All People Want for Black Friday

It’s not TVs, or smart watches, or EarPods, or headsets..

The thing I’ve seen over and over is cheaper groceries.. If that isn’t a sobering statement I don’t know what is!
I love Christmas and the stores I’ve seen so far are going to be hurting this year.

It appears people just don’t have a lot of expendable fund to go nuts this year. Of course we won’t really
Know until January or February, but I think we can see the signs already.

From what I’ve read those that are spending a lot are doing it on credit, which is another disaster waiting to happen.
I said it before, but this feels very 2008ish to me. What are you guys feeling/seeing?

a reply to: JAGStorm

I went to brunch yesterday to a place I havent been in a long while because its always so hard to get in and a long wait.

It was nearly empty.

People aren't spending on non-necessities.

We are only seeing the beginning.

I heard a radio ad that said go ahead and buy your house now, as prices are coming down, and you can refinance at a better rate later. That is exactly what I did 30+ years ago and it worked well for me. This time I'm waiting for a good cash price. Im starting to look in the areas I might want to be, outside CA.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm just stressing about my insane property tax bill, it goes up every year no matter what they sent in the accompanying brochure, they know they will just raise it regardless as it benefits their corrupt self.
I own two rentals , I've calculated that by 2030 it will be total around 20k for both , by 2050 it would 40k!!
That's insane, all while rent can only really go up around $50 per lease year (to stay around same price as similar rentals and to remain affordable) so that barely covers the property tax increase, not the rest in increased hoa fees and insurance

How can I keep raising rent that people can still afford, all while avoiding outdoing myself by not raising rent enough to cover increased costs. I think I will be screwed in the end, for this reason . The a***holes at WEF know this : you will own nothing and be happy kinda bs

originally posted by: MoreCoyoteAngels
a reply to: JAGStorm

I went to brunch yesterday to a place I havent been in a long while because its always so hard to get in and a long wait.

It was nearly empty.

People aren't spending on non-necessities.

We are only seeing the beginning.

I heard a radio ad that said go ahead and buy your house now, as prices are coming down, and you can refinance at a better rate later. That is exactly what I did 30+ years ago and it worked well for me. This time I'm waiting for a good cash price. Im starting to look in the areas I might want to be, outside CA.

Son and I went to brunch, two plates, two coffees, total over $40.
That’s not sustainable for most. That’s not even an option for others.

I've been having $1,000 - 1,200 less at the end of the month than I was the same time last year.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I dont eat out much. Even fast food in CA is expensive and getting worse.

And Im seeing shortages in the grocery again. I was standing there at the eggs, where they are down to 2.99 again instead of 8.99 But the cheese section was empty. A young fellow was kindly waiting for me to get my eggs. I commented about the low price but empty cheese. He said 'mam, things arent right. Buy yourself a 4x4 truck and learn to drive to get out of town if you need to'. I told him I have a 4x4 truck already and learning to drive in the desert. He gave me the thumbs up.

It was a random weird conversation, dont you think? I get those from strangers sometimes tho'. I wondered if he saw me get out of my truck and go in?

But I feel his message. I think people are all on edge a bit.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Son and I went to brunch, two plates, two coffees, total over $40.
That’s not sustainable for most. That’s not even an option for others.

Aren't you fortunate to have such little luxuries?

a reply to: watchitburn

Ouch! 🙏🙏🙏

originally posted by: MoreCoyoteAngels
a reply to: JAGStorm

I went to brunch yesterday to a place I havent been in a long while because its always so hard to get in and a long wait.

It was nearly empty.

People aren't spending on non-necessities.

We are only seeing the beginning.

I heard a radio ad that said go ahead and buy your house now, as prices are coming down, and you can refinance at a better rate later. That is exactly what I did 30+ years ago and it worked well for me. This time I'm waiting for a good cash price. Im starting to look in the areas I might want to be, outside CA.

I'd be warry of anyone trying to tell you that prices are coming down right now...... Odds are they are just a realtor/finance company wanting to make money. This is coming from someone working in Real Estate and Foreclosures/finance.

I just retook a bunch of annual real estate classes and it's borderline sickening what they'll teach and tell agents and brokers as it flies in the face of reality more often than not.

a reply to: nerbot

We are all under different circumstances and some are more fortunate than others in every turn of the screw.

I think it's safe to say we are all experiencing some financials changes, uncertainty and tightening of the belts.

Very few are doing better this year than last and the year before that, and back a ways.

a reply to: dothedew

Its all about the location and how inflated they were to begin with.

