We were thinking of having a caroling party this year as well!!. Last year we had a bring yer own song or poem (the Irish love singing) and it was great. We were going to call ours 'Carols and Craic'
I don't always shop on Black Friday, but I will be this year. I'm on a special mission to find myself a good deal on a high quality vacuum cleaner, so it's as much about me as it is buying gifts for others this year.
Also, I plan on taking advantage of Black Friday prices to stock home goods like batteries, light bulbs, bathroom tissue, etc., because even if they aren't on sale, I can use a combination of manufacturer coupons and store coupons for % off total purchase.
Not sure if I'll go or not - depends on what's on sale. Right now, can't think of any gift that might be on sale that I'd need to go out early. I've done Black Friday a lot in the past. Took my stepdaughter a couple of times when she was in her mid-teens. She thought it was a blast. If she wanted to go again, I'd go with her 'cause I love spending time with her.
I finished my Christmas shopping November 7th. The adults in my family exchange gift cards, and the teenagers all want cash. The only person in my family who still buys presents is my mother, and we are slowly converting her to just giving gift cards.
For dessert, my favorite Thanksgiving budget dish or comfort food: tied between Pumpkin Pie and Persimmon Pudding. My Grandma Kelley always made both, and she made the best Persimmon Pudding ever, with a glaze on top I've never been able to duplicate.
I can't get good persimmons here in the south like they grow in the midwest, so I always try to buy persimmon pulp when I go to Indiana and freeze it. It's still not quite the same, but it's like a little slice of home when I'm so far away and missing my family.
Both are cheap, but persimmons literally grow on trees, so they have to be the most budget-friendly to work with.
I wouldn't be caught dead outside the house on Black Friday. I do, however, shop the sales online and get the same deals plus free shipping at most stores. :-)
I will not be shopping this black Friday as I have already bought for everyone. Last year I bought a TV and it was one of the best purchases but I lucked out because I didn't get it until Black Friday night!
I would go with homemade stuffing as the budget dish. If you think about it, you use bread to make stuffing. The bread has to be dried out. So buy stale bread, day old bread, any kind of old bread, just not moldy old. It's not hard to find discounted at just about any store or bakery.
I will not be shopping. There isn't anything I need. When I want an item, I comparison shop, watch for specials, rebates or coupons and then wait for a store's 25-30% off coupon (Younkers and Kohl's are infamous for these) However, all of this is usually thwarted by clearance deals at discount stores and on Amazon.
I've worked for a lot of companies but I wanted to share with you one of my favorites; http://mysteryshopperservices.com/ They have free registration & they are an MSPA registered/legit company that I have enjoyed working for, for years now.
Professional and kind employees to talk to, they always put a smile on my face... and great pay for pretty easy mystery shops. A lot of their shops are just evaluations so no money even comes out of my pocket. Any of them that do require you to pay for a meal you are always reimbursed for :)
I would suggest to check them out and register. Good luck!
I have found that with a bit of knowledge, Google and the courage to give it a try, you can fix a lot of things fairly cheaply.
I've recently fixed both my clothes washer and dryer, a friend's clothes dryer and another friend's spare refrigerator/freezer. Most of those were very simple repairs. Two did require buying parts (thank you Ebay). But once we knew what the part looked like and where it came from, an exploded parts diagram told us the part number and getting the right part was fairly simple.
My general feeling is that if something isn't working, it makes sense to take it apart and see if I can figure out why. Only time that's ever failed me is with my garbage disposal (why leave the screws and a seam exposed if it's not meant to come apart?). But that turned out that a hole had rusted through the bottom, so I had no choice but to replace it. And I learned how a garbage disposal works as a side benefit.
I'll go to a few stores.
The past few years I've always gone to the used bookstore chain (Half Price Books). They have a good sale (20% off everything) and free gift cards and bags for the first 100 people through the door. The crowds are friendly and polite (it's a used bookstore) and I've had some great conversations while waiting in line each year. Plus they don't open until the reasonably sane hour of 7am, so I don't have to get up crazy early. After the bookstore I may swing by a few other stores, depending on what's on sale. But I do most of my shopping online or at other stores throughout the holiday season.
No, I will not be shopping on Black Friday. If I do need anything I'd rather shop online instead of being with the crowd in the shops. I also don't like that lots of shops are opening at midnight this year like Target and Best Buy. Employees deserve family time also.
We were thinking of having a caroling party this year as well!!. Last year we had a bring yer own song or poem (the Irish love singing) and it was great. We were going to call ours 'Carols and Craic'
I don't always shop on Black Friday, but I will be this year. I'm on a special mission to find myself a good deal on a high quality vacuum cleaner, so it's as much about me as it is buying gifts for others this year.
Also, I plan on taking advantage of Black Friday prices to stock home goods like batteries, light bulbs, bathroom tissue, etc., because even if they aren't on sale, I can use a combination of manufacturer coupons and store coupons for % off total purchase.
