While Jamie Bridgewater wishes Black Friday actually started on Friday and not Thanksgiving Day, the timing and even a black eye won't keep her from the thrill of the chase and great deals.
"I go for the thrill, the people and trying to get something before it's gone," she said. "People say I'm crazy, but I just enjoy the thrill of it."
Bridgewater has been one in the sea of people who take part in Black Friday shopping for the past 10 years.
To prepare for the tradition and ensure as many deals as possible, Bridgewater takes off work Thursday through Monday each year and travels out of the area after scooping up the deals in Poplar Bluff.
She also takes part in Cyber Monday, but said the deals are not near as good as Black Friday.
"I go through all the ads in the newspaper on Thanksgiving Day and circle with a marker everything I want," she said. "Then I have to figure out what's more important in case stuff is gone."
Bridgewater said she is a member of websites that will send the leaked ads to her ahead of time, but prefers to have the actual ads in hand from the newspaper.
To ensure being in line in plenty of time, Bridgewater will eat Thanksgiving dinner at her mother's house at noon and head to her mother-in-law's house at 2 p.m.
"I don't like it, I would rather be at home with my family and start on Friday," she said. "But I don't think people have stayed home because of Black Friday beginning earlier and on Thanksgiving Day."
With items numbered by importance, Bridgewater and her crew head to Poplar Bluff Walmart about 4:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to wait in line for the deals on her list.
Bridgewater's husband, Shane, has been accompanying her the past four years to stand with a cart, collecting all his wife's scores and relaying the numbered items while out of the way of the crowds. He began accompanying his wife when her sisters were unable to join one year.
After getting as many items as possible from her list at Walmart, Bridgewater will then head to JCPenny. Kmart was also a part of her stops when it was still open.
"I don't know what we are going to do this year because now we have Academy and Ulta," she said. "I haven't decided my plans yet, but I know I'm going to Walmart and JCPenny."
TRAVELING
FOR THE DEALS
Once satisfied with her rounds in Poplar Bluff, Bridgewater then makes her way to Chesterfield, near St. Louis.
Along the way to Chesterfield, stops are made at all Walmart stores to pick up any items that were missed. She also stops at stores Poplar Bluff doesn't have, such as Target and Gordmans.
When in Chesterfield, Bridgewater makes her way to the outlet malls for Coach and Kate Spade purses and clothing from Under Armour, Nike and Columbia.
Once arriving at the outlet mall last year, Bridgewater made her way to the Coach store while Shane stood in line outside Kate Spade.
"He was the only man in line at Kate Spade so he got husband of the year," she said.
Once Bridgewater arrived at the Kate Spade line, Shane was at the front and letting other ladies enter ahead of him.
Ladies were telling her how awesome her husband was and "he ate that up," she said with a laugh.
"My husband told me he was done last year, so I'm supposed to be going with a friend this year," Bridgewater said. "I don't know if he will be done or not? He says it's a girl thing and doesn't see anyone else's husbands doing it."
After the outlet malls have been shopped, Bridgewater will continue to browse throughout the city.
"I will usually check into my hotel about 2 p.m. Friday and go to sleep," she said. "I start at 4:30 p.m. and stay up all night traveling and shopping. I'm crazy when it comes to shopping."
At the conclusion of her five-day shopping adventure, Bridgewater said for the most part her Christmas shopping will be complete.
Before heading north, Bridgewater and her crew used to travel south to the Memphis and Jonesboro area.
"You think it's crazy here, it's crazy there," she said of the larger cities. "It's organized, but I never dreamed there would be that many people."
BLACK EYES
ON BLACK FRIDAY
Bridgewater has seen her fair share of shoppers here in the area take their dedication of deal snatching to the next level as well.
"People are vicious when it comes to Black Friday shopping," she said.
While waiting next to a pallet of pots and pans at Walmart several years ago, Bridgewater suffered an injury from a griddle.
After the $10 griddle pallet was opened, which was located next to the pots and pans, a lady tossed a griddle behind her, hitting Bridgewater in the eye.