CA is subject to wild swings in home prices. When it gets too low the banks stop selling the foreclosures and sit on them here rather than take the loss.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd gladly take a discount on utilities, rent, fuel instead of a discount on Nintendo/Samsung/Apple toys. Alas, never seen a promo to that effect.

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Son and I went to brunch, two plates, two coffees, total over $40.
That’s not sustainable for most. That’s not even an option for others.

Aren't you fortunate to have such little luxuries?

Tell that to the 1% who control every disregulation, every war, every price hike, every planned event (maui fires etc) etc while they enjoy champagne and caviar served by a waiter while on one of their massive yahts I know you were probably being sarcastic , can't tell for sure, but get real if not. We are not here to work and exist, though it's sure starting to feel more and more like slavery every day work harder and harder for less and less reward

Grocery shopping yesterday and in line at the checker. A young mother and father were getting a few things and once the tally came up realized it was over their budget, or rather their cash on hand. It wasn't much, say forty bucks. The father thought about what to return to fit the budget and placed a small toy pickup truck back on the counter and the clerk deducted that price.

At first I thought that I would pay the price, around eight bucks cuz it was for the young boy with them but then thought better of it. It was a cheap toy that would easily break and small to be easily lost.. FOR EIGHT BUCKS.

As I looked around I saw that it had been displayed in what I call the afterthought shelf near the checkout, that place where tack on sales prompt a buyer at the last moment. That tactic has a name but it escapes me just now.

Anyway the little family departed with the young boy interested in something else by then and I realized that chances were that he would never give that toy a thought again.

IMPULSE PURCHASE. That's it, impulse items. Over priced geegaws, trinkets or snacks often displaying friendly colors.

And that, to my bias, is one of, if not the, major sucker jobs in the country. The amount of money that has gone into advertising and merchandising at the behest of those ''powers of persuasion'' on Madison Avenue that utilize the latest and deepest psychological manipulations to goad people out of their last dollars is astounding.

Black Friday was at first just a couple of sales to get people out of the house the day after Thanksgiving. It soon became a bell weather for how Xmas sales would go though the rest of the season. Then it became and ''thing'' to make masses of people come out. And then it became a holiday in and of itself. Now of coarse it's a weeks long splurge of over-indulgent materialism.

What we need is a Black Friday Rebellion. No sales. Stay away from all stores that day. Yeah, I know, it's been tried. The Boycott Black Friday has been a movement for decades and decades but it has never helped to slow down the creeping mindlessness pushed by those powers that be.

Went shopping Saturday morning.
Only meat product we bought, were some frozen chicken breasts. (about 9.00) Well, and 4 cans of tuna. Don't remember what those cost now.
We did buy a few non food items. Laundry soap, Shampoo and conditioner ( up about 1.00 each, from a year ago.) Mach 3 razor blades, 12 pack 30.00 ( up about 5.00 from a year ago) and a few smaller items. Oh, forgot about the cheap cat food, to mix with the good cat food, to make it last. 15 lb. bag, about 17.00.

Total bill 356.00

We only grocery shop about every 3 to 4 weeks.
It is getting ridiculous.

originally posted by: TzarChasm
a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd gladly take a discount on utilities, rent, fuel instead of a discount on Nintendo/Samsung/Apple toys. Alas, never seen a promo to that effect.

Yeahbut, you know as well as I do Tzar, that those items are part of the control mechanism to keep people numbed so as to not think too much about the plight we all face. Gimme more entertainment.

Not doing any shopping, we have everything we need. More than we need. We need to go through some # and give some away.

I'm not shopping just because it's a shopping day. And I hate slow moving, meandering crowds of mouth breathing, pretzel eating slobs.

Just my 2c.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I never have gone into the black Friday thing; however, I agree on the price of food. I make enough not to pay much attention to my bill; however, I've noticed it over the last year. My mother even mentioned that if I'm paying attention to my grocery bill, there's something terribly wrong. Aside from credit, I honestly don't know how people make ends meet right now.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
The thing I’ve seen over and over is cheaper groceries..

Yeah, that about says it.
We aren't doing any Christmas presents this year.
Haven't for a while now.
The grocery bill is outrageous.
Cheaper groceries would be nice.

''All yours for just $999.99.'' Step right up folks, this too can be yours.

Note that we are still prey to the lie that this item does not cost $1,000. It's only $900 and something.
But even more than that is the use of the word ''just''. Take that word for a little bit and listen to how many adverts use that word in every commercial. ''Just''. Oh and another one is ''Only''. Only this low price. It never ends.

Here, if you have never heard this revelatory tune about hawking crap is Tom Waits and ''Step Right Up''