During my first year out of college and in the “real world” with my “real” first job, I saw Black Friday as my big opportunity to get everything I wanted at affordable prices.  My first laptop was bought/earned after standing outside of Bestbuy braving the cold weather and line around the building at 4am, running with the herd at full stampede pace to grab every deal in sight, followed by waiting in a checkout line that weaved across the store and then in and out of several aisles.  It was pure madness but my adrenaline was high and I had a credit card.

That first year was my worst.  Since then I have managed to wait until at least 8am before foraging for deals, and year by year my urge to run out and buy everything I see has dwindled (thank goodness).  Last year I was thisclose to buying an elliptical machine for $400, until my common sense finally kicked in.  It was around this time that I realized that if I don’t go out, I wouldn’t get the urge to spend.  Right?  Right?!?

Thus began my plan for Black Friday 2008.

Step 1: Do NOT take off of work.  If I’m at work, I’m not out shopping.
Step 2: Avoid taking more than a few minutes to look at the ads, for fear of finding that “amazing” deal I can’t pass up.
Step 3: Repeat to self: If I didn’t want it yesterday, I don’t want it now.

Sounds easy enough, right?  Wrong…

Step 1 was easy.  If I tell my boss I’m coming in, I’m coming in.  It’s as simple as that.

Step 2 was relatively easy.  I opened my paper yesterday morning and managed to skim through all of the ads over my bowl of cereal.  My fiance fell off the track around this step…I caught him pen-in-hand jotting down anything that looked interesting.  I think his list included a sound system and several TV deals, and possibly subwoofers?  I’m not quite sure as I refused to pay too much attention.

Amazon was my downfall.  Last year I participated in the “Customers Vote” drawing…6 rounds of “voting” for your favorite fantastic deal, followed by a drawing to decide which customers get the opportunity to buy the item at the super-low price.  Last year I wasn’t one of the lucky chosen few, but the year before I got a drill for around $30 and a Swiss army knife for $3.  Anyway, the greater the deal, the less odds of getting it, so this is typically my way of choosing things to buy without actually having to buy them (or even being able to).

That is, until this morning, when I was picked to participate in round 1: the PS3 and Blu-ray round.   Down from $567, I could get a PS3 with an 80GB hard drive, a remote, a controller, a game, and a Blu-ray movie.  My price?  $199.

Did I follow my mantra for the day???

Hell no!  I am now the proud owner of a PS3.  Now what to do with it.  Here’s hoping that common sense will kick in and I resell…