What do you do on Black Friday? I… go to work. It’s one of my least favorite days to work, to be honest. I COULD take the day off- but then I wouldn’t get paid, and, there are other people at work who have young kids and need the day off for travel, so I don’t feel right about taking off just because I don’t feel like working (don’t worry though- I’m taking Boxing Day off this year, and I’m excited about that!)
Since it’s a work day for me, I don’t usually do any shopping on Black Friday. I’m not opposed to it- I know some people consider Black Friday a “buy nothing” day. I’ll buy something if I want to, but there are other days I’m more likely to do my shopping.
Let’s pretend for a moment that I DIDN’T have to work on Black Friday. I would sleep in, then get up, make a big cup of Earl Grey tea and get out the pumpkin pie (yes- pie for breakfast. Obviously). Then I would do some online shopping, starting with…
AbeBooks. I usually get my Christmas Book Flood books from Amazon, but this year I’m going to shop from used bookstores. I recently got three books from Abe- they were used, but in perfect condition, and I paid a total of $14 for all three (including shipping). Another great site is thriftbooks. I could happily spend a morning browsing through both sites.
Fitness-wise, I do most of my shopping at REI. Their holiday sale starts November 14th. I need running shoes! And shorts, socks, and new gels… luckily I earn rewards points every time I shop there.
If you want a great guide to Black Friday shopping, check out Jenn’s post today! Follow her advice and you will be shopping like a pro.
Do you like to shop on Black Friday?
Link Up With Tuesday Topics
Welcome back to Tuesday Topics, as Jenny, from Runners Fly joins Jenn at Runs With Pugs to co-host this link-up! Please join us every week for a new topic! Write on our weekly prompt or choose your own topic! Make sure to add your post to the link up, link back to your hosts, and comment on the other shared posts!
Next week’s topic: Holiday Gift Guide for Runners.
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39 Responses
I would shop on Black Friday, if I thought there was a big ticket item that I wanted /needed like a new fridge or something and it made the most sense to buy it that day. When our kids Irish danced, I could never shop on BF because they competed in Midwest championships every year Thanksgiving weekend. I think I would’ve been more apt to go back then but now that I can go, I’m not really interested. *If my fridge dies because I mentioned it with no regard to what that might mean, I will kick myself. 😉
Hahahaha… well let’s hoping you’re not shopping for a fridge on Black Friday.
I used to shop Black Friday, but now there’s rarely anything I want that’s worth the hassle. Anything important will be on sale again.
mbmom11
Yes, that’s the way I feel- it’s not just one day of sales anymore, the sales go on and on. You’ll still get a good price if you shop anytime around Black Friday.
I love that you’re buying used books, Jenny! That’s such a smart (and satisfying!) way to shop. There’s something so cosy about knowing a book has already had a life before it lands on your shelf. AbeBooks sounds great – I’ll have a look at that.
And yay to pie for breakfast!!
Ha, well I won’t actually be doing the pie for breakfast- but my tradition on Black Friday is to have a piece of pie as soon as I get home from work!
These days the sales seem to start well before Black Friday (like your example with REI) so I usually get my shopping started even earlier. I spend the entire day on Black Friday decorating for Christmas. I LOVE not cooking because we have so many leftovers to do us for several days!
We also decorate the tree on Black Friday, after I get home from work. Other than going to work it is a festive day!
I have a few things I’m hoping come on sale over Black Friday (a subscription to The Atlantic for my dad for Christmas being one of them)! But mostly I pick things up off and on in the lead up to Christmas.
I agree with another commenter that things now come on sale ages before actual Black Friday which is a bit confusing? I feel like there is no consensus and it feels a bit like the wild west in terms of pricing.
It’s definitely the wild west now. There’s cyber Monday, plus the “Black Friday” sales are always extended. They just want us to shop continuously, I guess.
I also work on Black Friday.
Believe it or not, I only buy orders now for ONE my granddaughter.
I buy continuously. lol.
I’m a library lady. I love them.
I definitely get most of my books from the library. But there are some- like the ones I ordered for my Christmas TBR- that weren’t available from my library. Also, I like getting some new (to me, at least) books on Christmas!
Black Friday is just a Friday here, but I do like to keep my eye open for any sales. Even though Black Friday isn’t a thing in Canada, the sales aspect has bled over – and now it seems like Black Friday starts at the beginning of November. My husband did buy me a coffee maker on “Early Black Friday” sale, which is a ridiculous turn of phrase for a Canadian shopper! I’ll take it.
Ha, yes I’m sure “early Black Friday” sales have started. Then there’s “Black Friday extended” sales, cyber Monday, etc. etc.
Black Friday shopping – hell to the no. I am not a shopper in general! I’ve never enjoyed shopping and don’t see that changing. I do love getting a good deal, though! So I will usually get some things online on cyber Monday. It seems like Black Friday keeps creeping further and further back into the month of November. I had some Athleta gift cards to use and bought some things through their early “Black Friday” sales – during the first week of November!
