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Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday: The Bargain Shopper’s Conundrum

Black Friday Cyber MondayEvery year after the Thanksgiving turkey has been stored and the last few pieces of pie have been consumed, a new time for celebration approaches. Before the Christmas bells start to ring, the bargain shopping season arrives just as quickly as it ends. Many shoppers face the difficult decision – a Sophie’s choice if you will – of whether to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.  4E has compared the two, and here are the results!

Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday:

Cyber Monday Wins with…

1. Safety Let’s say you spend your Thanksgiving with family, and perhaps do not feel inclined to wake up early the next day only to be attacked in a giant clothing outlet. If this sounds like you, then Cyber Monday wins with the opportunity for shoppers to wait til the holiday ends and still enjoy the sales.

2. Comparison When you are online, you can easily compare prices and not get too overwhelmed (or overspend) in the midst of a buying frenzy.

3. Comfort Perhaps one of the most important advantages: Cyber Monday allows shoppers to remain in the comfort of their homes, beds and even pajamas.

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Black Friday Wins with…

1. Trying it on! If you have not experienced waiting for an order to arrive to the mailbox, opening it and – to your dismay – realizing that the small online picture lied to you, then you are very lucky (perhaps buy a lotto ticket at some point?). With Black Friday shopping, you can see what you are buying, recognize the quality and possibly even try it on. Plus, there’s no need to wait for shipping (or pay the shipping fees).

2. First come, first serve Black Friday starts off the bargain season, which means shoppers get first dibs when they arrive. Because of this, Cyber Monday doesn’t always include the same number of Black Friday deals or items.

3. Thrills Some people actually enjoy the rush of running around, scouting for a particular item and feeling the sweet satisfaction of getting that prized item … especially in comparison to simply clicking “add to bag.”

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So, in the end, who wins? Lucky for us, we do not have to decide and can partake in both! Speaking of which, only a few hours are left til midnight and the end of all those Cyber Monday sales. To make shopping a little easier, check out the official Cyber Monday website.

Happy shopping, Hoyas!

 
Photo:itclips, Tumblr
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It’s Black Friday Fixat10ns! Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!

Black Friday Fixations

[8tracks url=”https://8tracks.com/thehoya/let-s-get-ready-to-rumble” ]

 

So you’ve just finished your fourth helping of pumpkin pie and you’re wondering where your life took a wrong turn. How do you solve the enigma that is your life? Shopping. Black. Friday. Shopping.

Black Friday has begun and you must be among your fellow Walmart warriors getting all the steals you can. But with all that tryptophan in your veins, you may be ready to cuddle up next to your pile of pie tins and rest your eyes. Not to fear, 4E is here with a pump-up playlist to get you rearing to go bust down some doors.

1. Let’s Get it Started – Black Eyed Peas Let Fergie pull you out of your turkey-induced slumber with this song.

2.  Eye of the Tiger – Survivor Now that you’re awake, it’s time find the competitor inside of you that has lain dormant since your glory days as the captain of your high school football team.

3. Gucci Gucci – Kreayshawn Georgetown students sometimes have a reputation for restricting themselves to designer clothing (see Chime’s Georgetown Girl), but Kreayshawn reminds us we can be fly without going for the big buys.

4. ESPN Presents Jock Jams Megamix The most important line to remember while vying for a Tickle-Me-Elmo is to “be aggressive, be-ee aggressive.”

5. Fashion Killa – A$AP Rocky So maybe we don’t need to wear all designer labels to be fly … but it wouldn’t hurt, right?

6. TIll I Collapse – Eminem When Eminem was writing this song, he was thinking of calling it Shop Till You Drop but someone told him that wasn’t wise. I would’ve listened to it Eminem, I would’ve listened.

7. Sail – AWOLNATION A lot of head banging is required to listen to this song properly. Give yourself some time to re-establish equillibrium before you start rushing through any revolving doors. Also it’s a pun. Get it, sail/sale? Ha.

8. All I Do is Win – DJ Khaled Stop at nothing to win today. That means get every deal you see and don’t let anyone stand in your way. That won’t be difficult for any Hoyas – we will do anything to win.

9. $100 Bill – Jay-Z So it’s time to acknowledge that you’ll be dropping some big bills tonight. Own it, love it, live it. Be who you want to be, Barbie Girl. And if that person is a mass consumer of Barbies, then girl, that is just fine.

10. Greyhound – Swedish House Mafia Now run, Forest, run! Get those bargains!

Photo: VisitMiNot
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Thrifty DC: Going Big on a Small Budget

Thrifty DCOn top of taking 5 classes, partaking in student activities, keeping our houses relatively clean (ha) and making sure we don’t catch the flu that half of campus is currently suffering from, we Georgetown students have to manage our expenses.

For many of us, the mere thought of paying back loans is troublesome enough to keep us tossing and turning at night. I may not have a solution to all these issues, but I can offer you some thrifty deals in the Georgetown area that can keep a little extra dough in your wallet – and some delicious grub in your tummy.

1. Sea Catch Happy Hour (Canal Square 1054 31st St NW, Ste 1000)

Monday-Saturday; 5-7pm. $1 oysters
 and 1/2 off drinks make Sea Catch put the “happy” in happy hour. Who doesn’t love a delicious raw bar after a long day of classes?

