Shop ‘Til You Drop

Yesterday, I did something I’ve never done before. Yes, folks, I went to Black Friday. :confused2:

Even though I love the Christmas holidays, I few Christmas shopping as akin to slicing off my arm with a butter knife. It may be that since I have 10 nieces and nephew to shop for, my family, grandparents, and so on–I just feel exhausted at the end of it. I feel like I can’t enjoy Christmas and relax because of that axe hanging over my head. So this year, I decided that I would get it over with, and literally shop until I finished all of it.

I woke up at 5:20 a.m. and drove to the shopping center. At 5:45, the parking lots were FULL. Okay, so I was expecting crowds, but I didn’t believe most people were capable at getting up that early. Clearly, I was wrong. But here are some tips I learned from the front lines:

1. Get your shopping cart in the parking lot. There aren’t any in the store because the 429 people who got there before you have swiped all of them.

2. Bring a list. Know what you’re looking for and have a plan of attack. Shopping on Black Friday is like maneuvering a battle field. There are SALES, people, and you have to move swiftly to get the good deals (Note: I bought both Harry Potter movies for $5.88 each).

3. Befriend the people in front of you and behind you in line. You’re going to be there a while, so you might as well be friendly. And, as I learned, when you see something you forgot, they’ll save your place in line while you run and snatch it.

4. Do NOT bring small children. Or any children. They don’t have the capacity to wait in line longer than four minutes. If you are wise enough to get up at 5:20 to escape the house, it’s fine to let your husband wake the little darlings, change diapers, and dress them in clothes that are out of season and two sizes too small because he forgot to check the dresser for appropriate clothes (what? Could that have happened? Naaahhhh….:rotfl:)

5. Walk everywhere. Once you have found a coveted parking spot within a five mile radius of Toys R Us, do not under any circumstances believe that you can find another one. It ain’t gonna happen. Today is a day for exercise, frigid air, and the triumphant feeling that you are DONE with shopping!

Let’s just hope my husband doesn’t see the VISA bill.