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I am trying to practice contentment with what I have. Especially since money is so tight I couldn't buy anything even if I wanted to. If I did have money though it would all go to Layers of Color. I have a wish list a mile long with them.
When our kids were little and money was tight, I always hit the Black Friday sales because I could get "more bang for my buck." The last several years, I've went with family later in the day, when the crowds aren't bad but, all the good deals are gone.
Location: wishing I was in London but you'll likely find me on my couch
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Maybe in the "good old days" they paid premium wages....now the majority of retailer workers don't get full time work and no holiday pay at all. And many work 2 jobs just to put food on the table. I know way too many people who work retail because that is all they can find for work. They make minimum wage, no benefits. Believe me I feel sorry for them. And the ones with little ones it is so hard to get someone to watch their children with the crazy hours. Sorry for the rant but it is the rare company that pays anything extra----it is more like 'you will be there or your job will no longer be with us'......okay back to the thread......................
We don't shop that day, either. This year hubby is going to a store on the base at 5 a.m. to snag a TV but that's it. Last year I dragged a friend to Michael's on Thanksgiving because they were open for a few hours. Skipping that this year, too. As much as I would love a great deal on a Cricut or a Cinch, it's just too much hassle.
Mary Beth
I saw two commercials for stores open on Thanksgiving. Plus Kohl's is opening at 3 A.M and Walmart and Target are opening at midnight.
I feel so sorry for the people in retail that they can't even enjoy Thanksgiving with their families because they either need to get to bed by 6 P.M. or go with out sleep to start work at midnight.
Because of them I would not go to a store on Thanksgiving or in the middle of the night if they were giving the stuff away free.
If stores don't have enough business they will stop this insanity
I worked one Christmas season for Joanns. We closed at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and then we were there until nearly 10 p.m. setting up the After Christmas sales stuff. I cooked dinner for my family and I was so exhausted I didn't enjoy my Christmas dinner that year.
YES! I TOTALLY agree!
__________________ Karen I distrust camels, and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.
Joe E. Lewis
My daughter and I will go to Michaels on Thanksgiving at 5pm. Last year I went and my husband decided he would go with me. I'm thinking he won't want to experience that crush again. He did it just so I could get a Cricut but he was crushed and banged by women that should know better. I actually snapped at some woman who pushed her cart into him. Really got my goat. Now my daughter, she'll push back. I might have to rein her in a little.
Other than that, my husband, daughter and I will got to Walmart at midnight because we really want to pick up a couple of Wii games that are on sale for $20 at that time.
And after that, I'm not venturing out on Friday.
__________________ It always feels like somebody's watching me. Hey, is it YOU?
This may sound a bit silly but what is Black Friday Sale we do not have here in Australia, thought it might have been a Friday the 13th or something but not right day for the 13th, could someone please explain?
This may sound a bit silly but what is Black Friday Sale we do not have here in Australia, thought it might have been a Friday the 13th or something but not right day for the 13th, could someone please explain?
Cheers and thanks in advance.
Vicki
That's not a silly question at all!! Black Friday is the day after our US holiday of Thanksgiving. Lots of stores have amazing sales, and so there are literally thousands of people shopping that day!! Some people love it, and some people hate it as is evidenced by this thread ;)
__________________
~Rebekah~ My mind works like lightning - one brilliant 'FLASH' and it's gone!
I am hoping Thanksgiving dinner at my friends' house is over in time for me to check out the Michaels that is near her house. (shhh don't tell her.) It looks like they have JetMax for 55% off between 5-9 PM tomorrow.
Ladies.....There is no need to feel sorry for the people who work on the holiday or begin their work day in the middle of the night at holiday time. Rest asured they volunteered for working on those days or at those hours and are paid (in most cases) premium wages for their time and efforts. So they are happy campers!
For the management that must meet those hours, that's part of their job. They assume that commitment and knowledge when they enter that field of work.
Same goes for the medical field workers. They understand this when they take those positions. They have the dedication for their jobs.
This not to say these people would not rather be elsewhere for the holiday, but that's life and they understand that.
