Black Friday is a tradition in our household. I don't really remember when it started, but I remember in college (and maybe even in high school?) waking up early and getting in line for some really great deals. There were $10 DVD players at Best Buy one time which actually lasted for awhile (this is when DVD players were more expensive). There were tons of things free after rebate, including tech stuff at Circuit City and Staples. There was the time I was in and out of Best Buy in 5 minutes to get a DVD because I was that quick and the line wasn't that long. But mostly, I remember how Black Friday used to be humane.
The sales would start at 6 am or 7 am, and it was reasonable. People would line up but they would get there an hour, maybe two hours, before it started. There was a camaraderie among the people in line waiting to get the deal. There was none of this camping out more than 24 hours in advance. Is it really worth it to get in line the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving? Is it worth missing your entire Thanksgiving day to just be in line for a discount? Not in my opinion. You may be getting monetary savings, but you're certainly paying for it with your time.
The opening times have been getting more and more ridiculous. When the store opens at 4 am, you have to drag yourself out of bed in the dark with the alarms blaring to get to the store in a groggy state. Of course, you don't have to do any of this, but if you want to participate in Black Friday, you do.
I'm glad that the stores pushed the opening time to midnight. I'm not a fan of the ones opening on Thanksgiving night itself, but midnight seems reasonable to me. It's much better going after Thanksgiving dinner than at 4 in the morning! We're usually up and about at this time anyway, so it fits our normal schedule so much better. Since this is the first time we're doing it, I'm curious to see how it will impact our usual late afternoon movie and naptime tradition.
Time to get ready to go!
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