I’m not joking, I totally do not understand this mindset. I have had credit cards for over 40 years and have never paid an annual fee or a penny in interest, nor have I ever gone over budget on a single item. So the credit card in my wallet is not increasing the chances of anything, it’s a piece of plastic, not an evil portal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

(Edited to add: the NYT piece was done by Charles Duhigg, the same author mentioned by Mrs. PoP above)

There’s no interest on debit and you treat it like cash which has always been “debit card 101″ for me.

People do not trample people for free phone upgrades (nor will they ever), but they will for 50-70% off a HDTV or laptop.

Now, I did go once. My sister-in-law and I rode the train from Milwaukee to downtown Chicago for the day. That was more about a fun adventure than shopping. It’s lovely to see all stores decorated and the streets lit up. Go out for lunch. Enjoy the atmosphere. An experience, not a competition.

Sorry

I went to Best Buy in the mid afternoon and upgraded my phone (from an old Blackberry to a new Android) for free. The night before I shopped online at Sephora.com. No crowds, no rush, no fights, no debt and I spend all of $30. *shrug*

(I agree with this post being an ad for Target)

If you’re lucky enough to have Friday off work, spend the time with the important people in your life (including yourself!), not 50%-off electronics that you had to stomp on other people to acquire.

I have one store card and a few times a year it gets me into trouble (just a little thankfully) and I Have yet to cancel it… it’s on the list, thanks for reminding me!

I can’t help wondering how many of those “deals” they score are paid for with revolving credit card debt that isn’t paid in full by the end of the month.

I went Black Friday shopping exactly once, many years ago, arriving at the store at 10 AM for the one item I wanted (which wasn’t a premium item). That’s when I discovered that the stores usually stock less than 10 each of their big items, going on the theory that anyone who gets shut out will buy something rather than leave empty-handed after waiting hours in the middle of the night to get in.

I’m a big supporter of Buy Nothing Day. Relax and eat leftovers instead.

Also, I’m a dedicated Black Friday shopper, and I think a lot of us get free previews of whats available early on, so we can plan strategy and in my case, get thru with it all in just a few hours. So early access in exchange for a loyalty card is not needed. There are many, many free sites that can be found with just a google search.

A few years ago, my desktop computer just died on me and the cost to fix it was more than a new computer. Money was tight that year, but I knew if I got a computer with the limited funds I had, it would more than pay for itself. So I stood in line on BF for more than a few hours, chatted with the people around me, met their kids, did my part to help keep other people from cutting in line in front of us (which naturally pissed me off) and ended up with a great laptop that I’m still using 3 years later.

The tragic incidents on BF bother me, and they bother me a lot. The unfortunate truth of it (for me) is that Black Friday, just like all holidays and even going to the movies or going to Six Flags, brings out the best and the worst of human behavior. I personally shop for what’s important for me and then GO HOME. And I try to avoid a lot of crazy drivers going to and fro.