Black Friday 2007: Deals and Steals This Shopping Season

It's that time of the year once again! Music, family get togethers, gift giving, and celebrations of the festive holiday season. Before we can enjoy and celebrate this holiday, we have to first fight the cold and crowds to purchase gifts to hand out just as we have each season prior. For years I have dreaded the shopping season and year after year I have watched the family argue during Thanksgiving dinner. Each year it's over the same thing, who gets the next turn with the "Black Friday" sale papers. I have always thought they were crazy and I still sort of do believe this, but now I too am crazy.

Last Thanksgiving while they argued I managed to catch a glimpse of Best Buy's "Black Friday" deals and happened to see a handheld camcorder which I have wanted for years, but have been unable to afford. It was an incredible $130.00 but only until a certain time or limited quantities had sold on one day and one day only- "Black Friday". I decided that I would get up early and head over to Best Buy and nab myself a camcorder. I got up at 3AM and by 4AM was pulling into the store parking lot. I thought I was smooth showing up at 4AM, but apparently the joke was on me. As I walked up to the building, I saw the line all across the front of the store so I followed it around the side of the building to get to the end. I walked and walked and continued to walk to finally make my way nearly full circle around the store before planting myself at the end of the line. I waited a few hours before te doors opened and because they only allowed limited numbers of people in at a time waited another hour just to get in. My camcorder was sold out, but to my surprise they had a photo printer for only $20.00! My brother really wanted one for Christmas but I didn't think there was any possible way I would be able to afford to get him one. I instantly scooped up the printer and decided I would try one more store before heading home.

The next stop was Target. By the time I had gotten to the store, the line had pretty much vanished and it took only a minute's time before I was in the warmth of the store. I managed to find DVDs for $3.00 and $4.00, board games for $5.00 and so much more. By 8AM I was heading home and had managed to purchase for my daughter and all 25 of my immediate relatives. As you can imagine with a family as large as mine and being a full-time student gift buying is difficult and costly. For the first time I had managed to give a gift I was incredibly proud to have given and it didn't break my bank to do so either. I now swear by "Black Friday" and have become one of those crazy people I previously laughed at. I have wised up though and have found ways to find the deals before they are released so that I don't have to fall into that messy squabble for the paper.

Currently available online for "Black Friday" 2008 are the deals for Target, Kmart, Costo, Old Navy, and more. Each day or couple of days from now leading up until Thanksgiving there will be new stores added. No more waiting for the last minute to create a shopping list. You can spot the incredible deals and budget accordingly starting now. The best sites for early sneak peaks are www.BlackFriday.GottaDeal.com, www.dealtaker.com, and www.theblackfriday.com.

Some of the deals currently listed include a 1GB Kodak memory card for $9.88, a free $60.00 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox 360, and rumor has it that Best buy's door buster this year will be a pretty nice laptop computer for $100.00!

Maybe it seems crazy, especially to those of us who don't enjoy shopping and prefer our sleep any day, but with an economy in the tubes and money being tight for most of us lately it's nice to get our loved ones something nice and not go broke doing so.