"I got a black eye from a griddle," she said.
Bridgewater's sister was also sidelined for a moment during a Black Friday trip to Walmart.
"One year my sister was knocked into the $2 towel bin and couldn't get out," she said. "While people were still getting towels she was yelling, 'Jamie, help me get out of this!'"
Once all the towels were gone, Bridgewater was able to reach her sister and pull her out from the deep bin.
Not the only one receiving an injury during the busiest shopping day of the year, Bridgewater said she has seen grown men fighting over a $20 VTech toy.
"The police were called and one was sent to the hospital," she said. "There was blood everywhere."
Bridgewater was curious as to how much the men would be saving if purchasing the toy on Black Friday, so she looked the price up online.
"It was a $5 savings they were fighting over," she said in disbelief.
Bridgewater recalled one of the funniest trips being three years ago when her son, Ryan, was escorted from Walmart the night before Thanksgiving for jumping into a box of pillows.
"He was told not to come back for 48 hours, but I still made him go Black Friday shopping because I needed a TV," she said.
Ryan and a friend stood in line beginning at 2 p.m. for the television, all the while on the lookout for the employee who told him not to return to the store the evening before.
"He was so scared he would be going to jail and I told him he shouldn't have been jumping into pillows," Bridgewater said with a laugh.
SHOPPING
DEDICATION
With the dedication to keep shopping through injuries and adversity, it should come as no shock that Bridgewater scores many of the deals she sets out to buy.
She has stood in line from midnight to 8 a.m. to be one of 12 to score a new washer and dryer set from Sears, which were two for the price of one.
"I'm one of those people who sat all night long and waited, but I got my washer and dryer for a good deal," she said proudly.
With her children being 19 and 23, Bridgewater is not in the field to score toy deals on Black Friday, but that doesn't stop her from helping family and friends.
"I can't tell you how many people will call and ask if I can buy something," she said.
Always up to the shopping challenge, Bridgewater was happy to try to score Hatchimals for her friends several years ago when they were the "it" toy of the season.
"That was kind of fun, stopping at all the Walmarts between Poplar Bluff and St. Louis looking for Hatchimals," she said.
Taking a chance and stopping at one of the Walmarts later in the day, Bridgewater was able to come across five Hatchimals at one time.
"I guess someone brought them back," she said. "I was able to get 12 total."
Cell phones, kayaks and appliances have also been included on some of Bridgewater's top Black Friday purchases.
"TVs have been one of the best deals I have gotten over the years," she said. "I have six TVs in my house and I bought every single one of them on Black Friday."
Black Friday is Bridgewater's pick day to purchase televisions and large appliances such as washers and dryers.
"To me, no other sale day compares," she said.
In addition to helping friends and family, Bridgewater usually picks up a couple of crock pots each year as well as pots and pans, dishes and Pyrex, which always seems to disappear throughout the year.
BLACK FRIDAY
SHOPPING TIPS
To be on Bridgewater's level of Black Friday shopping, planning and money saving is a must.
"TVs and big items are hundreds of dollars," she said. "I can spend $1,000 to $1,500 just at Walmart and I know I am every year because I buy big items."
The biggest tip offered by Bridgewater for Black Friday success is to take someone with you.
"You can't go by yourself," she stressed. "Anyone who thinks they are going to take a cart and get around Walmart, I grant you they will get nothing they want. There is no way."
If planning on snagging a big item, like a TV, another person is also a necessity, according to Bridgewater.
"You are going to have to have someone stand in line for you or you are going to have to for yourself," she said.
If someone is wanting more than one television, Bridgewater also reminds shoppers are only allowed one item per person.
"I've taken my two sisters, husband and mom," she said. "One year there were six of us because we all wanted big stuff."
She also stressed to plan and make a list of items of what is wanted and needed, because quantity is limited on larger items and have a vehicle to haul the items home.
"I will probably give it up before too long," she said. "I love it so I will probably never give up Walmart and the places around here, but maybe St. Louis. Driving two and a half hours and stopping along the way is exhausting."