My First Black Friday Adventure

After having a yummy Thanksgiving feast at my friend Lianne's house, we sent all the kids and hubby's to the family room. Then Lianne and I got to work planning "The Attack" on Black Friday. We looked at in-store maps, ads and compared prices of all our items. We made our schedule. We left at 11:00pm to hit Wal-Mart for their 12:01 am sale.

Lianne scoping the ads.

We arrive at Wal-Mart, and to my horror, the parking lot is full. I mean full! There is not a spot left. We parked over in the neighboring Meijer's parking lot. I was scared! Where did all these people come from? We enter the doors. Are you kidding me, there are people everywhere. So many people and no room to move anywhere, much less maneuver a cart through it.

Lianne gives me the job of pushing the cart and parades me through the chaos of Wal-Mart. We stop at the jeans area that are on sale. She parks me across the way and starts hurling jeans at me from across the aisle!! Then she starts guiding me with the cart and says "Hurry!!". There is like people everywhere blocking me as I try to get through with a cart.

Lianne looking for the jeans. See the feisty red head bent over through the yellow police tape!!??

We then proceed to the other side of the store to find some other items on our list. She parks me again and leaves me to fend for myself. I felt like a child being left behind by a parent on the first day of school. People everywhere, bumping into you and rushing to the next deal.

She comes back with only one of two items on our list. Lianne then leads me to the Shop vac area where I am instructed to wait in front of the palette of shopvacs until 12:01. She leaves again to collect other sale items. Bobbing and weaving in and out of the crowd, she loved the chaos!! I stand with other people waiting to get their shop vac. They are shrink wrapped on a palette and not to be unleashed until 12:01. Well, that didn't go over well! People had taken some already! But we were instructed to wait. I waited and I got my shop vac for $15, whoo hoo!

Waiting with the shop vac peeps until 12:01.

It took us 1 1/2 hours to get through to the checkouts. That was just sheer ridiculousness!! I came away with : 1 Oster griddle $9.97, 1 shop vac $15, 2 character pjs size 6/7 $4each, Toy Story DVD $10, and Diet Coke $1,48 (We got thirsty in line), and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy $1.96 x 3

Next was Target sales. We got in line at 2 am and the store opened at 4am. It was very cold standing out there for 2 long hours!! Once we got in the store, it was even more chaos!! People and carts everywhere! I was looking for my Sunbeam Stand Mixer for $24.99. I had asked ahead of time where they were in the store, so I went right away as soon as the doors opened. Then I saw 2 sale associates and asked them, they pointed to the right direction. I saw it! I scooped it up and put it in the cart! I got it! I won!! Then on to the $1.49 bath towels. I didn't get the $1.33 bath towels at Wal-Mart, so I was glad to get to them first at Target. I scored 11 bath towels!!

I finally find Lianne, after she came back empty handed. We finally make it to checkouts, and he rings up my mixer and I can't wait to see the $24.99 price ring up. But, all I see is $69.99!! What? I grabbed the wrong mixer. In all the chaos and confusion, I grabbed the wrong mixer!!! Grr. So, I leave Target, after standing in line for 2 hours out in the stinking cold, and in the checkouts for forever with 11 towels. Great!

I went home finally at 5 am to my bed frustrated and tired. I think next time I will just stay home and order my items online, Hmmmm. Sounds good to me.

I hope everyone had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone did better than I on Black Friday :)