Black Friday Tips....Tip #1--Don't Go. Tip #2--Don't Go.

I love a good deal, but as I said earlier, I just don't get the whole Black Friday thing.  I tried it one year, about 10 years ago, when I heard people start talking about it, and I thought I was missing out on something.  I left my house at 5, drove up to the mall, and just basically meandered around for 30 minutes, so I decided to leave.  On the way home, I thought I would stop by Target, to see what was going on there.  At Target, there were tons of people running around, but I couldn't really figure out what was so great....there were a couple of good deals, like $25 toasters for $9.99, but I don't really need that many toasters,  so I left there, too, within 5 minutes.  That is my experience with Black Friday shopping.

Now, my children and I usually leave our house at 10, go to Chick Fil A for a late breakfast, and head over to Target to buy a particularly fuzzy blanket that they always have on sale the day after Thanksgiving.   Surprisingly, lots of the good "deals" are still there  when we arrive at 11 am, so why would you go out the night before, or at 4 am?   Last year I got several Milton Bradley board games for $5 each, which I donated to various Toys for Tots drives.   I think almost all of the "deals" were still there.  No need to go crazy.

One blog I really like, the Penny Hoarder (hits home...??), has an article today about how to deal with Black Friday stress, and they suggest doing things to help get you prepared emotionally for the big day.  This includes the exercise of going to the store a few days early (you should be on your way to that store, if you want to use this technique!!), getting everything you want, then putting it all back, so that you teach yourself what it feels like to miss out on a deal.  Are you kidding?  Who the heck would ever do that?  That is insane.  

In addition, they suggest you practice breathing exercises to relieve stress, and, finally, to utilize a stress-relieving app to help you through the stress of Black Friday (how can an app relieve stress?  I find most of my apps create some level of stress, such as trying to get the Cartwheel bar to scan an item at Target, for example).  Presumably, the stress they are referring to is the stress that comes when you don't get that good deal.

At one point, the article points out the key to a stress-free Black Friday is remembering that Black Friday is just a shopping day with better prices.  That seems pretty simple to me.   You can read the whole Penny Hoarder article at http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/black-friday-shopping-stress-free/.

I really just don't understand this--how much stress can shopping be?  Is that how unhinged society is?  If so, I should be more careful the next time I go out, because I operate on the assumption that most of us are pretty normal, but I am not so sure anymore...whole articles (like this??) about staying stress free  and not going ballistic during a shopping trip?

So, here is my tip (which I kind of gave away in my title):   Just don't go.  Seriously, just don't go. Stay home.  Be with your family if you are so lucky not to have to go to work.   I can't think of a thing I would need that much to battle through that much commotion.

Before I sign off, I must address those of you who know me well enough to know how excited I get during a good 90% clearance sale at Target, or during the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale.  To which I say this--I get excited, not stressed.  It makes me happy to get a Lilly dress for $40.  In might make me unusually happy, and I might clear my schedule to be at Lilly sales, but that doesn't involve me having to do deep-breathing exercises and frantically searching for apps to keep me, well, not frantic.  That may be the hypocrite in me, but, to me, it makes sense.

So, stay home this Thanksgiving night, and watch a good true-crime murder show, like Dateline.  That is my idea of a perfect way to relax--watching a murder show.