With all the hype about Black Friday this year, I have to say I got a little carried away and almost made some choices that I may or may not have regretted later on. Now that the Canadian dollar is at par with the U.S., it is very tempting to go shopping in the States, or online at a U.S. based store. The prices there are always much cheaper than what you get here (although that is somewhat starting to change… slowly), and with the conversion rate, it gets even cheaper for Canadians.

So with the busiest shopping day of the year (in the U.S.) being today – the Friday after Thanksgiving – that’s about all I was hearing in the news. Taking a quick look online, I did my own research on how cheap things tended to be. I found this great site http://www.bfads.net that updates regularly and tells you all the great deals that stores in the U.S. will and are having at the moment.

I came across an ad from DELL that advertised a US$399 laptop computer delivered to your door! Now I had to take a second look at that because at that price, how could one not pass up the opportunity!

This was perfect for me as well, as I thought of all the great uses I could give this laptop. Checking closer, I realized that the initial batch of those laptops were already sold out and I had to wait until the actual Black Friday before a new batch would be released. It was hard, but I resisted with all my strength.

I went to Future Shop today just to see what I can find. I suppose you can say it was more of an entertainment trip than anything else as I wasn’t really planning on buying anything.

But then I came across this bin filled with laptop bags and a few camera bags. I search around and find a Lowpro slingshot camera bag that would be great for my use. I look at the bin and it says $34.95! Wow, I thought to myself. Now that’s a great buy! I study the bag some more and find that it really is a great little bag (but one that I really don’t need). After some time, a salesperson comes up to me and asks me if I need any help. She tells me that these bags here are $34.95 but the camera bags are all 50% off. I noticed a discrepancy as I knew that the slingshot bag I was holding in my hand would have cost at least $100, and therefore couldn’t possibly be 50% off.

So I asked her, is this bag not $34.95? I found it in that bin – as I pointed towards the bin filled with laptop bags. She says, “No, someone must have put it in there by mistake.” And so I asked, how much the bag would cost. She takes it, scans it, and comes back. “It is regularly $112.00, so it would be 50% off of that.” So now my $34.95 turns into a $56 investment. I think hard, long, and even harder afterwards. I take a trip around the store as I told her I’ll have to think about it. She slaps on a sticker with her ID number attached to it, ensuring that she would get the commission should I decide to purchase it.

After taking a full spin around the store, I finally decide to give up the slingshot realizing that although even at 50% off, this would have been a great purchase, this is a purchase that I do not really need. More of a luxury item – just like that laptop! – I felt I could do without.

As I grudgingly let it go back in the bin, I knew some happy camper would soon grab it. I left the store empty handed.

And so ends Black Friday.

With so many “so close” purchases, I am gearing up for the holiday spending period, that’s for sure. Now, the question is, what will make me go over and actually start to purchase something?!