Black Friday? Not a Fan. But Cyber Monday, That's A Different Story.

I'll never forget the days of setting the alarm to get up at some obscene hour the day after Thanksgiving, to meet my mom somewhere for a morning of power shopping. My mom was a shopper like no other. You couldn't get her to exercise a bit, though she'd never admit to it; her treadmill, which she'd bought with the absolute conviction that she would use it every day, was a better clothes hanger than anything else, and under her bed were piled more than a few As-Seen-On-TV exercise gimmicks. But she could walk for miles at the mall or an art fair, carrying massive quantities of bags in varying shapes and sizes, and she'd never tire until a little after closing time. My mom was perhaps the best shopper of all time.

While I cherish my memories of shopping with my mom (I'm convinced she's my guardian angel of parking spots, and thank her every time I get "rock star parking" at the mall), I confess I'm not drawn to the sales in quite the way she was. The crowds, the noise, the pushing and shoving, the rudeness...it's not my thing and has a tendency to awaken claustrophobia and malcontent within me. 

I'm not tempted by doorbusters; I've rarely actually procured one. And I've always found that Black Friday shopping tends to whip one into a buying frenzy, so that one ends up back at home late that night, credit card smoking and surrounded by bags, boxes, and regret.

And ultimately, I don't need much these days. I have almost everything that I want, and I'd rather spend money on adventures and memories, than on electronics and clothes. Don't get me wrong- I'm neither Luddite nor Amish. My head can be turned by an iPhone or a gorgeous handbag. But few of the things I truly want are on sale the day after Thanksgiving.

That said, tomorrow is Cyber Monday, Internet shopping's answer to Black Friday. It's said that a vast quantity of shoppers do their holiday shopping online, from work, the Monday after Thanksgiving, hence Cyber Monday. And that's when I'll be doing some of my deal-hunting. Frankly, I've already done my shopping. Windows are already open on the Mac, displaying the few items I want; all that's left is to refresh and see the new pricing tomorrow morning....and to make sure I'm appropriately "cookied up" to receive my frequent flier miles from my preferred airline. :)

And that, my friends, is the beauty of Cyber Monday: no parking problems, no pushing or shoving, no long lines or rude, overworked salespeople. No driving, no waiting, no noise, no crowds, no claustrophobia, no overbuying, no regrets. Just a few minutes, a little clicking, and I'm done with my shopping and have the rest of the day ahead of me. It's eco-friendly, it's peaceful, and it's quiet, and I don't even have to carry a thing.

I kind of think my mom would be proud. :)