough money for presents (Christmas bonus doesn't come in until a couple weeks later ) When I do go, I go alone. My DH doesn't get into BF and my friends don't either. I can probably wrangle up one but to be honest...I don't think they would be very much fun to shop with LOL Last year Kmart had a sale on the Wii. It was for the night before TG. I got there at around 9pm and bought it at 6:30am. It was fun tho! I am looking for a job so there is a chance I might not be able to go shopping but if I can I will try to start up a tradition for myself. First of all...I am glad I have this place to read up on and find deals that I might not have seen myself. I am going to write down my game plan and cut coupons out. I am also excited that I just read that Walmart will honor the prices of other stores...that might cut down on my shopping around!

[dancglady]

The only thing my sister and I always do is get McDonalds for breakfast on the go. Other then that our game plan changes every year. We leave our homes until around 4. I would rather sleep. Maybe once my son is old enough to want to big ticket things I will wait and wait and wait!

[elena_398]

I shop alone so I always stop by for a nice cup of coffee on the way home while the rest of the family is snoozing. I put away my items then come on this board to hear what everyone got and/or their stories. I usually take a nap then the family puts up the tree and starts decorating

[Netter40]

On Thanksgiving night my cousin comes over and we go through all the ads again and make our game plan. To which store we get to first. We make a like and get addresses to ever store so i can put in my gps. We always end up staying up until 1am. Then at 4am we are up and had coffee and getting ready to go out the door. Every year after the shopping is over, about 8 or 9pm we always go to Olive Garden and have supper before going home. Then I get everything in the house and get it wrapped that night so girls don't see anything. GO BUCK!!!!!!

[Iliveforblckfri]

Hi, I start weeks before making lists of my desires on 3X5 index cards. On Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law and I compare lists and we match what we can to minimize our shopping. Black Friday starts at 4 am @ Denny's for breakfast with anyone that wants to go with us. We will make all last minute additions. The goal is to get in and out of stores within 20 minutes for the initial visit. We will hit the big stores by 7:30 am with all of our doorbuster items. The only goals for the first trip is the doorbusters. :eyepoppin We then regroup. We may need to return to stores to get items that are on the three day sale flyer. I love the idea of the binder for sale advertisements. I will add that one to my list this year. Last year I downloaded the ads to my computer and took my computer with me. I think the binder will be easier.

[dmintelsgt]

Uh roll out of bed, dress, shop, shop, shop, shop, shop, shop, drive home, crash in the bed until Saturday! That's pretty much how it happens every year. Although last year I missed BF and Christmas because I was deployed, I plan on making up for it this year! (I have to get DH credit, he did a great job shopping and the girls had a wonderful Christmas)

[clevergirls]

My sisters and I have a very unusual tradition on Black Friday. There are 3 of us and we enjoy getting up early and just being together for lots of fun. The thing we do that is a little different, though, is pick up trash. Yes, you heard right...we pick up trash. We have one shopping center we usually go to because it has the stores we like, so of course we go to get in on the great deals. Once the shopping is done, though, you can't believe the MOUNDS of trash that Black Friday shoppers just leave on the sidewalks while they are waiting to get into the stores. A few years ago, we were just appalled at what we saw, so we stopped the car...got out...went inside one of the stores to get industrial sized trash bags...and started cleaning. Sure, we get a few strange looks once in a while, but most sensible people pitch in to help. It's not your typical Black Friday tradition, I'm sure, but it makes us feel good so we do it!

[ohitsunshine]

The only thing my sister and I always do is get McDonalds for breakfast on the go. Other then that our game plan changes every year. We leave our homes until around 4. I would rather sleep. Maybe once my son is old enough to want to big ticket things I will wait and wait and wait!

I came to say my one tradition is BK breakfast on my way home!! I look forward to it every year!

I also drop my Christmas cards in the mail on my out to go shopping and then we put the tree up that night.

