Monday, November 13, 2006

Blog/Website of the Week for 11/12/06

This week, I shall let you in on a little secret: I am one of those crazy people who is up at 4 a.m the day after Thanksgiving to catch the sales. "You must be crazy!", you're thinking. You may be right. I may be crazy. But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for. I digress.

In order to efficiently scoop up every possible bargain for those on my gift list, I start to plan out my shopping escapade with military precision the last week of October. The first place I turn to to help in my strategizing? Gotta Deal.com's Black Friday section. They have the ads and prices of almost all of the major Black Friday sales, so that instead of wandering from store to store trying to find the best deal, you can plan what to buy and where before heading out the door in the wee hours of the morn'.

They've already posted my top stops:

Wal-Mart
Toys R' Us
Target
Kohl's
Best Buy

Check it out, and don't forget to sign up for their email updates! Their forums are also a good place to get the best shopping and deal tips. Now, don't say I never told you anything useful!

6 comments:

J said...

I'm usually a lurker but must comment....You're usually really really lefty and (I think) right on politically.....

How can Wal-Mart be one of your top shops??? I mean, I hold no judgement for people who really can't afford to shop anywhere else, that's not my call. However, being as best buy and Kohls AND Target are on your list...I'm going to assume that you could probably afford the extra 10% or so mark up that you might save at Wal-Mart.

Just wondering

NatD said...

No, I don't mind you asking. It's a good question.

I only shop at Target and Kohl's when they are having sales because I really can't afford the markup right now. Best Buy is only on my list because of the DVD sale prices.

I know Wal-Mart's policies are atrocious, and I have "liberal guilt" every time I shop there, but in my neighborhood there aren't too many choices in grocery stores. The Buy 4 Less has shoddy merchandise, and Albertson's prices are too high.

Trust me, when I have more money, I'll definitely be shopping somewhere else.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the answer:) I've been tempted to shop there too, but....I manage to not. I will admit to using the store as entertainment, walking about for hours staring in wonder at the enormous amount of crap there is to buy in the world, all of it found in Wal Mart.

NatD said...

If you really want to see entertainment, go to Wal Mart at 3 in the morning! The freaks *do* come out at night!

One thing I really wish that Oklahoma had more of was independently owned stores, like there are on the coasts, and probably cities like Dallas and Denver as well. There really isn't much choice here when it comes to shopping cheaply, yet good for the enviornment, public policy, etc. I would love to support a local merchant, if there were any available. Unfortunately, most of the independent stores here are of the upscale variety, catering to the rich.

I'm such a hypocrite b/c I was vehemently opposed to Bass Pro coming here and putting local sports merchandise stores out of business, yet I shop at the store that's most guilty of this crime.

I suck. I really will say, though, that most of the WM shopping I do is for groceries, however, that's not making my case any better, is it?

wzgirl said...

Love the Billy Joel reference, girl!

aimeeg said...

Wow, you handled the Wal-mart questioning so well! I think it's awesome that people can challenge something you wrote, and that you can gracefully defend it without it blowing up into something awful. I've been on sites where if the writer disagreed with any comments, they simply deleted it. By responding and opening up dialogue, I think it has a much greater chance for understanding. Rock on:)

Now, I must say that I am one of those shoppers that will be out a day or two before Christmas Eve trying to find something to buy other than parrot food and a singing bass!