This is really ironic. My husband and I were just talking about how we would rather spend $100 extra on a TV in December, than get up and wait with a crowd at 5am on Black Friday. And, as we joked, our luck would be if we waited in line at 5am, the guy in front of us would be the one getting the last TV anyway.
This is not far off from what reality is. Many stores only get 3 and 4 of each major sales item in at the stores......especially for the money-maker items like TVs and large appliances. Check out this article from CNN "Dirty Secrets from Black Friday" and then go and look at the fine print on the ads you get in the paper. It's really sad.
I have been providing info on Black Friday for weeks, but I must admit, McFrugal does not participate. You will never see me at 5am anywhere, let alone waiting in a line! (even if Jon Hamm was giving away free back massages and $500 Gap gift cards in my back yard.....I'd still probably roll over at 4:45 am and hit snooze. When I am laying in bed with more time ahead of me to sleep, it is hard to convince me that anything is worth getting up for.)
But, more power to you is you are a bargain hunter and want to get up before the sun to save a few bucks. But, PLEASE read your ads. Be prepared and be sure that you are saving money AND that the product is a quality product. Many items on sale on Black Friday are lesser versions of the product you think they are. It may be a Sony 37" HDTV, but it may have half the features of the one you expect to be buying.
Know your products before you buy. And read reviews online from others who have bought the item you are after. Target.com, Wal-Mart.com and many other retailers offer great review sections....all written by you and me. You can't get more honest than that.
Shop smart.....and if you are like me and cannot function before 7am........there is always Cyber Monday!!
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