How to create a better office environment with furniture, supplies, and products

I’m not talking about a fancy pen. Or a pen that works so well it wows the pen competition; just a plain old average office pen. You can get them for a good deal or you could crowd in with the herds and pay more to get them on the biggest shopping day of the year – otherwise known as Black Friday.

Staples Black Friday ads are up while Office Max has asked that their ads not be shown yet. It looks like Office Depot is holding back on their ad releases as well this year. One thing will be for certain all three major office supply chains will have outstanding deals on various items on November 23 this year – but how much will it really save you?

Could you end up overpaying by shopping on Black Friday? There’s a good chance. Granted I’m a major supporter of Buy Nothing Day so yes I may be biased. However, I don’t think my theory is too far off the map.

Here’s how your basic office supply shopping spree on Black Friday goes.

1. Wake up before the crack of dawn to go stand in line at your office store of choice. (That is if you didn’t hop in line Thanksgiving night).
2. Wait… for hours.
3. The line moves!
4. Oh my gosh! You finally get in the store only to find out that the line actually continues once you get inside.
5. Even thought you got there early with sales flyer in hand you weren’t first in line so kiss anything that’s in stock in “limited quantities” goodbye – not that I think the store stocks even the five they claim to have stocked.
6. Push through the crowds to fight over the Compaq Dual-Core 15.4" Laptop w/1GB RAM / 80GB Hard Drive / DVD-RW / Free Printer for only $349.98 – you won’t get it though because of the afore mentioned stocking issues.
7. Push through more crowds to find something on your list to make this wait and the day worth while. You’ve already wasted ten hours or so; you may as well shop.
8. The checkout line (murder).
9. Freedom! Unless you’re on to your next office or tech store.

Here’s the low down. You maybe had Black Friday off because it is the day after Thanksgiving. Many offices shut down. You could have spent it with friends or family but instead wasted an entire vacation day hunting down deals that don’t break down into such great deals. If you go to more than one store that includes sitting in traffic, wasted gas, and anxiety. The store itself includes missing out on the deal you went in for thus creating the need for impulse buys and anxiety.

Plus there’s all that time wasted. No one goes to a Black Friday sale and gets in and out quickly. It just won’t happen. What is your time worth? Add all this up and it can make the average pen you pick up on Black Friday cost a lot more than it should.

This year I say skip Black Friday. Believe me life will go on if you skip it. Life may go on better because that’s a full day of relaxation instead of mania shopping for frankly lack luster deals. If you need something for the office go online and find a deal that won’t cost you time, gas, and impulse money.

Here are some places to look for your own deals.

• PCOPSuperstore.com
• Freecycle Network
• Shoplet.com

To learn more about bucking the Black Friday insanity visit Buy Nothing Day.