Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday

Which shopping bonanza do you prefer? Take our poll and let us know why you shop the way you do in the comments section.

Do you look forward to getting up in the wee hours the day after Thanksgiving for the best Black Friday deals at places like Target, Macy's or Walmart? Or do you prefer to sleep in over the long weekend and start your shopping from the comfort of your desk chair on what's become known as Cyber Monday? If you prefer Black Friday, you're part of a long shopping tradition. Black Friday has been around for more than 100 years, according to an article on its history in Time. It was already such a crucial kick-off to the holiday shopping season during the Great Depression, that retailers urged President Roosevelt to move Thanksgiving earlier in order to extend the shopping season. He did, but handled the messaging poorly and few people realized …

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Cartoon: the 31 Days of Christmas

The first day of Christmas, in the merry old U.S.A., is about credit cards, and Black Friday.

A Comics Patch cartoon by illustrator Charley Krebs. 

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Turn Your iPhone, Smartphone into a Black Friday Shopping Tool

Apps to help you navigate and find the great deals on Black Friday.

Black Friday sales require a good strategy, comfortable shoes and a lot of coffee. There’s one more thing to add to the list: your iPhone or Smartphone. A variety of apps can turn your phone into a shopping tool that helps to navigate stores, get coupons and find the best prices. Wired reports more apps are being rolled out as retail “acknowledges the new reality of anytime, anywhere retail, a reality in which getting someone to tap an app on Black Friday is at least as important as getting them through the door.” A few recommendations from PCWorld.com include: Google Maps Google Maps provides maps for stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom. This app can also be used to help you plan out your route and find items on store shelves.  Google …

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Got Black Friday Shopping Secrets?

Put your Black Friday shopping ideas in the comment section below, and Patch will share the best of them Thursday morning. Ready, set, shop!

Black Friday begins at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Thursday for north and northwest suburban Chicago shoppers and Patch wants to know your plan. Will you head to Toys R Us or Walmart at 8 p.m. Thursday before or after the Thanksgiving dishes are done? Target opens an hour later and will have more than 24 hours of continuous shopping. How will you take advantage of the deals at both places? Will you navigate from Toys R Us or Walmart to Macy’s at midnight to ensure you're not too far behind in line for the best bargains? Does your plan include a partnership? Will you trade lists with a friend and then become a placeholder while someone shops for you? Will you have a thermos of coffee or hot chocolate? Will you eat your Thanksgiving dessert while …

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Is Black Friday Taking Over Thanksgiving Thursday?

More retailers are choosing to open their doors on Thanksgiving night to eager bargain hunters. Meanwhile, an employee of Target is taking a stand, and has gotten more than 338,000 signatures from others that agree-Thanksgiving needs to be saved.

Has Black Friday been stretched too far, or near, now that deals are actually being offered starting Thanksgiving night? The answer to that question is yes, from one Target employee out of Corona, California. “C Renee” has obtained 338, 418 signatures on Change.org from people who agree Target needs to take the high road and ‘save Thanksgiving.’ "Since workers need to show up sometimes hours before the story officially opens, this will take much of Thanksgiving away from retail employees across the country," C Renee said in her petition on Change.org. Target can take the high road and save Thanksgiving for employees like me and our families by saying no to "Thanksgiving Creep," C Renee added.  Target’s Black Friday deals start at 9 p.m. …

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Poll: Are Thanksgiving Deals Worth the Hassle?

Thanksgiving weekend deals are no longer confined to the day after the holiday.

Thanksgiving remains the dividing line between a holiday almost devoid of commercialism and the biggest shopping season of the year. Although as the Washington Post noted, the start of the Christmas shopping season – "Black Friday" – has continued to be pushed forward. First stores opened at 5 a.m. And then earlier and earlier, until midnight became time for doors to open. The turkey isn't even fully digested before the shopping frenzy begins. As Patch noted, Walmart actually is starting its "Black Friday" sales on Thursday, opening stores at 8 p.m. That means people will have to scarf down dinner, shoo the relatives out the door and high tail it to Walmart to get a good spot in line. For those who enjoy the deals and the chaos, …

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Coupon Queen Talks Black Friday Deals

Local resident and mother of three, Jill Cataldo, shares holiday shopping tips with Patch.com.

Looking for the lowdown on the best Black Friday deals? Coupon queen and Huntley resident Jill Cataldo shares what's new this holiday shopping season and offers useful tips for those wanting - and willing- to brave the crowds in search of a great deal. As founder of Super-Couponing workshops and author of the nationally-syndicated newspaper column, “Coupon Queen,” delivered to more than 20 million people each week, Cataldo makes her living by knowing how to save big and find great deals. “I think this year one thing new we’re seeing is stores promoting Black Midnight,” said Cataldo, who is leaving this week for a national media tour to talk about couponing and holiday savings. Instead of opening at 5 or 6 a.m., many big retailers like Wal-…

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Jaycees 53rd Annual Christmas Tree Sale Continues

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Black Friday: Christmas Shopping Commences in Palatine

Sales and specials are offered throughout the weekend by retailers.

Scanning the DVDs at Target, 679 E. Dundee Rd., 15-year-old Sam Fox was searching for some deals. "He hasn't found the price he wants yet," said his grandmother, Venita Fox, who was visiting from Springfield. "But he's looking." Nearby, Sam's younger brother 13-year-old Jack already had scored a good deal: A DVD of The Family Guy series. Black Friday was in full swing in Palatine. Various big box retailers were swamped with shoppers looking to get a jump on their Christmas shopping. Although midnight sales receive a fair amount of hype, many retailers are offering deals throughout the weekend. For example, Target's two day sale continues on Saturday. However, most of Walmart's deals, 1555 N. Rand Rd., are Friday only. WalMart is open until…

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