I have the day off on Black Friday, though. I almost always have it off since my coworkers don’t have young kids. But I work on Wednesday and give my direct report that day off. So we both get 2 days off and he’ll barely have to work on Black Friday since most people are out that day and the markets close at 2EST. My parents are staying with us on Thanksgiving night so we’ll have guests that morning and then we have a plan to go out to my brother’s for brunch for a bit more family time.
Yes, I don’t picture you rushing out to the stores at 5 am on Black Friday, ha ha. But it is nice to get a deal. It’s also confusing with all the pre-Balck Friday sales, and there will be post-Black Friday sales as well… it’s pretty chaotic.
I love Abe’s Books and have been buying presents from them and bookshop.org too…
It’s so kind of you to volunteer for work on BF, Jenny!
Well… I’m not THAT kind. It is my normal day to work, and I’m just not requesting the day off. If it wasn’t a scheduled work day for me I wouldn’t put myself on the schedule voluntarily!
I go to work on Black Friday like you do, Jenny. I will also go to Walmart and scan through the whole place to find out which things I’ll buy on this day.
Sounds like you’ve got a busy Black Friday ahead of you! Glad to know I’m not the only one working.
I’m lucky enough to have off work Thanksgiving and Black Friday, but I’ve never shopped in person on BF. I do usually do some online shopping that weekend because there are some good deals! I do need more running shoes but I mostly wear Hokas and they’re almost never on sale, grrr, but I do get rewards points to use at a future date if I buy from REI so I’ll probably do that.
I’ve gotten my Altras on sale a couple times- I think when I manage to hit it when the new version comes out, and I can still get the old ones. As you said- even if the shoes aren’t on sale we’ll get our rewards points, so that’s something.
SOMETIMES we shop on Black Friday if there’s a specific kid item that might be on mega sale. I think we got Minnie a Nintendo for like $100 off last year. (Yes, each kid has their own video game system). This year, I think we are going to go with my IL”s to get our Christmas trees!!
Ooh! We’ll actually get out tree on the Wednesday, and then decorate it on Black Friday.
I have off on Black Friday. It’s my daughters 7th birthday. I probably will at least check my favorite stores: Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s, and probably Amazon.
Oh wow, you will have a busy weekend, with a birthday to celebrate as well! Glad you have the day off.
I used to love going out super early (3am!) and hitting all of the super sales. I would go shopping and be home by 8am just as my family was waking up! But that was before all of the Cyber Monday sales and I was buying toys or electronics. This year I will be working on Black Friday and I alternate years with my coworker. My most favorite thing to do on Black Friday is to start decorating the house for Christmas!
Lisa, of all the people I know, you’re the one I can most imagine getting up and out early for Black Friday shopping! You’re always up for an adventure.
We will also be putting up our Christmas decs on Black Friday!
I don’t really shop on Black Friday. I feel you can get just as good – or better – deals before or after, I also think Black Friday has evolved into “Black week”… LOL
I will buy something if it’s been on my list and I find a good deal, but I don’t shop just to shop.
Yes, that’s the way I feel- I won’t shop just to shop, but I also won’t pass up a great deal if I see one.
Black Friday has only drifted into Canada in the past few years, as far as I know. I would never do the actual-store thing, that sounds like a nightmare. There used to be really good deals on video games back when Angus wanted those for Christmas, so that was welcome. I also use abebooks and think it’s wonderful, although I have to leave a lot of time for shipping. I might look at golf stuff for Angus for Christmas too.
Yes- I have to remind myself to leave plenty of time for shipping if it’s not amazon! The books I ordered a couple weeks ago came really quickly.
Black Friday is my birthday this year! I was joking to my mom that it’s too bad that my birthday didn’t fall on Black Friday the year I turn 40 because that would have been too funny. 😉
I have never shopped on Black Friday, and now I do all of my Christmas shopping online! Most places start their Black Friday deals as early as October these days, so no need to wait!
Ooh! So you don’t want to spend your birthday getting to the stores a dawn, and running around the mall? Ha ha… I hope you do something else fun to celebrate.
I don’t really like shopping in person, so don’t like black Friday in that sense, but I do some online shopping around that time of things I’m already planning to buy like gifts or a new planner.
While I won’t be working (I might have a dog walk….) I also don’t love shopping. The things I want are never on sale and we just don’t NEED things. We’ve done really well about mindlessly buying things just to have stuff over the past year, and the habit has stuck. Mr PugRunner is buying a set of new tires for our second car, but other than that, I want to go for a hike, and then chill on the couch. So exciting.
We generally stay home on Black Friday, unless you count the grocery store. I don’t shop at REI often, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for them, due to their excellent return policy. I bought myself a bicycle in early 2009, and less than a week later I was laid off from my job. I called and asked if I could return it, and of course the answer was yes, they have a great policy. But when the guy asked me why, I told him I had just been laid off and I needed the money more than the bike. He said he thought that was the best reason he had ever heard. <3
I sometimes buy gifts on cyber Monday, though the sales all run together now.
Well, as we are not celebrating thanksgiving no one is taking the day off on Black Friday. It’s a regular week.
I have however snatched up on a deal or two in previous years. But only online. I would never ever go shopping that day. Or if I can manage close to Christmas. I hate it.