2. Bandolero (3241 M St. NW)  Friday Happy Hour Specials – 4 Tecate Cans; $4 Shot of Espolon with Sangrita; $4 Apps; $5 Breckenridge Agave Wheat Bottles; $5 Antonietti Extra Brut; $5 Apps; $6 El Bandolero Margaritas, Ferrari Carano Pinot Grigio and Graffiato Nebbiolo; $5 Shrimp Cocktail – I get it.

Bandolero sometimes gets a bad rap, just like Modern does. But reputation aside, who can say no to all these amazing deals? The $4 Apps alone are reason enough for you 21+ Hoyas to take a trip down to M Street. (Also, rumor has it that Kate Hudson and Muse were hanging out there the other night, so essentially what I’m saying is if you go to happy hour, you’ll become best friends with a celebrity).

3. Chadwicks Saturday Specials (3205 K St. NW) $2 Domestic Bottles & House Wine; $2.50 Rail Drinks & Margaritas; 50 Cent Buffalo Wings; 1/2 Price Potato Skins; $2.50 Miller Lite & Bud Bottles – There’s something so Georgetown-y about heading down to Chadwicks for a nice drink by the waterfront. And with these deals, you get all the classiness of a Chadwicks meal on a college student budget. I’ll drink to that!

4. Garrett’s (3003 M St NW) Happy Hour 5-7 every day. 25-cent wings. Could it get any better? That wasn’t a rhetorical question. The answer is: no, it can’t. It’s like Chicken Finger Thursday taken to a whole other level… Oh, and did we mention this happens every day?

5. Mr. Smith’s (3104 M St NW) Weekdays 5-7 pm. Half-priced appetizers. My, oh my! Though poor Mr. Smith’s didn’t hold up too well against The Tombs in our previous Georgetown March Madness bracket, it doesn’t mean that they can’t hold up in terms of happy hour specials. What’s nicer than sitting out in Mr. Smith’s nice garden bar and munching on some grub, all while remembering that it’s half-priced?

So, Hoyas, go out and eat some wings and drink some cocktails, but rest assured you’re spending wisely and saving up! Keep saving that money and get out there!

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More than Just Deals

by Michelle Cassidy

It looks like daily deals are about to get a luxury upgrade in the District. Two weeks ago, The Guide explored the origins of Livingsocial, a startup co-founded by Georgetown grad Tim O’Shaughnessy (MSB ’04). The D.C.-based deals giant already operates around the world, but now they’re doing something totally new.

Livingsocial’s new storefront at 918 F Street NW will be the site of a new direction for the company, according to DCist. Where they have previously focused on online vouchers and “adventures” like skeet shooting, sailing lessons and skydiving, the new venue will serve as a permanent space for lessons, pop-up restaurants and concerts.

Their new facility has taken over the old National Union Building, which has been around since 1890. They have converted the building into a four-story playhouse with classrooms that can be used for anything from dance lessons to painting classes. There’s also a commercial-grade kitchen that will host local restauranteurs and cooking instruction alike.

D.C. Top Chef Mike Isabella will be the first to host a pop-up restaurant in the space. Later this year he will be opening a new restaurant called Bandolero in Georgetown (on M Street, where Hook used to be before a fire this summer). But he’s hosting a preview of the menu in the Livingsocial space. It’s not quite the deal you would expect from their daily coupons, with seats at the preview going for $119 a person. But that doesn’t seem to be limiting the interest, as Isabella’s event is already sold out — looks like we’ll have to wait until the real thing opens to check out the menu.

It’s more than just fancy food though. There will be mixology classes and live music at the downstairs bar, with an acoustic set by O.A.R. scheduled for this Sunday as the first performance. Though Livingsocial’s new storefront may not have all the deals we’re used to seeing from them, we’re looking forward to what kinds of events might come out of this new location.

Photo: Benjamin R. Freed via DCist

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D.C. Chocolate Week Is Coming

by Michelle Cassidy

Photo: unitedwithlove.com

It seems like every week so far has gotten some sort of food theme. Between last week’s D.C. Meat Week and the ongoing Meat-Free Week, local restaurants appear to be catering to opposite tastes. But coming up next week, just in time for Valentine’s Day, is something nearly everyone can agree on – D.C. Chocolate Week.

Sponsored by Sales Vote (a D.C.-based daily deals service, not unlike Livingsocial and Groupon), Week For Chocolate will feature the sweetest offerings from Georgetown shops like Serendipity 3, Godiva, Haagen Dazs and even Old Glory.

To join in the fun, you can buy either a gold or silver ‘badge’ that will allow you and a friend (or a date!) to take part in the special deals. A silver badge goes for $50 and gets you five deals. Gold badges cost $70 and get you five deals, plus two access passes to the Week For Chocolate launch party at L2 Lounge (3315 Cady’s Alley NW). It seems a little pricy, but they’re promising lots of prizes and the chance to “rub elbows with the biggest people in the District.” Seems about right, as they’ll have just spent a week eating all the chocolate they can handle.

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