Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Do you know what else is in a few days? Yup, you guessed it Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Do you look forward to the hustle and bustle of the stores or the deals and countless hours spent online shopping for those few great items? I used to be a big Black Friday shopper. The day before Thanksgiving I would confirm where Thanksgiving dinner will be held and If I would stay the night or go back home (after a few glasses of spike Eggnog, lol). Just in case the plans changed that day I was prepared. Prepared with what you ask. The List. Yes, The List. The List if stores I wanted to go to, what item(s) were in that store I wanted to purchase, what discount is being offered at the store, what time the store opened, how much I was willing to spend in that store and who I was buying a gift for. I had a list for three different locations which were the shopping centers near my home, the shopping center near where I was spending the night and one in between. Every year that I went Black Friday shopping, I have spent about $1,500 to $2,000 (plus about 3 $200.00 gift cards of points that I racked up all year from work) for gifts for everyone on The List. Cyber Monday was all about me!! I created the same List for Cyber Monday. For myself there was no limit on how much I would spend.
Talk about the rush and the adrenaline. It was my high, my moment of victory and my adventure. If it is one thing I love…. It’s SHOPPING!!!! Whether for myself or for someone else. No I don’t have a shopping addiction I know when to stop smell the roses. However, in the past three years, I have been highly disappointed with Black Friday. The deals and the quality of items aren’t the same. If I am going to buy someone a gift the quality of that gift will be the same if I were to buy that same item for myself. The last three years I have noticed I will either walk away with nothing and wait for Cyber Monday or buy electronics and still shop for the rest of the list on Cyber Monday. Last year, one the other hand, was different. For once I shopped with a greater purpose. Instead of buying gifts for myself and family members, I spent all the money on a little girl who just lost her mother about 30 days before Christmas. Putting s mile on her face felt better than the shopping experience.
There are plenty of stores with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and sales but what does it profit you? Make wise decisions this year in your spending. Some of you are looking to buy a house in the next 60 days, some of you have to move from one state to another , some are past due on bills and some need to re-build their credit. That a moment and think. By all means have fun on this shopping adventure but make sure it does not hinder your future plans. Whoever you’re shopping for, make sure the gift has value and meaning.
Have fun and be safe.