[AuntieJul]

My husband and I will finalize our plans of attack, including the opening times of stores and driving efficiency. Any "down time" (though I can hardly imagine any) will be spent at one of many Dunkin Donuts, refueling on caffeine. Then, it's rush rush rush between Walmart, JC Penney's, Kmart, Boscov's, Lowe's, Home Depot, Dick's... Whereever we need to go that year! Home by 12, call Mom and make her jealous with all the good deals I got, toast up some open-faced turkey sandwiches and stuffing/dressing, take a nap, and prepare for Saturday's deals!!! (Like Kmart's).

[Thumper501]

My sister and I always go over our plan of attack on T-Day. We figure out what time we are meeting, what stores, etc. The morning of we meet up grab hot chocolate (for me), coffee (for her), and a quick breakfast. Then we head out and stand in line waiting for whatever store we plan to hit first (it varies from year to year).

[biggerbear16]

Well, we go over to my Grandma's house about 40 miles away, and spread the ads out and decide where we want to go on BF. Sidenote (nothing to do with BF): A tradition we do on TG after dinner is our family gets together and we have a little euchre tournament.

[littlezar]

Thanksgiving night I usually pop in the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation DVD and go through the sale ads for the umpteenth time to finalize where I'm going and in what order. If I'm at my parents, my sister will go out with me and if I'm at home, I'm on my own.

[Princess7915]

I love this topic - I was clueless that other things existed on Black Friday outside of shopping!

[jw109]

Reading all these posts really puts me in the holiday spirit! I love hearing everyone else's traditions. My husband and I do the shopping each year together... we have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my family and the kids stay with Grandma overnight. We come home from dinner and look at the sale ads AGAIN for the 100th time and make a game plan. We'll probably have a beer or 2 in the process since the kids aren't home and have a nice evening together. Maybe sleep a few hours and then up in the wee morning (dark morning that is) and off to Kohls. That is usually our first stop and we're out of there in less than 1/2 hour. This is my absolute favorite time of the year!! Jen

[nnmfam]

I got my husband into BF last year. WE paln on lists going to 2 stores iwth our phones a. WE will only have cash and have to stick to lists. This economy is killingus.

[ajburlingame]

We ALWAYS go to Olive Garden to eat

[julz0420]

My mom and I go through all the ads after dinner on T'giving. We get up around 3am and head to wally world. Once we hit there and Target we hit McD's for breakfast (to go lol) while we head to Walgreens. After that we hit one more store then I drop her off, come home and eat t'giving leftovers and nap for an hour or two. Then I get up and if I'm hungry again (and I usually am) I eat leftovers again then dh, Madison, and I head out a second time. We usually dont get home til dinner or right after. Once we are home we put up the tree and decorate it.

[Bursley2010]

My fiancee and I start out spending all TG looking over the ads, making decisions on what we want to get and prioritizing in the event that we can't pick up everything. Then we usually take a quick walk around Meijer/Kmart to walk off the turkey and see if there's anything we'd like from the TG sale, and head back home for a quick nap. We're up by midnight and out in line at Best Buy by 12:30am, armed with our DVD player, sleeping bags, chairs, blankets, and a thermos full of hot chocolate (and Bailey's ). We usually get through BB in a half hour/45 min or so, then it's across the street to Target just in time for them to open the doors. We may hit Kohl's or a couple other places before we go to Big Boy for the breakfast buffet, then drop off the finacee at home to sleep while I hit up Old Navy and the mall (Bath and Body Works for sure!). I'm usually done around noon and after I get back, I unpack and take all the price tags off, pop in a movie and crash on the couch, enjoying the gradual thaw after having been out all night in the Michigan cold.

[PentiumMMX]

Normally, it all starts after Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma's house (Which is always right at lunchtime). I get a chance to go over the ads again, and if there's anything we need or want, we begin to make a game plan. I then give my mom a "mission briefing" on what we'll do, where we'll meet up if we get separated, and other things. The next day, I normally get up early, make some coffee for myself, and wait for my mom to wake up (Though the past 2 years, she's been up before me), enjoying the calm before the storm. Once ready, we head out to wherever we're going for BF (Typically, we go to Wal-Mart). Once we're back, we get to wrapping any gifts we bought, and stash them away until I get the tree out.

