Black Friday…it’s on.

Combat boots at the ready, credit card cleared, comfortable clothes, running shoes, game face on…let’s do this!

It’s a dangerous day in an already dangerous time. It’s a day when being a smart shopper just doesn’t do. You have to be assertive, patient and aggressive at some point. Shopaholics tremble when they speak of this day.

Basically, it’s sales day. A way in which stores get rid of some merchandise with a minimun profit to make room for the new stuff and new season. It’s a good oportunity to buy those things you normally couldn’t and being so close to Christmas, your present list should be fulfilled with the least of your cash. The downside is that most people over do it. They buy too many things and most of them not even needed or wanted. How does this happen?

The idea of things being on sale is tempting, but be on the lookout for things you actually need or at the very least could potentially get advantage from. For example, about a year ago, I went to search for a TV because we were going to move. I tried online, but it was sold out. So, I went to the elctronic store decided to come back with a brand new LSD screen. Imagine my hope crashing loudly to the ground when I arrived at the overly crowded place! The line or the TV’s on sale was at least two rounds around the store, so I decided the TV wasn’t that important or even worth that amount of time in line. I bought some other things I wanted for Christmas that didn’t involve making a camp site to buy.

Later we went to the clothes store next door. The variety was truly amazing. There was about every piece of clothing and every color you could posibly imagine. People had armfulls of clothes while picking something else with their free arm. It was totaly insane. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong in buying clothes but do you really need that many shirts? I mean, do you plan to wear a different one each day of the year?

Anyway, I sighed and left the store to go to another, where I searched for clothes for my son. I took a couple outfits on sale and went to the register. Now, this was a total different matter. The lines for accepting cash are soooo much faster everywhere. You could take up to three hours to get a decent pair of shoes but in a second you could be charged and bagged ready to go. I thought the “Money” sounds cashiers did was only that continuous in online games, but I guess sometimes reality exceeds it.

I sat on the floor for about an hour and a half waiting to be picked up and then we went to a place where a salesperson yelled at the door at the top of his lungs: “BLACK  FRIDAY SALES! ONLY TODAY! WELCOME WELCOME” People went in like crazy, but they didn’t seem to come out. We took a plunge into the depths of the store which wasn’t all that nig and realized there were people sleeping next to the outfits on display. Men and children sitting on the floor, loaded with clothes that clearly weren’t for them, while a crazy woman or teen, also female, landed more stuff on the already heavy pile. We realized these people had been in this store for a longer than they could take. That’s just not fair. I took some acomplices but willing ones. We all knew what we were getting into. All girls of course.

We visited the toy store and made such a long line to buy a couple boardgames. In this case, we had to be patient cause those games were from a Santa list, top priority. Last, we went to the supercenter and bought the majority of our lists, yes…we had lists. We didn’t go with our pocket full of plastic, we had a budget to stick to. Hey, you can’t buy more than you can pay if there’s no way you take it out of the store, right? It was just good sense not to trust ourselves completely. I renewed my microwave, which suddenly stopped working a couple days before. I bought an electric grill which helps a lot when I have no gas to cook.

Salespeople were scolding shoppers for taking the merchandise before the scheduled sale time, but they kept bringing them out so I guess they weren’t so upset after all. Shoppers were crazed here. People taking things from shelves as if it were the end of time and survival would be guaranteed by a Barbie doll for a dollar or a family frame for three! For crying out loud! I took my time to look at things before I put them in my cart! Yes, maybe I didn’t get it all, but…who needs it all?

I was looking at the book section when a riot started in the electronics department. I stood there shaking my head in disaproval when I see my mother-in-law peeking though the crowd. I went brick red and dug my head in whatever book I was holding. I didn’t even bother noticing which one it was.

There were some pajamas for kids. I took the liberty to search through them but people kept grabbing them from in front of me. I said: “That does it!” I took a bunch of them into my cart and started looking at them calmly. I took a couple for my son and threw back the rest.

As I walked down the aisle, there were ladies who threw dirty looks at me. I was just going around looking for something good enough to stop by, but they meant business. Apparently, I was in this imaginary race I had not signed on. She stared and me and sped up. I was so upset by then that I pushed my cart further and beat her to the front where she stopped for plastic containers and I just kept going. I had to beat her, I needed to assert my womanhood. Nobody messes with me.

So, I bought what I needed and a couple within-budget ones as well. It was much more fun watching people on this day than actual purchases. By the way, did I mention we started on Thursdayy at 6:00 pm and finish at 7:00 am the next day? You have to pull an all nighter but it’s an experience you will never forget.

I just can’t wait to do it again!

Wanna join…?