So, who has already been shopping today?
Not me!
While I love a good bargain, I do not so much love bargain hunting. And that includes standing in long lines, dealing with crowds, and waking up in the wee hours of the morning for shopping. So today, I will be sleeping in. I admit, later in the afternoon, I may hit up the local shops in my neighborhood, see what the bargain hunters have left for the rest of us, plus it's just a nice lazy way to spend an afternoon.
Last year, I spent Thanksgiving with a friend and her family, and part of their holiday tradition includes going shopping at midnight, then going shopping again around 6 am. It was rough. Fun, but rough. We went for the adventure of it more than anything else, and I admit, I did find a few bargains, including some dishes at the Williams-Sonoma outlet that I use all the time and a sweater that I absolutely love. Were these great bargains worth the exhaustion? Probably not. It was fun for a one time thing, but it won't be happening again this year (of course, I'm also doing Thanksgiving with a different group this year).
I don't know how I feel about the bargain hunting trend. On one hand, saving money is awesome! But on the other hand, is there anything that I need so badly that I need to camp out the night before in order to get the best deal? I know for a lot of people, bargain hunting and Black Friday shopping is an adventure. I have one friend who goes purely to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
I understand the idea of getting the most for your money, and I totally get that parents are often working to make Christmas as great as possible for their children, but I sometimes wonder what sort of a lesson that teaches.
Either way, whatever you choose, enjoy your day after Thanksgiving. And if you do go shopping and find a great bargain, be sure to let everyone know!