The last couple of years, I’ve written about my utter lack of enthusiasm for Black Friday deals. We don’t need TVs, appliances, toys or donut/cake pop makers. So most of the sales just don’t appeal to us.
Grown up (aka boring) buys
In the end, I check the leaked Friday ads for what the Walgreen’s sitewide discount will be — so that I can buy really exciting stuff like toilet paper and garbage bags.
Last year, I made a whole Excel spreadsheet to find the best price for loading up on the aforementioned toilet paper and garbage bags, plus hand soap, body wash, a couple of skincare products and… Ugh, it’s all a boring, boring blur.
That may have been a low point for me — or rather, for the gal I used to be. I used to scour the ads for good TV deals. Now I look for TP.
Sigh.
So it’s kind of exciting to have an item to search for this year. Specifically, an iPad.
Biting the bullet
I got my first iPad from my boss as part of a yearly bonus. The device started topping out on memory about three years later, but I won an iPad Mini right around the same time.
Unfortunately, the Mini has been grumbling for about a year about its storage getting full. The last time it happened I just went through and deleted some extraneous programs. And made Tim go through and delete some of the least-viewed images/memes he’d saved off the Internet over the years. Sometimes I really hate shared picture storage.
This time around, pictures would be the only thing to delete. I don’t want to once again badger Tim to delete stuff he’s saved, and I’m not about to remove all the pictures of our adorable animals. So I have to face the fact that it’s time to upgrade.
I’d hoped to continue the free-iPad streak at FinCon this year, but no companies were giving any away. It was just plain rude, really. Blah, blah, budget. Blah, blah high booth prices. What about my needs?
So it looks like I’m forking out hard-saved fun money for an iPad. A bitter pill to swallow, made worse by the fact that the new Mini is $399!
It’s a Black Friday miracle!
I had zero hope of finding a Black Friday sale. Apple never allows companies to discount its products — until this year, apparently.
Both Best Buy and Target are discounting regular iPads by $80, bringing the price down to $249. Much, much more palatable!
Of course, the regular iPad will be an adjustment from the Mini. I went to Best Buy and tried one out to see how big a change it’d be. The screen is a bit bigger, but they’re ridiculously lightweight now. I’d no longer need two hands, like I did for the original iPad. And the larger screen might (might) mean fewer typos. As it is, I’m constantly hitting the wrong virtual keys when I try to type two-handed.
And I’d started saving my fun money a few months ago on the off-chance that I didn’t win a new device at FinCon. So technically, I have enough to cover the cost of a new Mini. But it looks like I won’t need all of it.
Remembering that Black Friday was nearly upon us, I started look at BFads.net and quickly found that regular iPads are going to be $80 off. That brings the price down to $249. I like that price a helluva lot better than $399!
Even better, the offer isn’t a doorbuster, nor does it appear to be in-store only. So I can shop at home rather than braving the crowds.
Another option (that isn’t an option)
Best Buy is actually offering the iPad Mini as a doorbuster on Thanksgiving. That would make it $30 more than the iPad but with double the storage space.
Tempting… Except for the “doorbuster” part. Even if I weren’t working that day (and I am), I wouldn’t want to stand around in line for hours upon hours in the hopes of getting one of the non-enumerated “limited quantity” that the ad mentions.
The store is only two miles from our house, so maybe I’ll poke my head in around 6 p.m. to verify that no Minis are left. But only because it’s always worth a shot, not because I have any legitimate expectation of any being left.
So I’ll stick with the iPad. It’s got double the storage capacity as my current Mini. I’m guessing I’ll be fine for around three years, hopefully more.
Waste not, want not
Of course, I’m not one to throw things away unnecessarily. Right now, the iPhone is Tim’s only computer, and I have to take that with me when I run errands. So now Tim can have the iPad as a backup.
Once we’ve formatted the new device, we’ll wipe my personal programs (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Kindle and some games). That should free up some significant storage space for him so that he can use it to dink around on the Internet as necessary. We’ll keep the device up and running for as long as possible. Or until I win another iPad.
Do you guys have any big-ticket items on your Black Friday list? Are you going to load up on toilet paper?
Lucy says
Toilet paper isn’t exciting? Who knew?! Lol. I am happy to say that I have zippo on my list this year. Now that, my friend, is exciting!
