Black Friday!

Black Friday!! Just those 2 words can make my hair stand up at end, blood pulse faster in my veins, heart beat quicken and breathing become sharp! All that in a good way. For that is one day – when hubby and I go berserk shopping. Black Friday being that day of the year – when all retail stores in the US – offer enormous discounts to their customers – just for shopping at their stores. And by enormous – I mean ENORMOUS. It would not be difficult to find clothes selling for 25% of their retail price. Like this year, Best Buy was offering a 40 inch plasma TV for $1100. Hubby just couldn’t stop salivating!

Thanksgiving typically falls on the last Thursday of November, here in the US. That is one of the 2 days (the other being Christmas) when stores remain closed. The next day – is when US goes crazy shopping. They say, this is the day, US retailers move from red to black (into profit) hence the term Black Friday.

In our household (all of 3 yrs) Black Friday has special relevance – reverence too. A month in advance hubby starts to scan his fav sites to figure out – who will have the best deals in electronics (a.k.a. hubby’s toys). Sites actually put up deal comparisons for you to make your call – on which store to visit first. Door buster deals (very limited articles – at ridiculously low prices) are discussed, analyzed, dissected and recommended. On the other hand, I start making lists of the things we need (need being a word, I use loosely here). We compare our needs (again loosely used) with the weight of the deal and a plan is drawn up. Clothes, electronics, household articles, toys – we shop – like the US economy needs every bit of our effort! (and who knows, maybe it does!)

Well, all this, until last year.

This year – since we have been hopping all over the US – we decided to keep our shopping to the minimum – to keep our weight light. Hubby fought hard and won the right to first visit Best Buy (a.k.a. hubby’s Mecca) followed by some outlet stores. Sonny and I sauntered all over BB trying to look interested – while hubby enthusiastically looked around. After a while, we found hubby stuck onto one of those 40” plasma TVs. He was whispering sweet nothings in the TVs ears – promising to make a date for next year. Pulling a lovelorn hubby out of the store – I promised him – soon – he would be able to bring her home.

We headed next towards some outlet stores in the neighbourhood. Typically a large number of brands have their company outlets where they sell for less than retail. Black Friday further sweetens the deal. Hubby and I were pretty charged about finding some good deals there. As we neared the exit to the outlet mall, a horrendous sight hit us. The line of cars from the outlet stores entrance stretched out a mile long – in 2 separate directions, in a 2 lane street. Parking would be next to impossible, hubby pronounced. Not wanting to waste any more time, we reluctantly turned away. We decided to head towards the mall. Driving 20 miles – we reached the mall. Those deals made my eyes shine and hands tremble. Finally, I thought – this is where we ought to have come first.

That’s when I heard a loud piercing shriek. It was sonny. Demanding his afternoon siesta! With a heavy heart we turned homewards.

Our net purchases this Black Friday – a couple of pants for sonny and a music CD.

Truly a Black Friday!!!

P.S. My fellow shopper-bretheren apparently had a good Black Friday. Check this.