Black Friday is almost upon us, and in some ways, that’s a rather scary thought. Too many normally rational people totally lose it when Black Friday arrives. Suddenly, little old ladies are knocking people out of the way for a $2 DVD. It’s deemed the busiest shopping day of the year, and retailers spend months preparing for it. In these tough economic times, people are looking for great deals, and Black Friday is there to oblige.

Personally, I have no desire to camp out so I can be first, tenth, or one hundredth in line to get the deal of the day. To me, part of what makes it a good deal is not just saving some money on it. When I consider my Black Friday purchases, I consider not only the amount of money I will save on the product. I weigh that against the inconvenience of getting the item at that price. Therefore, having to wait outside, in the cold, potentially for hours, to get inside and maybe get the product isn’t worth it. For those of you who enjoy that kind of thing, have at it, but for me, that’s not a deal worth having.

I prefer to do as much of my shopping online as possible. If I’m going to have to be up through the night to get a great deal, I’d much rather do it at home, in my pajamas, and in front of my computer. Online shopping provides me with multiple conveniences, including access to great Black Friday deals, in addition to numerous other deals, but the most important convenience is that I don’t have to deal with people, especially those who lose their mind and make a Jekyll and Hyde transformation just to get a $4 toaster. I don’t have to become irritated with other shoppers who are blocking aisles and cursing at each other. I don’t have to become irritated with long checkout lines. I don’t have to become irritated with heavy traffic. I don’t have to manage to get everything out to my car and then carried into the house, and I don’t have to overly exert myself. Instead, I shop, and when I’m finished, I walk across the room and go to bed. Somebody else packages all my items into a box and ships them to me. I just have to wait for the box.

So, like everybody else, I’m waiting for some good Black Friday deals, but I have no plans to camp out anywhere, other than my bedroom, to get those deals. I may not get everything I’d like to get; sometimes even with online shopping, by the time you get the item you want and put it in your cart, it’s not available. But I will get most of what I want and will be able to stay sane while doing it. Actually being in the store and dealing with all the irrational customers who show up (and not everybody turns into Mr. Hyde; there are some who manage to maintain their dignity) doesn’t do much for promoting a positive holiday attitude. That’s just another reason for me to avoid the stores.

Do what you must to get your Black Friday deals, but don’t lose sight of yourself in the process. And if you’d rather go to the store, that’s perfectly fine; it’ll make my online shopping easier. For everyone’s sanity, though, most of all yours, leave Mr. Hyde at home.