Celebrating, or avoiding, Black Friday

We asked you how you spent Black Friday. Here is a sampling of reader responses:

In and out
I went to Sears, Staples, Target, and Home Depot. I was able to get everything I wanted,  including a 32" LCD HDTV, and still made it to work by 8 a.m.! —  Jill, Clearwater, Fla.

No way
No way was I going out into that mess. I hate all the rush the day after Thanksgiving. It ruins the holidays for me. I have all my Christmas shopping done by September in order to really enjoy the holidays. — Lisa, Westminster, S.C.

Camping out
I camped outside of Best Buy at 11 p.m. the night before. I was No. 76 in line, and didn't get the exact item I waited for, but did get a laptop and a TV for my son. It was worth it in the end. Will I do it again? NEVER! You couldn't pay me enough to do that again! — Billie, Colonial Heights, Va.

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Life's too short
There is no way I am fighting those mobs. I give gift certificates or order things online and have them shipped. Life is too short to spend it waiting for parking spots or fighting rude people just to get a bargain. I live on the east coast and the people here are the rudest I have ever seen. I'm at work today and it's great. No one is here. —  Margaret, Reston, Va.

Holiday tradition
It's a holiday tradition with my daughter. I love it! You get to meet new people while in line and smile while everyone is pushing and grabbing. I found what I wanted and then some. —  Pam, Dallas, Texas

CNBC VIDEO Black Friday frenzy Nov. 24: In Pennsylvania and California, shoppers hit the stores early, including one who started waiting outisde the store at 8 a.m. Thursday — and may profit off it. CNBC

Cast of thousands
I read the local paper after our Thanksgiving dinner and found out about a great sale begining at 5 a.m. on Black Friday at the local Best Buy. I arrived at 4 a.m. in preparation only to find that there was at least a thousand other shoppers with the same intentions. I wanted to get a laptop for my son at a great price. I finally got inside the store to find out they were sold out of the laptop and everything else that was on sale. The people going in the store had upside down smiles while the people coming out with their gifts were smilling. Better luck next year. — David, Mount Vernon, Wash.

A great time
My Black Friday was GREAT!! I shopped online and got the best bargains. It saved me time and money and the headaches that go along with mall shopping. —  Bob Kerley, Yorba Linda, Calif.

Advance research
I had scoped out Wal-Mart and Kmart set ups this past Wednesday, so I knew where I was heading when I got there. I was at Wal-Mart by 4:40 a.m. on Friday, got DVDs that were on sale and then it was off to Kmart by 5:30 a.m. Kmart was a mad house. Some of the things they had in the sale paper for Friday either "never got shipped" or "sold out last week." Although I did get my 5 megapixel digital camera for $70 and my DVD player. All in all, it wasn’t so bad, just wish I didn't have to go to work at 8:00 a.m., I was still ready to shop! —  JK, Dunedin, Fla.

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