Black Friday, you were never a problem before. What are you trying to do to me? How did you get a hold of me like that? How did you bend me to your holiday commercialistic will? Make me want to buy a whole lot of stuff that I certainly didn\u2019t want (32% off \u2026 what a bargain!) and definitely didn\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe it\u2019s COVID-19 and being cooped up all the time. I\u2019ve never been into the holiday shopping day-of-deals, which became more like a week this year. Never liked going to the stores to be crowded in among people, all scrapping and wrestling for bargains on flat screen TVs or cookware sets. Even before the coronavirus I was something of a social distancer, not to mention discount-shopping adverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But online? Well, that\u2019s a different story. And I got a little bit by the bug this year it seemed. Suddenly there were things I needed, or more likely didn\u2019t, marked down to ridiculous prices that I just couldn\u2019t miss out on. I knew I couldn\u2019t \u201cmiss out\u201d because all Web posts and news stories told me. That I would be, in their words, a \u201cdamn fool\u201d if I didn\u2019t take advantage. That I better shop soon and hurry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, OK. Well, if the Internet says so, I better getting spending!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because, you know, crap you don\u2019t need seems more practical and useful when it comes with a gigantic markdown. (You still don\u2019t use it, but that butt-tightening stair-stepper sure feels like a steal when you stuff it in the back of the closet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I wanted that! I wanted to be a Black Friday sucker. I mean, shopper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, I went shopping. Or, at least looking to shop. I searched out all kinds of things thanks to deals that kept appearing. I already have an Instant Pot, but at that price, why not get a second one? Then I could have a \u201ccasual\u201d mid-week one, and a more \u201cformal\u201d one for special occasions. I could name it \u201cRoosevelt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or some fancy luggage that I would never use. Or a portable garden. Or a label maker! (Thirty-five percent off. I could label my plants and luggage.) I found an LED flame table lamp that looks a little like a real candle flame. If you squint your eyes just right. And ignore the fact that you just paid 10 times the cost of an actual candle. (But one even had Bluetooth!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A family holiday pajama set? I have been morally, ethically and vehemently opposed to this idea every time my family suggested it. But at 30% off? Now, that\u2019s a bargain worth being embarrassed for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How about an air fryer? I don\u2019t know what an air fryer is. Apparently it fries things using air. This sounds totally space-age and revolutionary. Plus, Roosevelt needs a friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a mushroom growing kit (40% off \u2026 can\u2019t imagine why the steep discount!), great deals on golf balls (I\u2019ve never played), and even kitty litter (wait a minute \u2026 kitty litter!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found a great deal on a sound bar that I just had to have for my TV. It was remarkably 25% off for something that was highly-rated. I don\u2019t know why I had to have it, but I did. Although, it was rather disappointing to find out that a sound \u201cbar\u201d isn\u2019t an actual alcohol-dispensing device attached to your TV. Rather, it just emits \u201csound\u201d in the form of better dialogue and music. Total rip-off, and now I don\u2019t have a robot bartender to pour my bourbon while I watch soccer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were lots of automated electronic gadgets. Smart plugs and smart bulbs and smart home video cameras with infrared technology to see in the dark. I almost picked up about a dozen for my yard. I\u2019ve always wanted to see what all those noisy raccoons actually do at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I guess it was when I started pricing fishing gear (I don\u2019t fish) that I started realizing I had fallen down a deep, dark well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Black Friday Pit of Excess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That there was more to be thankful for this year than just a little spending room on my credit card, or the ease of picking up cheap junk I don\u2019t need. Especially in a year like this. Counting blessings and giving thanks for all that we have after all we\u2019ve been through? It feels like it\u2019s never been more important. If there\u2019s anything 2020 has taught me, it\u2019s to take nothing for granted and appreciate everything. Not to be wasteful (hello and goodbye 2020 toilet paper shortage!) and be happy for health, not bargains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that realization, I turned away from the deals and stopped searching out whatever I could find for Black Friday. Too many better things to do. Too many more important things to relish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, I\u2019ve got to go figure out what that sound bar is, and if there\u2019s any way to hook up a Bluetooth alcohol dispenser to it. Probably going to have to pay full-price for that one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Black Friday, you were never a problem before. What are you trying to do to me? How did you get a hold of me like that? How did you bend me to your holiday commercialistic will? Make me want to buy a whole lot of stuff that I certainly didn\u2019t want (32% off \u2026 what a bargain!) and definitely didn\u2019t need. <\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s COVID-19 and being cooped up all the time. I\u2019ve never been into the holiday shopping day-of-deals, which became more like a week this year. Never liked going to the stores to be crowded in among people, all scrapping and wrestling for bargains on flat screen TVs or cookware sets. Even before the coronavirus I was something of a social distancer, not to mention discount-shopping adverse. <\/p>\n
But online? Well, that\u2019s a different story. And I got a little bit by the bug this year it seemed. Suddenly there were things I needed, or more likely didn\u2019t, marked down to ridiculous prices that I just couldn\u2019t miss out on. I knew I couldn\u2019t \u201cmiss out\u201d because all Web posts and news stories told me. That I would be, in their words, a \u201cdamn fool\u201d if I didn\u2019t take advantage. That I better shop soon and hurry! <\/p>\n
\u201cOh, OK. Well, if the Internet says so, I better getting spending!\u201d <\/p>\n
And I did. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2166"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2167,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166\/revisions\/2167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nutshellcity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}