Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Shopping as a blood sport


I am just about the biggest fan of shopping you will ever meet. I hate to admit it, but I get this high from spending money - this buzzing feeling in my chest. Seriously - it's like a super opiate for me. I also LOVE saving money and finding deals. That is why the day after Thanksgiving - aka Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year. You wake up well before it gets light out, and chug down some coffee - then go out and warm up the car (because you KNOW it's going to be F-r-eeeeeezing out there) - and then head out to stores - most of them open at 5:00 - but at Best Buy, they're starting to give away tickets for the high-demand-super-low-price items at 3:00 am.


In years past I've had shopping carts rammed into my ankles - I've been a part of the human swell that rushes into the store - I've had to pee for HOURS, but been unwilling to lose my place in line - I've had my cart and items from it stolen, etc. And I've loved every minute of it. The day after Thanksgiving at any major retailer is no place for the weak of heart. I remember sitting at my mother's feet listening to her tales of buying cabbage patch kids back in the mid-eighties. I don't want anything that horribly bad this year - none of the big ticket items - but I'm excited to go regardless. Honestly, I'd be psyched if all I was looking for was a pack of underwear - as I'm positive I could find them for a mere fraction of their original cost.


This year, going out shopping on Black Friday has more significance than it has in the past - we've got the whole economic slowdown thing happening, and retailers everywhere are DESPERATE for us to spend some of our money (especially with creditors rapidly pulling in the purse strings) on the things we don't need for the ones we love. I'm eying some dvds and a $25 microwave at Walmart - along with some super fuzzy socks for Azi. This makes me happy because every penny I spend is just me doing my part to help the country - yay me!!!

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