Not sure if I'll go or not - depends on what's on sale. Right now, can't think of any gift that might be on sale that I'd need to go out early. I've done Black Friday a lot in the past. Took my stepdaughter a couple of times when she was in her mid-teens. She thought it was a blast. If she wanted to go again, I'd go with her 'cause I love spending time with her.
I finished my Christmas shopping November 7th. The adults in my family exchange gift cards, and the teenagers all want cash. The only person in my family who still buys presents is my mother, and we are slowly converting her to just giving gift cards.
For dessert, my favorite Thanksgiving budget dish or comfort food: tied between Pumpkin Pie and Persimmon Pudding. My Grandma Kelley always made both, and she made the best Persimmon Pudding ever, with a glaze on top I've never been able to duplicate.
I can't get good persimmons here in the south like they grow in the midwest, so I always try to buy persimmon pulp when I go to Indiana and freeze it. It's still not quite the same, but it's like a little slice of home when I'm so far away and missing my family.
Both are cheap, but persimmons literally grow on trees, so they have to be the most budget-friendly to work with.
I wouldn't be caught dead outside the house on Black Friday. I do, however, shop the sales online and get the same deals plus free shipping at most stores. :-)
I will not be shopping this black Friday as I have already bought for everyone. Last year I bought a TV and it was one of the best purchases but I lucked out because I didn't get it until Black Friday night!
I would go with homemade stuffing as the budget dish. If you think about it, you use bread to make stuffing. The bread has to be dried out. So buy stale bread, day old bread, any kind of old bread, just not moldy old. It's not hard to find discounted at just about any store or bakery.
I like you on facebook.
I will be tucked in and warm in my bed!
I will probably be shopping for 1 item x3 (3 kids all want the same thing). Only deals to be had on this item tend to be Black Friday.
I will out black Friday shopping. I'll have a plan, a detailed list, and a strict budget.
I will not be shopping. There isn't anything I need. When I want an item, I comparison shop, watch for specials, rebates or coupons and then wait for a store's 25-30% off coupon (Younkers and Kohl's are infamous for these) However, all of this is usually thwarted by clearance deals at discount stores and on Amazon.
I've worked for a lot of companies but I wanted to share with you one of my favorites;
http://mysteryshopperservices.com/ They have free registration & they are an MSPA registered/legit company that I have enjoyed working for, for years now.
Professional and kind employees to talk to, they always put a smile on my face... and great pay for pretty easy mystery shops. A lot of their shops are just evaluations so no money even comes out of my pocket. Any of them that do require you to pay for a meal you are always reimbursed for :)
I would suggest to check them out and register. Good luck!
Any shopping I do that day, I will do online. I hate crowds and traffic. Shopping online is more ecofriendly (energy-efficient) anyway.
I have found that with a bit of knowledge, Google and the courage to give it a try, you can fix a lot of things fairly cheaply.
I've recently fixed both my clothes washer and dryer, a friend's clothes dryer and another friend's spare refrigerator/freezer. Most of those were very simple repairs. Two did require buying parts (thank you Ebay). But once we knew what the part looked like and where it came from, an exploded parts diagram told us the part number and getting the right part was fairly simple.
My general feeling is that if something isn't working, it makes sense to take it apart and see if I can figure out why. Only time that's ever failed me is with my garbage disposal (why leave the screws and a seam exposed if it's not meant to come apart?). But that turned out that a hole had rusted through the bottom, so I had no choice but to replace it. And I learned how a garbage disposal works as a side benefit.
I already "Like" you on Facebook.
No way will I be out there on Black Friday - never did it, never will. I do most of my shopping online anyway, year-round.
I might hit up some stores on Black Friday - I have in the past years but there's really nothing I need this year so I haven't decided yet.
I'll go to a few stores.
The past few years I've always gone to the used bookstore chain (Half Price Books). They have a good sale (20% off everything) and free gift cards and bags for the first 100 people through the door. The crowds are friendly and polite (it's a used bookstore) and I've had some great conversations while waiting in line each year. Plus they don't open until the reasonably sane hour of 7am, so I don't have to get up crazy early. After the bookstore I may swing by a few other stores, depending on what's on sale. But I do most of my shopping online or at other stores throughout the holiday season.
my favorite comfort food is macaroni and cheese. my favorite thanksgiving budget dish is mashed potatoes and gravy.
I love mashed potatoes.. so good... perfect comfort food.. Oh also home made mac and cheese.. YUMMY! I guess I'm for carbs LOL
Mostly I love homemade bread and lots of veggies on Thanksgiving.
Candied sweet potatoes are my favorite inexpensive Thanksgiving dish. It's not Thanksgiving without them to me.
No, I will not be shopping on Black Friday. If I do need anything I'd rather shop online instead of being with the crowd in the shops. I also don't like that lots of shops are opening at midnight this year like Target and Best Buy. Employees deserve family time also.