Black Friday Is Never Good For My Tech Addiction

If you've been following my columns here on SlashGear, you know that I'm a bit of a tech addict. Whether it's video games, set-top boxes, new televisions, or anything in-between, I'm typically ready and willing to buy it — assuming of course, that it makes proper financial sense to acquire yet another gadget.[Image credit: NoHoDamon]

But Black Friday changes everything for me. Not only is it a day that I look forward to each and every year, but it's also a day that I spend a lot of money. I, like so many others around the U.S., am a sucker for a good deal.

I fully realize that by being a sucker for a good deal, I'm also playing into the retailers' (and vendors') favor and potentially losing the good commercial sense that I enjoy the rest of the year.

Whereas in April I might opt against buying a certain product because the price is too high, on Black Friday, I'm won over by the belief that "I won't get a better deal if I wait, so I should probably just buy it now."

It's a thought that has been proven wrong time and again throughout the years, but each and every year, I anxiously await the newspaper ads, check out my favorite retailers' Web sites, and start devising a strategy that can get me to the stores in the shortest time possible.

Now, the cynics out there might just ask why I haven't learned my lesson. But those in my position understand my plight: I have a tech addiction. And as more products hit store shelves, the more of them I want.

I justify purchases of certain products based on how I believe I will use them: "See that cool iPod alarm clock over there? Well, I don't like sleeping in all the time, so maybe if I had that, I could wake up sooner to the tracks I really want to hear."

Next thing I know, that alarm clock is collecting dust next to the bed, since I refuse to set it each passing day. It's a common issue, since my affection for technology clouds my better judgment at times. But it's not something that I apologize for.

I simply love technology. I love the opportunities it affords and the problems it solves in my life. And I really do see value in the vast majority of products on store shelves. So, when I get the chance to save a few extra bucks on something that I think can help solve another problem, I typically jump on it.

Yes, I know that continues to feed my addiction. And I fully realize that such impulsiveness has burned me in the past. But when I get that single product for a great deal that I use each and every day, it makes it all worth it.

Say what you will about Black Friday, but this year, I'll be out among the other shoppers trying to find the best deals on tech.

Who else will be out there with me?