By Alicia Stearn

Thanksgiving Day is just 10 days away, which means we all will sit down with our families and enjoy our turkey dinners.

But to some, it means they will spend all day sleeping so that after dinner they can rush to the mall to start their Christmas shopping.

But is shopping on Thanksgiving Day really worth it?

Starting a few years ago, stores began opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day to bring in extra sales. According to Civic Science, shoppers on Black Friday “seem to be more price-conscious than Thanksgiving Day shoppers.”

Last Thanksgiving Day, after dinner, I decided to go out with a few friends to the mall.

I noticed groups of people walking around in pajamas carrying one or two bags. There were groups of people leaving stores empty handed and hanging around, taking selfies with friends.

I go shopping on Black Friday every year, and I notice everyone around me carrying handfuls of bags, making several trips out to their cars, and never wasting their time to go into stores unless they plan on buying something.

But on Thanksgiving Day, this is not the case. Thanksgiving isn’t being used for productive shopping, instead those going out are more laissez-faire.

Some may argue that doctors and firefighters have to work on Thanksgiving too. However, it’s a part of their service to be available 24/7 because they never know when dire circumstances will arise. Someone may need an ambulance at 7:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving. No one’s going to need a flat screen TV.

Many people may complain about stores starting to sell Christmas decorations right after Halloween, yet this sales tactic helps dwindle down the amount of shoppers all at once before the Christmas holiday.

By offering these products earlier, those true early birds are able to get what they want without having the temptation to go the day before Black Friday.

Are the prices actually any cheaper? I currently work in the pricing department at a retail store and I’ve noticed that before they launch a big price drop, tons of other prices raise. While they are gearing your attention towards the prices that are dropping, they are raising prices on a ton of other items in the store you might not be aware of.

The items that are on sale may not always be of the highest quality or best brand. For example, looking at Wal-Mart’s Black Friday deals from last year, the one that catches my eye is the “HP 2541 Wireless Printer” on sale for $19, originally priced at $69. That’s a huge savings, but this is a low quality printer, compared to all of the better brands still at regular retail price.

If you truly want to be a price-conscious shopper, help your wallet and stay home Thanksgiving night.

Contact Alicia Stearn at communitarian@mail. dccc.edu