Black Friday...Success!

I lived through another Black Friday. Last year, Traci did pretty much all of the BF shopping and this year it was me. Last night we sat down and planned out what we were going to get most of the people on our list and actually placed orders online at three different places, only paying shipping at one of them. (One of the things we ordered last night is my first iPod. This will make the train ride and walk to work much more enjoyable!)

I knew exactly where I would be going this morning and had a list of items to get at each place. I was able to purchase all the items on the list we made at each of the places. Here is how the timeline went.

3:45am - Arrive at JC Penney at Whittwood Town Center
4:00am - JC Penney doors open...I'm about the 15th person in line...let the madness begin.
4:15am - declare success #1 while leaving JC Penney and heading to Toys R Us in La Mirada.
4:30am - Arrive at Toys R Us and get in line which is around the side to the back.
5:00am - Toys R Us doors open
5:30am - get in line for cashier
6:00am - Declare success #2, despite now being behind schedule, and depart for Target back at Whittwood Town Center.
6:10am - Arrive at Target, which has now been open for 10 minutes.
7:00am - Declare hat trick success (#3) and leave Target to head for Big Lots to see if they by any chance have any more of the $5 TMX Cookies/Ernies left.
7:30am - Return home to silence as all are still asleep. I join them after being awake for 24 hours and get a three hour nap...a three hour nap. (It's funny if you say it like the Gilligan's Island theme song.)

So just one day into the shopping season and we have already completed shopping for a number of people on our list and spent half our Christmas budget. Seems like we're in good shape so far. This is the best we have done this early in shopping and I think it's because we sat down came up with a game plan. Something I'm sure we'll keep in mind for the future.