The holidays are about spending time with loved ones. Thanksgiving focuses on appreciating what you have, and of course, stuffing your face full of turkey. Black Friday tramples all over this idea. Dozens of stores open their doors for the crazy Black Friday shoppers before I even get started eating my Thanksgiving dinner.
Black Friday is now notorious for long lines and “great sales.” Shoppers camp outside of stores in order to be first in line to get doorbuster sales. Once doors are open, customers push and bump others out of the way to get the last size-10 red dress or last year’s iPad. The deals may be good, but they’re not must-buy, only-chance-you’ll-ever-get kind of deals.
Just seeing the word “sale” in big capital letters makes shoppers itching to “save.” Add in “Black Friday, best sale of the year,” and you have yourself a frenzy. On Black Friday in 2008, a Long Island Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death. Hundreds of people were so preoccupied, trying to save 30 percent on something ridiculous like an Xbox 360, they didn’t even notice a 34-year-old man screaming in pain while being crushed under their feet. It took several minutes for help to clear enough room to check on him.
There’s no need to suffer the mob of crazed shoppers. Deals at least last through the weekend, with more deals to follow on Cyber Monday. Several stores, including Walmart, started sales weeks earlier this year with pre-Black Friday sales. The so-called “great saves” on Black Friday are not much different from regular deals offered throughout the year. Look at Macy’s, it has a “huge sale” every other month.
Everything about shopping on Black Friday at a store is stressful. Trying to find parking is near impossible, the only available spots are a mile away from the stores. If you manage to get into the store, good luck finding your list of items with a mess of people bustling around you. Then after finally getting to the checkout line, be prepared to just stand there and wait for half an hour.
The one time I went to see what all the Black Friday hype was about, I found out that I detest this stupid shopping event and how rude people become. I was livid after multiple people stepped on my toes and shoved me into clothes racks, without even glancing in my direction to apologize.
Instead of going through all the hassle, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones at home. After thoroughly appreciating lots of turkey and dressings, jump online and take advantage of Black Friday sales. Yes, Black Friday sales are online! The online sales start the same time as stores, normally even earlier. The best thing about the Internet is completely avoiding checkout lines! Why get pushed around, when you don’t even need to be standing to beat others to sales. Pull up a comfortable chair and save big next holiday season.