Black Friday: Is It Worth Getting Up So Early?

By MIRNA ALFONSO (Patch Staff)

People convinced they will be getting the deals of a lifetime swarm parking lots and shopping malls while it is still dark on what has come to be known as Black Friday, because in the not so very distant past, at least, retailers not seeing huge profits would find themselves ’in the black’ after the post-Thanksgiving Day sales.

However, a recent study by WalletHub has determined that consumers are not always getting the huge post-Thanksgiving savings for which they are actually waiting.

• Black Friday Deal Seeker Again Sets Up Camp in Beaumont

According to the consumer website, 17 percent of items for which people wait to purchase are actually more expensive on Black Friday.

Important to note, however, is that 68 percent of items for which people wait actually are put on sale, which is significant.

But don’t get out of bed for computers and cell phones, because the prices will be the same at the major retailers.

Instead, wait a little later in the day and drop by Office Depot; you may be pleasantly surprised; the store -- as so many others have done -- has bumped up its deals to earlier in the week, so dropping by before Thanksgiving could still offer a nice treat.

According to the study by WalletHub, the steepest drops in prices will involve books, movies and music; still making for a nice little shopping spree to buy some lovely Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa gifts.

To see a list of the items for which it is worth it to scramble (do not push and shove please, it is not polite) and perhaps stay up late or get up early, please click here.

And for a complete list of Black Friday deals updated daily, please check here.