Abigail says
It can definitely be exciting to be free of wanting anything. I’m relieved that the only thing I want comes out of fun money rather than general funds.
Carrie says
I’m sure you’ll find an extra rebate in there somewhere! Bates or Swagbucks or Mrrebates. It’ll bring that price down a little. Maybe it’ll cover tax!
I saved my pennies and just bought myself a KitchenAid stand mixer. I stacked as much as I could! Sale price $339.99 – $25 Kohl’s cash and rewards – 15% coupon + tax, less $60 mail-in rebate, $16 in Ebates (double Kohl’s day), and $75 in Kohl’s cash! Bottom line price = $134.75. Granted, the rebate is in the form of a Visa card, but I know that’ll be easy to use on things we would already buy. It’s the Kohl’s cash that will be tough, but we’ll use it to do some of our Christmas shopping.
Abigail says
Niiiiice! Kohl’s has great PJs, I think. Most of Tim’s fleece PJ pants — all sorts of licenses, including Star Wars — come from there. They go on sale for $10 each on Black Friday and $10-15 each the rest of the time.
Inre: cash back, both Target and Best Buy exclude iPads from cash back on the various sites. Which isn’t a big loss since it’d be a max of 1% back anyway. Still, I’d have taken an extra $2.50 if it’d been offered.
FrugalStrong says
Couldn’t you upload your pics on the cloud or save them to a USB drive or something to free up space? I love Dropbox.
Abigail says
No good, Tim saves the pics on his phone so he can scroll through them off and on. And since we’re both signed into the same iCloud account all those end up on my device too. And if I created a different iCloud account I’d lose all the iTunes songs (which we bought with iTunes GCs that were Xmas gifts, of course).
FrugalStrong says
I hear you on the potential Cloud issues! FYI, Dropbox is an app for your phone (and also your laptop), so he could scroll through the pics on his phone, he’ll just have to click on his Dropbox app first. It also makes it really easy to transfer pics between devices if one so desired.
Abigail says
Good to know. If nothing else, it might be best to keep the pics in a third place just to be safe!
Kat says
Sounds like the iPad is going to be the best deal.
We have a few toys on the list for this Christmas, so I’m keeping an eye on the deals and comparing Amazong vs Target for that. Online, of course. Aside from those toys, everyone’s getting crochet blankets. The yarn was from my one Michael’s run during a point where their sales align. We have wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and gift bags from clearance sales last year, so we’e good on those. This means I’m sticking to the grocery store.
The one annoyance is that I do have to set foot in one store every two weeks. Walgreen’s can’t sell Allegra-D through the drive thru pharmacy, so I have to go in to grab it. This is non-negotiable because I get hives if I’m around fir trees (Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands have all caused problems). I also have to stick to the brand name because it’s a time release (even if the generic is made by the manufacturer there’s a good chance that they use a different time release mechanism which can lead to uneven release). Fortunately, the pharmacy is open 24 hours, so I wait and go around 11 pm.
So, yes, I am ready for Black Friday. I’m ready to start making the turkey into dishes I can freeze for meals later on. I’m ready to curl up with a book. I’m ready to not darken any store’s door.
Abigail says
That seems like some excellent ways to be ready for Black Friday. Glad you’ll get some good deals on yarn. I need to check there because I can start working on scarves now that it’s finally cooling down (read: under 80). Gives my hands something to do other than snacking!
Kat says
I know it doesn’t help at this immediate moment but the best time to find yarn at Michael’s is right around late May/early June. Basically when the temperature begins to rise. Since people are less likely to want the warm blanket they’re making draped over their knees in the winter, yarn gets deeply discounted. At that point, they’re also trying to unload all of their spring merchandise, so they’ll inevitably run one of their “25% off all purchases including SALE items” coupons. Since yarn is already 30-40% off, you can score the good yarns dead cheap (my definition of good yarn is a combination of soft and machine washable).
If you miss that sale, wait for mid-September. They start clearing stuff out to make room for holiday merchandise. They also take the opportunity to sell off expensive yarns that haven’t been selling well. That’s when I scored two cart loads of Isaac Mizrahi yarns at a 75% discount. Admittedly, that was somewhat of a gamble- they’d kept the clearance price tag up through the first day of one of their 40% off coupon periods. It took a manager going to physically check the marked price before they gave up and honored the coupon.
