Shop Til You Drop

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but my favorite part — right after my grandpa’s slow-roasted turkey — is going shopping on Black Friday.

I don’t really understand why some people have this intense aversion to Black Friday shopping. You’re saving money, people. That’s a good thing. We’re all in college here, and we’re all in debt. This is a day you can get high-quality Christmas gifts that are on your loved ones’ wish lists for 75% off the normal price.

Or maybe you see that super expensive makeup pallet or PlayStation video game you’ve always wanted, and during all your shopping, it makes its way into your cart. Treat yourself, it’s on sale.

A lot of people argue that Black Friday shopping is ridiculous because the past few years, stores opened as early as 4 p.m. on Thursday and people were skipping out on spending time with their families and also keeping store employees from enjoying the holiday. I’ll agree with you there; it was getting out of hand.

Don’t worry though, because 2017 is going to be different. Many stores, including Westmoreland Mall, have already made statements saying that they will remain closed Thanksgiving Day, bringing back the spirit of Black Friday.

Everyone knows that the holiday season really begins the day after Thanksgiving, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to get a jump start on your present-buying.

Black Friday shopping is fun for everyone who’s at your Thanksgiving gathering. Get a big group of people — there’s strength in numbers. The more people you have, the easier it is to battle your way to the good stuff that everyone wants to buy, duh. My family makes a huge deal out of it. All of the kids bring their Christmas lists, the adults read them and see what deals they can get, and as soon as we’re done eating, we spread the ads from the newspaper all over the table and make our game plan.

We’ve even worn bright neon yellow hoodies with our names on the back. Highly recommended — you can grab up more stuff when they get distracted by how ridiculous you look.

My point is that going Black Friday shopping actually brings my family together. It’s something that we all look forward to every year, and we have tons of fun doing it as a group. Plus, we save a lot of money. C’mon, $3 DVDs, people.

So eat your weight in turkey, take a little nap, maybe drink a Red Bull, and get shopping.