Black Friday is an anticipated time of year when people stay up all night just to go shopping.
It’s the time of year when you consume more caffeine products in one night then consumed on a daily basis and getting the worst crash after the shopping madness is over.
That one day in the whole year when your finally able to buy items that have been on a wish list since last Christmas or to get an early start on Christmas shopping.
Black Friday is a crucial Mission, to buy great Christmas presents and items I have wanted and needed for a while.
This is my Running Diary of what happened when I pulled an all-nighter doing what shopaholics love to do: paying for everything and anything by charging it on the credit card during a 15-hour marathon of excessive shopping to start the Thanksgiving weekend with a bang.
Running Diary:
9:51 p.m. – Calling my Black Friday shopping partners in crime to make sure they were on their way to Ala Moana to meet up
10:30 p.m. – Called Caitlyn 13 times and I can’t find her, at least I’m leaving with two out of the three girls. I think she’s sleeping!
11:03 p.m.– While sitting in traffic heading to Waikele Outlet we’re talking about the epic Black Friday stories of the past.
Photo by Keri Lynne
11:13 p.m. – The first store of the day (Levi’s) is very disappointing. We’re leaving empty handed.
11:20 p.m. – Just got to Charlotte Russe and I’m completely surprised by how long the checkout line is. It stretches around the entire store.
11:31 p.m. – Found a backpack that I want and I completely regret it. Now I have to go stand in this long line.
11:58 p.m. – I swear I stood in this line for 20 minutes and it only moved two feet. An auntie standing on the side is acting really crazy and smells of alcohol. Why is she causing trouble with the man with a baby standing behind me?
Photo by Keri Lynne
12:27 a.m.– Still standing in line while my feet are in so much pain. Why did I wear slippers with heels? I picked up three more items and the girls came to keep me company.
12:42 a.m. – Finally paying! The cashier looks like she wants to strangle herself, the line keeps getting longer and she’s constantly looking at the end of the line wrapping around the store.
1:05 a.m. – We’re walking by the Sunglass Hut, it’s amazing how the huge line is and is mostly made up of guys outside the store. Its 70 percent off the whole store, no wonder everyone is jumping on that.
1:26 a.m. – True Religion is so expensive, Alex is looking high and low for black jeans. It’s 20 percent off the whole store with an additional 10 percent, is that even a good discount?
1:30 a.m. – Finally, some relief! Sitting on the lumpiest chair in the world by the dressing rooms, if you could feel Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time this is what she would feel like.
1:48 a.m. – Alex is getting the pants that are originally $129.99 for $94.04, what a deal. I guess it is a good discount.
2:10 a.m. – Making our way to Zales Outlet because Alex is dying for some new earrings, she could just get them at a cheaper store.
2:33 a.m. – Alex is checking out and has the princess cut diamond earrings she wanted. Originally $520.00, she got it for $248.00. Boy this girl is expensive.
3:32 a.m. – On a Starbucks Break, sitting in a comfortable couch with my Iced Green Tea Latte and Mozzarella Tomato Panini. This hits the spot.
5:05 a.m. – Got off our butts and are blindly heading out on our next adventure, finding the bus stop where we need to catch a bus back into town. What made this hard is the fact that neither of us has ever caught a bus down here before, on Google Transit it says the bus stop is on Paiwa Street. Where is Paiwa Street?
5:40 a.m. – Alex and Ariel refuse to get on the other buses that say Downtown, even though that is our destination, so we have to wait for the E Express. This bus takes 20 minutes longer than all the other buses to reach us.
All of a sudden the roosters started crowing. I hate roosters, when one starts crowing it starts a chain reaction and they never stop. This is when you know you’re in Waipahu.
5:52 a.m. – Finally on the E Express, everyone is sleeping on the bus except Alex and uncle on the side jamming to his Nano and singing in an off tone.
6:30 a.m. – Ala Moana at last! As we are waiting for Alex’s bus to arrive, a weird little high school boy’s is trying to hit on us while his ugly brother is walking super close to us at the bus stop.
6:45 a.m. – Kim called five minutes ago to meet up with us (Ariel and I) and said she is at Jeans Warehouse. So we are at Jeans Warehouse looking for her; the only problem is that we can’t find her
6:50 a.m. – We give up, Kim has to find us. Back to shopping!
7:15 a.m. – Sears, you have to love how cheap it is. I’m leaving the store with 6 items and only paid $58.31. I saved $13.75 and there is no line
8:21 a.m. – Checking out at T&C with 4 items that were not for me, the total comes out to $76.44 and I save $12. I think I could have got it for this price on a regular day, all well. I see Kim; the store isn’t even crowded I don’t know how she got lost.
9:25 a.m. – My dad’s Christmas present is now checked off the list. At Lids Locker Room I just bought him a Dallas Cowboys mug and a Dallas Cowboys insulated cup. Its buy one get one half off I saved $8.50
9:52 a.m. – Last Christmas present is for my mom and it’s a sterling silver snowflake necklace with diamonds on and sterling silver earrings from Macy’s. Originally its $170 total but I got it for $60.34. I love the Macy’s card and coupons!
10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. At this point in time I am completely delirious. Ariel left while we stood in line at Gilly Hicks and then I followed Kim around the mall like a lifeless zombie.
At the end of the day, I spent $184.32 and saved $178.11. Even though it was great deals I will never go that early again! Next time I’m starting in the morning when the sun is up, not at night.