Is it sad to say that only until I started this post did I realize Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving? No, seriously, I had no idea, which means that I never buy anything on Black Friday because I'm working or up in Tahoe baby!
Could there be anything more silly than taking a day off of work to go spend money? It's like taking yourself out of the work force for two years, losing all that lost income to go pay $50,000 a year in tuition to network and party it up at business school! OK, maybe Black Friday shopping isn't that dramatic.
The “spend more, save more mentality” is not good for your pocket book. How about, “Let me look and buy what I really need. And if I don't really need it, I won't buy it!” That's a much better mindset, and you know it!
Now that I realize Black Friday is supposed to be a special day of sales, I've begun to comb through a list of things that I may want to buy. Of course by the time I get off work, none of the items will be available, and the parking lot will be a zoo. There aren't many things I want to buy, so maybe you guys can give some consumption inspiration.
MY BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING LIST
* Work socks. Gotta have me some fresh socks! Maybe I can get a 2 for 1 special! Cost: $30. Likelihood of buying: 95%.
* Holiday cards, books, toys: The best gifts are hand written or hand made. Guess I'll be writing a lot of personal cards and knitting some nice scarfs! Good thing I got a bunch of nice ones from Santorini already made. As adults, we don't really give or receive any presents anymore do we? I know I don't. Gifts are mostly just for the nieces, nephews, and cousins under 21 years old. Cost: $400. Likelihood of buying: 100%.
* Casual dress shoes. Burning through my casual work shoes like a marshmallow on a stick. Love them soft, handmade shoes by Tod's have to admit. Quality and comfort over quantity and discomfort! Cost: $300. Likelihood of buying: 65%.
* 40″ LED TV to replace my 6 year old 40″ projection TV with green spots in the living room. About two years ago, the picture started greening out and it's gotten progressively worse. Its just such a PITA to replace everything since I'll have to get a new receiver and wiring as well. Beside, I have another TV which is fine. Cost: $700 for the TV, and $500 for a new receiver and wiring. Likelihood of buying: 50%.
* A 13″ MacBook Air. I've got a 3 year old MacBook with upgraded 4 gigs of RAM. The problem is I only have a 120GB hard drive which is now full after my trip to Greece. I could get a backup drive for $150-$250 as Sydney from Untemplater sas, or perhaps I can get the $1,600 version of the MB Air with a 256GB hard drive. Damn, that's expensive! Even with the supposed 10% off on Black Friday, that just saves me tax. How do people afford such costs nowadays? I'm probably going to use my current computer for at least another year. Likelihood of buying: 20%.
* A trip to Hawaii. If Alaska Air, Hawaiian Air, or United Air have a last minute special to Honolulu, I'm there! Round-trip tickets from San Francisco cost $640 on average during the winter, and $1,000 during the holidays. If by some miracle prices are cut in half, I will go for my final week of vacation with no guilt, no doubt. Likelihood: 50%.
* 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo in black. At a cost of $160,000, what a bargain! I could gun the car over famous cable-car California St. and catch 25 feet of air. Alas, I don't make $1.6 million a year, so that would violate the Financial Samurai 1/10th rule for car buying. See folks who disagree with the 1/10th rule? It's so easy to follow!
IN SEARCH FOR DESIRES
I just spent $395 bucks on two tennis rackets which are softer on the arm. Meanwhile, I had to change the brakes and battery on Moose to the tune of $795. Hence, if I were to buy everything above for $3,300, the total two month expenditure would come up to around $4,500! What's more interesting is that the ratio of spending on others, to spending on myself is pathetically selfish!
The reality is, I'm probably just going to get new socks, cards, and toys for the kids and that's it. My casual work shoes will just be resoled for $40 bucks and I'll just live with what I've got. I really, REALLY hate crowds and can imagine a scenario where I'm at Best Buy trying to save $300 on a TV, and Moose's door gets dinged in the parking lot costing $500 to repair! I'd rather just sit at home in my pajamas and pretend to shop on Cyber Monday!
Related: Things To Buy With Your Massive Investment Gains – After a 10+-year bull market, you deserve to live a little if you've been saving and investing all these years!
How about you guys? Any big plans for Black Friday? Are you spending more this year or less? How much do you think you'll spend on Black Friday and the entire winter holiday?
Regards,
Sam
I would love to get a MacBook, iPad, iPhone or even an iPod touch! But I can’t justify the price. Shoot, the laptop that I’m typing on right now cost just a little more than the apple iPod touch that I bought my son for his birthday…
All I bought this year was stuff to help me blog, or do online businesses. I did flirt with a 50 inch TV though, but decided since I couldn’t buy it online and would have to go into the store that I’d pass…
I like your Black Friday list! :)
My macbook pro is slowing down too :( Apparently there’s to be $100 or $200 off macbook pros as part of Apple’s Black Friday sale.
A lot of Canadians go gaga over Black Friday- I bet the border line ups will be crazy.
#BULLeconomy! Woot!
Oh really?!?! That much off?! Enticing!!! Hmmm…. I doubt $200 off though, I do remember see $100 all the time, but that doesn’t even pay for taxes. Did you go to Hawaii yet?