[allshoppedout]

DH and I usually make the tentative lists out a few days in advance--thanks to this forum--and then we finalize it after the kids are in bed, on Thanksgiving evening. Then one of us usually goes out alone... We get the job done, but it is very lonely....
I am a bit envious of alot of you with your fun traditions...maybe someone can adopt my DH and me...and we can have some real fun one of these days.

[ann129]

i like to go out and get hot cocoa/ coffee and Cinnamon rolls or something when the madness is over, then go home and turn on holiday music, rest for a bit and put up holiday decorations

[vonnyb]

After everyone has gone home we usually spend the rest of the evening going over the ads. Usually get up about 4:00 and head out. I usually make a leftover ham on toast sandwich. We usually start out at one of the stand alone stores like walmart,target, kohls and end up at the mall. Then go home to eat more leftovers and crash.

[annabell2007]

I start planning my BF trip at the end of October. Our families are so large so each year the adults draw names. We end up purchasing gifts for 4 Adults plus nieces and nephews. I start searching BF sites for all the deals. I place money in an envelope for each person I have on my list. This keeps me organized and within budget. I love BF Gottadeal for all the great leads and forums. My sister-in-law and I are the only die-hard BF shoppers in the family. We shop all the major stores in the area. When the lines are long; one shops while the other stands in line. Lunch comes around 10am or after all the doorbusters are done!!!. We love Mimi's Cafe for their breakfast menu and its across the street from the mall. I hope to see more BF ads soon. There is still a lot of planning hours left. Sleep is so overrated!!!

[lcplwinkerswife]

well didnt go BF shopping last year because of where I was living and I actually was done with shopping by November 15th. But generally, me and my mom get up go by McDonalds drive thru get a biscuit , then head out and get Starbucks while we are at the mall in the midst of our shopping. This year I think im flying solo on this BF. But TG day Ill get up go get a paper first thing. Come home watch Macys Thanksgiving Day parade I always watch it. Sort through ads, eat turkey, then go over them some more, get a game plan , and go to bed, then out the door by 3:30 -4:00 am , and off to BB or Target. They are right beside each other and it depends on who has a better deal on a camera or microwave.

[areno79]

SIL comes over Tgiving night and we compare notes and go through our ads. We have a notebook with one page dedicated to each store and list what we're getting at each store. Then we compare lists and prioritize the stores from there. We stay up all night then go to our first store around 2AM (or whenever we can't wait anymore because we're so excited!).When we're done shopping (usually around 11AM), we go to a Chinese buffet for lunch, then go home, crash for a few hours, get up and start putting Christmas decorations up! We both LIVE for this day, since usually her kids dominate anything we ever do together.

[flyjar]

Night before, plan the route, and get the list together. Marking off the must have items. After the 1st store, Best Buy it's off to McDonalds for breakfast. Then it's off to Target, after that it's usually whatever. Then home for naps, daughter, wife and sometimes myself. Then in the afternoon it's usually off to the mall.

[discountdiva]

I live in Fort Erie, Ontario which is a stone's htrow away from Buffalo, New York. On Thanksgiving day I go to Buffalo and get a paper and I come home and make tukey dinner too. (even though it is not our Thanksgiving) I check out the ads while I watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. On BF, I pick up black coffee for myself and my friend and I go pick her up at 4:30. Before we leave her house we add some Bailey's to our black coofe and we're off to Target. As soon as they open the doors to Target, it never fails that we head immediately to the bathroom and then we begin our quest to seek out the bargains that we so carefully planned out with out Gottadeal shopping lists.

[zim05]

As soon as they open the doors to Target, it never fails that we head immediately to the bathroom and then we begin our quest to seek out the bargains that we so carefully planned out with out Gottadeal shopping lists.

LOL the bathroom part of this made me chuckle a bit because every time I go shopping with my mom she always has to hit up the bathroom! I told her that if she doesn't hold it until we are in line for check out we wouldn't be able to find each other until next BF!!

[TopperChic87]

We usually cook a good breakfast before we leave. Then, we have a little discussion over coffee, and remind each other where everyone is going to be, and also make sure everyone has their cell phone on them. Then, after all the shopping is done, we go somewhere for lunch, take cheesy pictures of ourselves with all of our sweet deals, head home and CRASH!