Well September 11th changed all that.  Never in my life time did I imagine that I would need to be worried about this great country and NEVER did I think I would see my friends leave behind their loved ones and their life’s to go to war.  Now whether or not you agree with the politics behind all of this is a mute point.  The fact is thousands of Americans (some of them my very close friends) are answering this country’s call.  They believe so strongly in what this country stands for that they are willing to die for it.

So is one day enough to say thank you to these folks for their sacrifice?  NO!  We need to be thinking of them and keeping them and their families (because they too have made a huge sacrifice) in our minds and our prayers everyday (I’m probably more than a little biased here but you get the point).  Get involved, volunteer, let our armed forces know that you appreciate them.  There are hundreds organizations – Adopt-a-Platoon, US Troop Support, USO etc – that could use your help to support our troops.

While it’s important to nationally recognize past and present soliders, I want you to take it a step further, go upto military personnel wherever you might see them and shake their hand (I always do this when I see them in the airport.  They look at me a little funny when I first approach them but they appreciate the fact that I take the time.)  Tell them thank you in person.  It means a great deal to them that you recognize and appreciate them.   After all they are fighting for our freedom and democracy.

Some people who will read this post are Black Friday veterans who already know a thing or two about the day. We’d love to hear from you about your best tips, lessons you’ve learned and what confused you the most when you were staring out.

Others may be brand new to Black Friday. Some many not even know what Black Friday is. To those, let us know what most confuses you or what you’d like to know more about.

Leave your questions (and answers) in the comments!

Black Friday.

DealTaker has long been a go to destination for Black Friday information and I think that’s because of the enthusiasm everyone here has for this time of year. There’s a real hubub when a new ad comes in. We all get excited and everyone from the content team, to the merchants, marketing and the developers get chatty when a new ad comes in.

We’ve done some things this year to help make the Black Friday information easier to find. First of all, check out our new and improved 2009 Black Friday Ads page. There’s always a lot of information coming from lots of different directions so we’ve done our best on that page to keep it organized and easy to find. On the left hand side is a list of all the stores that we had ads for last year. As the ads come in a check mark will show up next to it. Click on the store name and you’ll find all of the ad info (including product lists and ad scans when available).

On the main page you’ll also notice that we’re aggregating all of the Black Friday coupons that come in from merchants as well.

This week is always a busy week as tons of new ads come in, so check back regularly for all the most up to date info. And know that when a new ad comes in your trusty DealTaker staff is just as excited as you are!

I hope the result of adding more stores is that people who come to DealTaker will better be able to find what they are looking for with our increased variety of merchants.  Moving in to the holiday season, I hope everyone will be able to find exactly what they want, at the price they want, starting right here at DealTaker.com!

Well, we heard you, DealTakers! We are proud to announce that DealTaker.com now has a printable Grocery Coupons page! From here you’ll be able to search among a huge collection of grocery coupons. Just find and check the ones you want, then print them up from the convenience of home!

Best of all it’s free.

Now you can save even more money with DealTaker than you did before!

FIRST BLACK FRIDAY AD OF THE YEAR NOW ON DEALTAKER.COM

Premier Coupon & Deal Site Features Most-Anticipated Sales of the Year Well Ahead of Schedule

PLANO, Texas—October 7, 2009—DealTaker.com today announced the official start of the holiday bargain shopping season with the first Black Friday ad now at www.DealTaker.com/blackfriday.html.

“It’s a great day for bargain hunters everywhere,” said Kevin Strawbridge, President of DealTaker.com.  “With pent up demand at an all-time high and retailers eager for consumer dollars, sales will abound and organization will be the key to sorting through myriad opportunities.  Perusing the ads well ahead of Thanksgiving makes it easier for deal takers to optimize their time and money, and for retailers to ensure traffic to their stores,” Strawbridge said.

There are 50 days before November 27 which could be the biggest shopping day of the year.  To prepare, consumers can quickly and easily find the most up-to-date Black Friday deals, coupons and sales at DealTaker.com.  The popular site also features a countdown calendar, a handy downloadable Black Friday Organizer ® exclusively available at DealTaker and a searchable list of free shipping codes for consumers who also take advantage of the online deals every day and on Cyber Monday.

Besides sales from nearly 2,000 merchant partners, more than 225,000 DealTaker.com members actively post deals, ads, coupons and offers on DealTaker.com every day, saving consumers millions of dollars over the past 5 years.  Historically, members have posted Black Friday ads directly to the Black Friday forums.  But some retailers have balked at members trying to help each other.  Already, one major retailer has made a pre-emptive strike with a cease-and-desist letter, insisting DealTaker.com police the forums and remove ads that members post.

About DealTaker.com

DealTaker.com is the premier destination for consumers looking to spend less and get more.  A free coupon site for members to share and take deals, DealTaker.com makes it easy to save on merchandise and services including food, travel, electronics, home furnishings, jewelry and pet supplies, among others.  Founded in Plano, Texas in 2004, DealTaker.com works with more than 1,900 stores, nearly 19,000 followers on Twitter and more than 225,000 deal-sharing members to provide over 8,000 active coupons and deals every day.

# # #

Contact:  Jeanine Connolly

DealTakerPR@gmail.com

214 – 636 – 3900

With the help of DealTaker, we have been able to raise just over $6,400 so far (over the initial $5,000 goal that was set).  The team on which I am walking, Affiliate Marketers Give Back, has raised money beyond the $50,000 goal that was set (and it also places us in the top 5 teams raising money for the LA Walk).  All in all the path up to the event has exceeded my expectations and my excitement is extremely high.

I again want to express my thanks to all those around us that have participated with well wishes, encouragement and donations.  That, combined with the goal to raise money and awareness for a cause that affects so many around us, leaves me even more humbe than when I started.  I hope to be able to do my part and complete the walk to the best of my ability.  I plan to be tweeting on my Blackberry throughout the event (http://www.twitter.com/kstraw) and will also be bringing a video camera to capture snippets of the event that I will then use to create a small compilation – I will post that here as soon as possible after the event.

I am forever grateful for all the support.

Kstraw

However, after consulting with a good colleague at Road Runner Sports in San Diego, she suggested the Men’s Nike Zoom Vomero+ 4.  Because of the extra focus on cushioning (which is best for the long walk) and the good look of them, I decided to make those the shoes to wear.  Basically, I got the best shoes possible by shopping at RRS online – they provide so much information that the shopping part is easy.  Thank you Road Runner.

I can’t wait to get them this week and start breaking them in - Just in time for the Avon Walk September 12-13, 2009.

Don’t forget to check for Coupons for even more savings from your favorite stores!!! Click here to check!