I just spent $30 bucks upgrading my OS, so I think I’m good to go! BTW, at least you have a MB Pro! Mines just an MB! Lucky duck.
I just bought a Macbook Air.. It is an amazing machine. I was just going to play around with it and had to purchase it. I was going to get one eventually anyway. We needed wanted another computer in the house and already saved for it.
I must admit I really like that 1/10th rule. I see you base your rule on income. I was basing my rule on net worth. Hmm… I will have to switch to your method since 1.6 million a year is definitely harder to achieve than 1.6 million in net worth.
A 1/10th rule on net worth is better than a poke in the eye. But still, I can’t imagine one giving up a full 10% of their net worth on a car?? That’s just NUTS!
You work for 20 years to accumulate $1 million which is hopefully liquid, and then drop $100,000 on a car is silly.
Enjoy the Air!
I see your point. But, that was my bandaid for not buying a super expensive car right now. I’m sure the more money I make and the higher my networth is I would change my formula
Nothing better than a beer in the jacuzzi tub, relaxing while you watch the crazies go nuts about saving $20 bucks on something they don’t need!
I am not going to put my health or life on a line for some TV or a game or whatever. I just don’t see myself in line, fighting my way through hoards of people, losing a few teeth along the way, getting trampled or run over with a cart. Seriously, there is nothing out there for me. :-)
What’s a couple teeth between friends?! :)
I am not shopping on black Friday. The only way for me to be spending and wasting my time waiting in line would be for something I desperately needed that I desperately wanted to buy at a discounted price. I can think of a lot items that I desperately want, but don’t really need them. So, for the sake of saving time, I will buy my new HP notepad using a layaway plan!
What’s a layaway plan? Is that like a lease? HP just beat 3Q earnings!
I donno… I don’t like HP.
A layaway plan is a contract with the store that allows you to pay for an item over a period of time.
It is sorta like a lease but the store keeps the item until it’s fully paid for.
I need a replacement dishwasher for the rental and a couple of space heater.
Our furnace conked out and I think we’ll go with space heater this year. It doesn’t get that cold so I think we’ll be all right.
Don’t go all crazy now Joe w/ that new dishwasher! Actually, that reminds me, I should get one too for my rental. It’s like 15 years old!
Dang, I think I should get a new furace too. How long did you have it? Higher end furnaces are around 3K I believe.
“* 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo in black. At a cost of $160,000, what a bargain! I could gun the car over famous cable-car California St. and catch 25 feet of air. Alas, I don’t make $1.6 million a year, so that would violate the Financial Samurai 1/10th rule for car buying. See folks who disagree with the 1/10th rule? It’s so easy to follow!”
That is a sweet car. Sam, if you do buy are you doing financing or all cash? $160,000 goes a long way as a down payment for another investment property ;)
Although I must say I do like your taste in cars. Im itching for a new m3. If only I can convince my girlfriend to let me buy it.
If they don’t have 0.9% financing or less, I generally just pay cash. I enjoy buying AND selling, so it’s no big deal when it comes time for me to offload. I really enjoy the process of negotiating, I donno why.
$160,000 is a nice downpayment on a $600,000 investment property for sure but the car is that much more fun!
Consider an Audi S5 if you’re looking at the $80,000 M3. The S5 is beautiful and 18K cheaper!
Usually I dont buy anything on black friday – last year I picked up a fleece later for 9.99 and then went and got some wool socks. I spent less than 20 bucks I think, and that’s what I’m planning on spending this year. I do spend thanksgiving in a state with no sales tax which is nice, but I really dont need anything. I subscribe to the theory “if I dont need it, why buy it” and that’s served me well.
I’m also thinking of upgrading my 6 year old mac laptop that has 1gb ram and a 80 gb hd to a new OS so I can connect my backup hard drive and put time machine on both my and my fiancee’s computer so we wont be up the river if something goes south on us.
Wait, Wyoming has no sales tax too? Which state is this?
Yeah… I def think it’s about time to upgrade your 6 year old Mac w/ only 1GB of RAM! Back that stuff up!
Man, your computer makes mine seem like a beast! Thanks for that as now I think I’m going use mine for another 3 years!
Sorry for the confusion sam. Wyoming has 4% Sales tax (some counties add on a penny of their own), but I’ll be in montana – they have no sales tax!
I thankfully have all my important things backed up, but i’d still lose a few things if it kicked the bucket. I’m just not ready to drop the 1k+ that it costs for a new mac
Back it up now! It’s so nice to have a new Mac. Just connect the new and old and it all gets transferred over quickly. Do it!
I’m taking advantage of the sales to get some practical items for myself that I’ve put off for a few years like a new winter coat since the pockets don’t exist in mine anymore, and some work shoes and maybe a plain dress shirt or two since a few of mine have shrunk quite a bit. I’ll need to start hang drying so any new ones won’t end up shrinking too. All that said I hate crowds so I always look for online sales first.
