UNITED STATES—Yes, I’m one of those avid Black Friday shoppers who ventured out on Thanksgiving Day in hopes of catching some bargains. Normally, I’d venture out with the family right before the start of dinner, but this year, we decided to enjoy a feast before hitting the retailers. Once we departed, we worried that we may have missed some big deals, but I frankly didn’t care that much. If it was meant for me to have it, I would have it.

Our first stop was a brick and mortar where the crowds were unbelievable. I was so upset with the chaos in the store I vowed not to make that a first stop in 2016. I mean there was stuff literally thrown all over the store, so many kids I literally went bonkers. I’ve said this before and I will say this again: never bring your kids out on Black Friday. The chaos and the crowds are no place for kids. So many parents allowed their kids to roam freely, I thought I was at Chuck E Cheese.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect was the epic long lines. I mean we literally waited in line over 2 hours, simply because people were attempting to utilize coupons that they couldn’t use because it couldn’t be used on certain items. Seeing these people argue with workers who clearly told them more than once the coupon couldn’t be used. It got so frustrating people waiting in line were fuming at the customers taking so long. It was slightly frustrating to realize that some people would argue, and I mean argue to catch a deal.

There are always coupons to be used at retailers, but with most coupons there are always exclusions. I almost hate that so many retailers release coupons, but then have a list of exclusions to them. Either allow the coupon to be utilized on all items or not at all to prevent such headaches.

I will admit after leaving that first retailer things looked much brighter. My second stop I was slightly worried about the prospect of rather those price-buster items that only come once a year would still be available. To my surprise, many of the items I was looking for were still in stock. Yes, I was stunned because usually on Black Friday those hot button items are gone in a matter of minutes in most situations.

My next stop was a retailer where the store was quite packed with customers, but I was pleased with the uniformity and their ability to keep things in order. So many people were doing their best to cut in line, but the security guards inside the store were not having any of it. If you weren’t in line with your party at the time of the purchase, you had no choice, but to go to the back of the line, it’s that simple.

It sucks, but I loved every moment of it, because it ensured the line moved at a steady flow. Along the way we had a few more stops and things were smooth, in and out, no hiccups, no pressure. As the night dawned upon us, yep, shopping in the wee hours got the best of me. We had one major retailer left to hit up a few deals, and the frustration started to permeate into my brain.

Things got frustrating when a member of the party disappeared and several of us had to search for 1 person in a massive store that contained three large floors. To make things worse, the person we were looking for did not have their cell phone. Yep, it made the shopping trip go slightly downhill, and after about 30 minutes of searching we found that person.

So after more than 7 hours picking up gifts for the busy shopping season, I was burnt, I meant burnt. What was the result? The day after I literally slept in bed and moped around. I hate to say it, but the day after Thanksgiving is nothing more than the time that I just relax. No work, no errands, no nothing. Just sitting around and allowing my body to relax a bit to fully recoup. For those who have never ventured out on Black Friday, it’s not for amateurs. Be prepared, be patience and get ready to save some money.