Resources (Websites) - Black Friday

This may not be library-related (though I guess it would depend on the way your budgeting is done), but after my adventure on Black Friday '09, I couldn't help but share.

(For anyone who may not be from the U.S., or if you just live under a rock, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when most retailers offer the heaviest discounts of the year.)

Yesterday morning my boyfriend and I were at Best Buy at 2:10 (yes, A.M.). It was way too cold for South Florida, but I got the "HP p6214y Pavilion Desktop w/ AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core Processor and 20" HD LCD and HP Deskjet D1530 Color Printer" that I wanted. Waiting in line for 3 hours was worth saving $400. We were also able to make it to Target to get a Garmin Nuvi 1350t and several TV on DVD sets for $13, and to Staples to get headphones and computer speakers. The best part? We were back home and back to sleep by 6:30 (again, A.M.).

I hope everyone was able to get what they wanted! If not, maybe these websites can help you plan for next year:

http://www.black-friday.net/ - This website gives you access to ads as they become available to the site. You can provide them with your e-mail address and they will contact you when they have new information. They also have links for their assumed "Most Popular Products", online Black Friday deals (which usually start on midnight Thursday and can be just as difficult, if not moreso, to grab than deals in-store) and a super handy shopping list that allows you to compile one list of all of the deals from any store you hope to buy.

http://www.blackfridayads.com/ - This website is a little less clean-looking than the other sites, but still offers up to date ads, a shopping list, and a "Most Wanted" section. This website also comes with a "Search" feature where you can search for either stores or items you are hoping to purchase. If you search for a specific item, the results will come back with the title of the item, price, and store.

http://www.blackfriday.info/ - This website offers a very clean and simple look at any store's ads (as they become available). As With bfnet, they offer the option of being updated by e-mail, and have a shopping list. They also have a link to online coupons and discount codes that may be used even on a day that is not Black Friday.

http://bfads.net/ - My favorite website of them all (coincidentally also the first result if you Google "Black Friday Ads"), bfads offers the general listing of the stores' sales, but also has direct scans of the ads. They have a shopping list, a search feature, a shopping list, and a link to the online sales. They also have contests, store hours, and popular deals. In case you're wondering what kind of deals stores have offered in the past, they also have an archive of past ads.