Won’t go anywhere near the shopping malls; the traffic is horrendous. I will stay home and watch the local news Friday a.m. where they will interview people on line at midnight (Thanksgiving night) at the local Coach (the outlet store), ready to dash in and get the best deals. It is crazy.
Not only is it crazy, it’s heart attack inducing!
Right now, I have no plans to buy anything that day. Or, better put, I’m not going to spend my time or energy standing in line at 1:00am to save $2 on a pair of boxers, or treat shopping like a contact sport. We’ll see what happens as I haven’t given it much thought, but at this moment, I like the idea of taking the anti-blackfriday approach!
Haha, sounds good! I’ll be right there with you. I love watching those camp out interviews!
I’m hoping to save some money on Amazon book purchases. I have a few of my own that I will indulge in purchasing, as well as several Christmas gifts (I like the whole idea of spreading literacy). I’m hoping Amazon has some cool deals, or maybe some free shipping. Other than that, not a whole lot. Maybe $50 of clothes (shirts) I don’t really need just as a small treat for myself and find they can make good conversation starters.
Ah, that sounds like an easier and relatively inexpensive thing to do. I’ll check out Amazon as well.
Yep, I went to the Audi, BMW, VW, and Lexus dealers and they said they are all having a “special” from now until the end of the month. Could be good!
Gotta buy before the LinkedIn guys get to cash out!
Donno if I need to hire anybody to buy me socks. But, I’ll think about it. thx!
Being in retail, I will be working at 9pm on Thanksgiving getting ready…
As for the TV – you can get a great one with those specs for 300-500 this holiday season! And wiring? WHAT are you paying for wiring?
Oh yeah? Only $300-500 for a 40″ LED TV now? Hook me UP!
I can’t be bothered to install the receiver to the TV to the stereo for my surround sound system in my house. It is a PITA and I would now rather pay someone a couple hundred bucks to do it.
Hope you are getting paid overtime!
Sorry retailers, I am maintaining my position of staying away from stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
I don’t like crowds and would rather shop online!
Yeah, no kidding! It’s nuts out there. Good TV entertainment though.
The socks, shoes, cards, toys, and books would all be must-haves for me. The vacay would just be WONDERFUL! One thing that I’m sure to get is another computer.
Everytime I feel I want to get a new computer, I just delete some space, get a nice wipey and clean the screen and keyboard, and I feel it’s as good as new again! Try it. I just did and no longer have the urge.
I’m going to be in Java beginning my 6 weeks of vacation – thus I will NOT be doing my duty as a good American to buy stuff I do not need!
I will be visiting the last of the 3 big Hindu temples – Angkor Wat in Cambodia (1999), Bagan of Burma/Myanmar 2004 and Borobudur of Java Indonesia (2011).
After 10 days in Java I will spend about a month in Malaysian Borneo.
Happy Black Friday and Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to All!
See you next year,
David M
Sounds like a great time! You’ll have to share with us what you do for a living to take 6 weeks consecutive off! Teacher? Have fun!
I know my wife’s geared up to spend a bunch in the guise of “savings” on black friday. Me? It’s just a day off of work to hang with the kids. I think last year I bought a laptop on cyberMonday or something because my old one was dying and I knew it was cheaper. But this year I don’t have any plans.
Sounds like a perfect Black Friday to me! I so enjoy this time of the year.
I am not shopping on Black Friday! I might take a peek at shopping on Cyber Monday though. Porsche shopping should be the last couple days of the year to get the deal of the century. :) I wanted one forever, but could never justify the expense. I was going to rent one for the weekend when I turned 40 years old, but never did. My practical side trumps my frivolous dream side. BTW, isn’t Hawaii high season over Christmas? No discounts during high season, right?
Part of Friday, I will spend with family and friends. Spending will probably be roughly the same as the last few years. I will spend zero and my wife will spend less than $50 on Black Friday.
Hawaii is high season over Christmas, hence my 50% probability target in the paragraph. I wanna follow Obama to Kailua!
Black Friday deals are for people who’s time is less valuable than their money. That was me in college.
Today, my time is much more valuable than my money. No standing outside in the cold or even just waiting in the checkout line for 45 minutes just to “save” a few bucks (on stuff I probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise)
Couldn’t agree with you more. If the Occupy protesters were smart, they’d start camping out at Best Buy and take a list of things to buy and charge!
I don’t think I will be enticed this year. I am tempted to get an IPAD though. ;) The trip to Hawaii sounds nice though! I say forego the presents for the family and just travel. haha
I donno about the iPad2. Every time I think about getting one, I think how useless it is since I don’t travel that much or have a long commute. I already got my computer!
Sam…FINALLY SOMEONE THAT FEELS THE SAME WAY!
I can’t figure out tablets just yet. At home I sit with the laptop next to me on the couch…I can’t even imagine blogging on a iPad!
I used to feel the sam way about tablets, but i have recently changed my mind after siiting in a 3 hour lecture waiting. I borrowed my friends and it was the best experience ever. I also love the idea of keeping up on blogs, news etc.
The problem is justifying almost $600 for one.
Hmm, you saying a tablet is good for killing time during lectures and presentations? Sounds good to me. Laptops aren’t bad too.