Retail weeks seem to be broken up into two categories, either you have volume weeks or margin weeks. Volume weeks are major holidays. If you buy you pants during any of the volume weeks they are always going to be 40% off maybe 50% but roughly the same amount. If you have a sudden emergency and buy them during a margin week, well fuck you pay the sticker price. The internet has kind of taken a bite out of that model but even a online company like Duluth will only price their underwear at the 15$ point a few times a year (vs 22 normal).

Black Friday, its basically the last volume shopping week of the year. The last round of major sales and following a huge drought from labor day all the way through the days before Thanksgiving. If you need to replace clothes, or a toaster or maybe buy more underwear anytime after labor day this week is your last good opportunity. Prices are going to be at one of the lower points of the year. There may be better sales later, but its not guaranteed and the high demand stuff will have run out probably till early Feb or for clothes till next season.

For the true bargain hunter its always a cat an mouse game between retailers and consumers. For a couple years consumers did great as the internet was becoming a thing and people were able to front run deals. Retailers wised up but people have gotten better at price comparison and coupon stacking as well. Tools like CamelCamel and websites like www.slickdeals.com help you find a verify that you are getting a good deal easily. But even for a casual its a good time to stock up on Christmas gifts and replace items that are damaged and worn.

I'm sure a lot of people get carried away and buy shit they don't need, but with online shopping I've been able to mostly just buy things that I already needed and have just held out on buying. The black Friday Walmart riots make no sense in this day and age, I can get the same damn deal those people fought over delivered to my house without even putting pants on. Its gotta be something about the scarcity mentality that makes people go feral.

The presence of black Friday is probably another poverty trap for people on the margins. If you make good money you dont really care about waiting a month or two to spend it. You also probably also have enough extra pants and underwear to defer replacement. If you live pay check to paycheck you either get nailed by high prices or high credit card interest. Pick your poison. That's probably that biggest realy negative impact of the black friday model.

My tally so far:

1 Instant pot Ultra: 85$ (180)

1 Nintendo Switch $180 (300)

2 Switch games $90 (120)

1 Car Seat $120 (200)

1 Pack and play $25 (50)

1 Cast iron Crock pot for bread making 18 (Probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise)

In case you are wondering I missed the Duluth underwear deal they came down to about 12 bux a pair after coupon stack. I maybe Ill try to claim warranty on the existing pairs instead.

Still considering buying another couple pairs of darn toughs, and a replacement lined jacket.