Black Friday 2009 is Upon Us
It’s that time of year again. The holiday shopping season is upon us. And the mother of all shopping days is coming up soon: Black Friday. How do you feel about this day? Can’t wait? Dreading it?
The Meaning of Black Friday
So where did the term Black Friday come from? Using my Wikipedia skills I did some quick research and found out that the term Black Friday didn’t necessarily originate from where I thought.
There’s the obvious connection to the financial crisis of 1869, but to me the current day after Thanksgiving isn’t exactly a crisis. But you know who it is a crisis for? Retail store employees and local police forces. Traffic is horrible for those cops on that day. The police department in Philadelphia are credited with using the term first to connect the Black Friday of 1869 and their own crisis, the day after Thanksgiving traffic.
Another meaning that makes more sense to me is the accounting reference. When profits are in the positive (as they would be on Black Friday), the bookkeeper would get to break out the black pencil to denote the numbers. They aren’t in the red, they’re in the black. Thus, “Black” Friday.
Here are a few tips for safely navigating this year’s Black Friday adventure:
Make the Most of Your Black Friday Experience
Tip #1 – Stay Home – This is what I’ll be doing. Kick back. Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast leftovers. Watch some football. Good times.
For you other suckers (just kidding), here’s how to make the most of this crazy day:
Tip #2 – Don’t Chase Deals – Decide what you need to buy before you even look at the ads. There’s nothing wrong with getting the best possible price for something you really need and have been planning on. But make this list before you check out the ads. Once you see those deals you’ll find all sorts of reasons to go out and spend on things you had no intention of buying in the first place.
Tip #3 – Scour the Ads – Okay, now that you’ve listed out what it is that you need, or would like to shoot for, start looking through the Black Friday ads and websites to find the best deal on the item you want. Where do you go for the Black Friday ads? BlackFriday.info has always been my favorite website for perusing the ads prior to Friday morning. A lot of the stores have already released their ads, so you can begin your search now.
Tip #4 – Plan Your Route – Once you have your items selected and know where the best deal is, strategically map out your route based on the amount of the item and discount, store opening times, door buster deals, and likelihood of the store selling out of your item.
Tip #5 – Use Even More Strategy – Work as a team with friends or family members to make sure you’re separately in place to get the deals you want. Consider scouting out the stores the day before to locate where the item you want will be.
Tip #6 -Have Fun and Stay Away from Crazy Crowds – Get out there and have fun, sure. But no sale is worth getting trampled over. We hear stories about this every year. Don’t be this year’s victim to consumerism. Stay away from any unruly mobs.
More Black Friday Resources
Instead of a typical roundup this weekend, I thought I’d put together some links to other Black Friday themed blog posts. There’s some good stuff out there:
- Black Friday Shopping Tips: How To Get The Best Deals On The Things On Your List
- Holiday Shopping: Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Tips For Shopping Black Friday And Cyber Monday
- Holiday Spending Guide for a New Economy
- Christmas Shopping – Black Friday , Cyber Monday , and Beyond
- Black Friday 2009 Free Stuff
- Black Friday Holiday Shopping: Just Say No to Coupons, Free Shipping, and Deals
- Should You Be Shopping This Holiday Season?
- 10 Reasons You Should Do Your Christmas Shopping Online
- Black Friday Tips: Become a Sales Pro
- Black Friday Tips and Tricks
Have a great Thanksgiving and a safe and fun Black Friday!
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Thanks for the link – and stay safe out there on Black Friday if you decide to venture out!
Looks more like orange Friday at the top of your post to me…
sorry that was lame, but my brain and my body are tired…(excuses, excuses…)
I just knew I’d find you at the Galleria, jk! I’d also suggest people make sure they have a full tank of gas in case they end up doing circles in the parking lot looking for a spot.
My favorite part about Black Friday is that many retailers will have their sales available online as well as off. Instead of fighting the crowd, I’ll be surfin the wed at midnight, picking up the things on my list.
@Ashley – I did end up going to one store: Half Priced Books. That’s all I could handle.
Is this what Christmas has turned into? Maybe we should rename it “Giftmas”?