Patti
I've worked retail for almost 20 years. As far as Black Friday is concerned, you don't have a choice for what hours you work and there's no extra pay. I know others who work at Target and WalMart and you work when scheduled. Mid November thru after Christmas you can't request any days off. Even seasonal workers when hired have to agree to working Thanksgiving weekend, if they can't they're not hired.
Retail is Retail and as long as people are shopping on Thanksgiving and at midnight, the stores will remain open and more will open their doors on Thanksgiving.
This may sound a bit silly but what is Black Friday Sale we do not have here in Australia, thought it might have been a Friday the 13th or something but not right day for the 13th, could someone please explain?
Cheers and thanks in advance.
Vicki
In addition to other replies it is called Black Friday because it is said this is the day merchants get " in the Black" for the year.
Getting "in the Black" means they have covered all of their expenses and are now making a profit. "In the Red" means they are operating at a loss of profit.
The Christmas sales account for a huge percentage of their sales for the year.
We all know they don't operate at a loss all year until Thanksgiving, but we go along with the story they chose to tell LOL
It is a crazy shopping day. Mobs of people pushing and shoving and no parking anywhere near a store entrance
Many stores open in the middle of the night and people lineup ( que ) outside the stores for hours in hopes of buying one of the very few deeply discounted items they are offering. Every year we see stories on TV of people with tents camping outside stores for a day or more .
Stores call these deeply discounted items " Door-busters" People will bust down the doors to get them LOL
Many stores advertise outlandish prices on certain items in hope of getting people into their stores. However, they often only have 4 or 5 of these items for sale at that price, but hope when people can't buy what they came to buy they will buy other things. In a city with 30,000 to several hundred thousand people 4 items don't go far. It is called bait and switch. Get them in the store and then sell them something else.
Although it is against the law to advertise something a store doesn't have, many of them advertise items at deeply discounted prices and actually they don't have any of those products out for sale. We all know some do that too. LOL
The merchants try to devise schemes to get the customer to spend MORE money and the customers devise schemes to spend LESS money LOL
Last edited by Barbara Jay; 11-24-2010 at 07:31 PM..
My 14 yr old son wants to go BF shopping so it looks like we'll go out for an adventure. I don't sleep well anyway so might as well start hitting stores at midnight. The latest opening stores we need to hit are Joanns at 6 and then Petsmart so we'll grab some breakfast and head home pretty early.
I checked at Joanns today for the Cricut cart that I want and was assured plenty were available and they'd be on a special display right at the front of the store.
Ladies.....I'm familiar with working retail. I was referring to working on a holiday specifically. Black Friday, the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, etc are NOT holidays. I was referring to the actual holiday......Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, etc.
Thank you, enough said about my post. Let's keep this thread on topic!!
I went to Joann yesterday (wednesday) to see what if anything might lure me out. Nothing. I got a stack of paper that I wanted and that was it. All other shopping will be done online - if at all. I sort of have my eye on a K2 Kindle that Amazon is going to have a deal on, but I will probably pass on that too. My ipod touch is a good enough e-reader albeit very small.
I have way too much fabric and paper crafting stuff as it is now. This year I'm going to try to whittle my stashes down.
__________________ A good dog, a sewing machine, and an old guitar......
I was not going to buy any more stamping related stuff until after Christmas, but now I received an email from Gina K. Designs that there will be a coupon tomorrow. I have never been able to resist a Gina K. special in the past, so we'll see what happens.
As far as the stores are concerned, forget it. There were some things in the Walmart ad that were tempting, but I plan to be sleeping at midnight tonight.
__________________ Julie my gallery
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phillippians 4:13
Thankyou for the run down on your Black Friday sales, it must be something similar to what we have here only ours is on Boxing Day and of course they call it the Boxing Day Sales.
I think also they do something like Barbara Jay was talking about, advertise certain products at fantastic prices but of course they only have to have a few and they can get away with it. We have people lining up at the doors of Myers, David Jones and Target to name a few in the wee hours of the morning to get good sales.
Must be well and trully in the black after xmas and then boxing day sales. I normally leave it for a few days later and pick up all the xmas stock for next year.
By the time I get through 2 of my childrens birthday and xmas, money is a bit short.
Hope you all got some good bargains and had a good Thanksgiving.