(Hey, I fidget incessantly regardless, might as well put it to good use.)
Linda says
My iPad is so old that iOS won’t update anymore. I also have a 7 year old Macbook that is doing OK, but has me wondering how long my good luck with it will hold out. A couple months ago I started thinking about whether I may be better off just getting an iPad Pro with a keyboard and ditching the laptop completely. I’m not sure, though, and since this has been such an expensive year for me, I think it best that I wait.
That means I’ll have to miss all these great deals, I guess. Enjoy snagging that great deal!
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Abigail says
Yeah I get wanting to wait, especially with all the expenses you’ve had. If this were coming out of general funds it’d be a no-go for us. And hey, there’s always next Black Friday. Or after Christmas sales, BF in July, etc etc.
Donna Freedman says
Hardly anything we need/want, either. The only thing I will go after is a blanket: “Micro-plush” queen and king blankies are $9.99 while supplies last at Fred Meyer. Oh, and free doughnuts at the door (also while supplies last, no doubt).
That, and the store-brand butter: It’s $2.29 per pound (better than Costco, even), limit FIVE, on Sunday only if I download the digital coupon. Since DF and I are planning to make peanut brittle, we definitely need this.
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Abigail says
You wild woman, you! Enjoy the donuts (and comfy blankets)!
Mrs. Groovy says
I’m planning to check on line at BestBuy for the iPad mini 4. Some of their Black Friday deals will be available starting at 5pm on Thanksgiving. One can hope it’s not just a doorbuster or that someone screws up and puts it on line.
I’m looking for an unlocked 4gLTE phone that works with Verizon (Total Wireless). Something like the Moto G5 Plus but I don’t want to spend more than $150. But I can be patient.
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Abigail says
Yeah, I forgot to mention that I’ll check online just in case. I was thinking its 6pm so thanks for reminding me it’s 5 pm. I hope you find a phone you like!
Mrs. Groovy says
They actually have a 32 GB on sale right now for $269 but I’d hold out for the 128 (although I have a 32 now & it’s quite enough for me).
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-ipad-latest-model-with-wifi-32gb-space-gray/4907703.p?skuId=4907703
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Abigail says
Yeah, I saw that, but it’s $20 less on Blackest Friday. Still, I’m going to at least check for the mini on thanksgiving because it never hurts to check. Unless it’s first thing on BF and you get trampled.
Abigail says
Woot, just checked now and the offer was already up! So I went ahead and bought now in case it’s a mistake (since it’s marked “doorbuster”)
Mrs. Groovy says
I just saw it too! I came here to leave you a mssg.
Mrs. Groovy recently posted…Just Because Someone Has More Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have Enough
Funny about Money says
Hope you were able to grab that latest deal!
Personally, I resent being herded into buying stuff that I may or may not need, so mentallly filter out all that buzz.
Can’t you store pictures and data on DropBox from an iPad? If you were putting all your images on DB, it would surely free up a fair amount of space on your devices. You get a lot of space with DropBox’s free service, but I’ve found it’s been worth the price to pony up a few bucks to bet a _whole_ lot of space there. It’s nice to be able to share data in a specific folder with a friend, family member, or business associate — you could share your images folder with Donna, for example.
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Allie says
I was looking forward to the down comforters at Kohls. Our guest room is in our attic and a little drafty. Winters by Lake Erie cam be a bit brutal . My old comforter was commandeered by the cat(a giant fluffy Maine coon) who decided that it would be even warmer to tear apart some of the baffleboxes and climb inside. So she gets that and I get a new fluffy comforter!
ZJ Thorne says
I only bought a pair of quality shoes online. Too much debt and no knowledge for when I will have a gig again. There was an item my business office wanted, but it is still priced out of reach for now.
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Donna Freedman says
I made it to exactly that one store, and escaped without overdoing it. Almost didn’t, though: Once again I was struck by how marketing makes things look like good deals even if you don’t really need them.
For example, I bought those two items for Alison’s kids and thought, “I should get one of these for each of DF’s granddaughters because gosh, just $2.99 each…” And then mentally slapped myself and walked away.
Ditto with washcloths. We don’t NEED washcloths. Eventually we will, but they’ll go on sale next Black Friday, too, and who knows: I might find them in a clearance bin for even less money.
Glad I’m finished shopping. The fewer times I go in, the less likely I am to succumb.
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