Shopping in the USA

I am not a true died in the wool shopper. I just don't like to shop. I usually know what I want and I either find it or I don't, in which case I buy it and go home, or go home frustrated because I didn't find what I wanted.

Lately I have seen several articles and news items about people buying extremely high priced items like handbags, shoes, etc. An article in the newspaper yesterday was about a woman who finally realized she was embarrassed to carry a handbag that cost more than a medium priced SUV. I had to wonder what took her so long to get to this point of embarrassment?

Today is 'Black Friday', the day after Thanksgiving and the first official day of Christmas shopping. The term 'Black Friday' originated because this is traditionally known as the day retailers go into the 'black' after being in the 'red' all year until now. Every merchant is counting on the crush of shoppers buying up goodies for Christmas. They offer extended shopping hours and special pricing on hot items to get the shoppers in the door.

I have often been guilty of saying nothing surprises me any more. I always have to take that back as something always surprises me. Some of the national branded stores in this area opened at 4 AM today. I cannot think of anything I could possibly want bad enough to be at any store at 4 in the morning, but there was no shortage of shoppers waiting to get in the doors when they opened. In fact, the lines started on Wednesday afternoon and this is Friday! They spent Thanksgiving Day in a queue waiting to shop. Anyone would think this was the only chance to buy anything needed to survive!

Never mind the temperatures at night were in the 30s and last night we had snow as well. There were hundreds of these folks! Some of them had tents and sleeping bags, but the news showed some of them just sitting on folding chairs. All night in the freezing cold sitting on a folding chair, just for a chance to get a bargain on something.

All I can say is I hope it was worth it. I hope they managed to get that bargain that was worth missing one of the best family holidays of the year. I hope they didn't mind not being with loved ones; for the sake of a bargain for a product that may or may not last until this time next year.

As for me, I am doing my Christmas shopping online. But even if I couldn't shop online, I sure wouldn't stay up all night in the freezing cold hoping to get a 'bargain'.

Martha