Black Friday is the busiest day for shopping out of the entire year here in the United States, and it seems as if each year the deals get better and the crowds get bigger. People flock to the stores to buy gifts for friends, family, and even themselves. Whether it's your first time shopping on Black Friday or your thirtieth, here are the nine stages that all shoppers go through.
1. The Planning
GiphyEveryone knows that going blindly into Black Friday is a terrible idea. It takes expert timing and a fair amount of research to determine how to get in and out of the stores as quickly as possible and with everything you want or need. A quick google search will point shoppers in the direction for the best sales on anything from gaming consoles to cookware. From there the decision can be made of which stores absolutely need to be visited, and which will purely depend on how much time is left in the day. The final and perhaps most important part of the planning is deciding when to actually go out shopping to ensure a parking spot. Will it be busier in the evening after dinner, or will it be busier during the day on Friday? These are all things that most shoppers consider before they embark on the quest of shopping on Black Friday.
2. The Parking
GiphyParking on Black Friday is, in my opinion, the worst and most stressful stage of Black Friday. Any space is fair game, even if the parking space is half the size of your car. There have been times where I have circled a mall parking lot for two hours waiting for a spot to open up, just too bull-headed to give up and go home. Most of the time, everyone is exhausted, stressed out, angry, and therefore circling the parking lot like hungry sharks. There is no courtesy. There are no smiles. There are no 'oh, I'm sorry, you go ahead into that space that you clearly saw first'. It is every person for themselves. Once the car is parked, the rest of the day is a breeze.
3. The Searching
GiphyUsually, there are a few specific deals that you are hunting for. Maybe it's for you or maybe it's a gift, but it is very likely the first few hours of shopping consist of desperately trying to see through crowds of people to find one or two items. It feels like sensory overload at times with the amount of customers and salespeople all trying to maneuver around each other, all trying to fulfill wish lists before the store runs out of stock. There's always a moment of panic when you realize that many people seem to be hunting for the same thing that you are and the possibility of it being sold out is very high. However few things in life compare to that breath of relief when you see just a couple more of your sought after items sitting on the shelf.
4. The Deals You Can't Pass Up
GiphyDuring the searching stage it is very likely that there were some deals that were seen but not necessary, and thus ignored. This is the time when everyone takes a second to appreciate the fact that they were able to get that super soft sweater for their mom or the perfect video game for their brother, and suddenly realizes they are surrounded by incredible sales that won't happen again for an entire year. That thirty dollar blanket on sale for ten? Can't pass that up. Buy one get one for one dollar? Can't pass that up. Things that aren't even needed somehow end up in shopping carts all because of the sale sign and no one really bats an eye.
5. The Exhaustion
GiphyCheckout lines on Black Friday are always a thing of nightmares, and it's while standing there that exhaustion hits. The realization sets in that you've been shopping for hours and up long before that, you're tired, feet are probably a little sore, and people are just so unbelievably loud. You stand there staring into space, slowly shuffling through the line and vowing that this is the last store of the day because you can't possibly take any more of this nonsense. There's always next year, and you have definitely walked off Thanksgiving dinner by now.
6. The Second Wind
GiphyYou've called it a day, you're ready to go home, and then it hits you. You are a hard worker and these are amazing sales, you can afford to spend some more money! A list quickly forms of all the places you want to go check out before the day is up just to see what their deals are like. Parking lots don't scare you, there is no more wishing you were done already. This is the second wind that will carry you for the rest of the day. After all, this is the time to shop till you drop!
7. The Pleasure Shopping
GiphyNow it's all about you! There are plenty of family gatherings with the holidays fast approaching that require the perfect outfit, and there's no better time than Black Friday to find anything you need to complete your wardrobe. Not to mention how fun it is to splash out on some new decorations for your room, some great new tech gear to make your life easier, or some really cute and warm fuzzy slippers. This is perhaps the most dangerous stage of Black Friday for your wallet as price tags suddenly lose all meaning.
8. The Relief
GiphyThe relief stage begins the moment the shopping bags are unloaded from the car. The crowds are gone, the frantic energy that every store has is nowhere to be seen, and there is finally the opportunity to sit down. The true relief is the absolute silence and serenity of it all.
9. The Fashion Show
GiphyThe final stage, the fashion show, is by far my favorite stage of Black Friday shopping. Nothing gets me more into the holiday spirit than making my dad sit on the couch and parading all of my newest purchases by him while explaining how wonderful the sales were. Once he has seen everything, I then proceed to send pictures and videos to all of my friends and my boyfriend, and of course, there's the occasional face time call to really show off my haul. I love to try on my new clothes, show off the gifts I bought people, and overall try to prove that I am a responsible adult who makes responsible choices with her money. By the time it's all said and done, it's time to reflect on the mistakes that were made this Black Friday and start planning for next year.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
women in street dancing
Photo by 
man and woman standing in front of louver door
Photo by 
man in black t-shirt holding coca cola bottle
Photo by 
red and white coca cola signage
Photo by 
man holding luggage photo
Photo by 
topless boy in blue denim jeans riding red bicycle during daytime
Photo by 
trust spelled with wooden letter blocks on a table
Photo by 
Everyone is Welcome signage
Photo by 
man with cap and background with red and pink wall l
Photo by 
difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations desk decor
Photo by 
photography of woman pointing her finger near an man
Photo by 
closeup photography of woman smiling
Photo by 
a man doing a trick on a skateboard
Photo by 
two men 
running man on bridge
Photo by 
orange white and black bag
Photo by 
girl sitting on gray rocks
Photo by 
assorted-color painted wall with painting materials
Photo by 
three women sitting on brown wooden bench
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
people sitting on chair in front of computer
