Episode Transcript
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Joy Blue (00:00):
Welcome to Here We Are.
This week, we are bringing backthe ever popular Black Friday
episode from last year.
I thought it was extremelyapropos since black Friday is
just a few days away.
And.
In all honesty, I didn't have achance to edit an episode for
(00:21):
this week.
But standby for next week, it'sgoing to be a fascinating
episode all on fish virology.
You won't want to miss it.
So without further ado here isour Encore presentation of
episode 33.
Chelsea Pribyl and Black FridayWelcome to Here We Are.
(00:49):
The podcast where we talk aboutcuriosity, fascination, and what
makes us delightfully nerdy.
I am your curator of nerdinessJoy Bork.
I am so excited about today'sepisode.
You're about to meet one of mybesties.
The one and only Chelsea.
(01:09):
We go way back.
I originally met Chelsea when Iinterned where she was working
back in 2010 and we've beenfriends ever since.
Chelsea amazes me often with hergenuine love, care of her
people, and her kindness.
Basically, I'm a lifelong, cardcarrying member of the Chelsea
Pribyl support team, and I am soproud of it.
(01:33):
So without further ado let'slearn about Black Friday from
the master herself, ChelseaPribyl
Chelsea Pribyl (01:40):
hello, podcast family.
My name is Chelsea Pribyl and Iam from the Northwest suburbs of
Chicago in Huntley, Illinois.
Joy's favorite line aboutHuntley is it's the village with
country charm
Joy Blue (01:55):
No, it's the friendly village with country charm
Chelsea Pribyl (01:57):
with country?
Joy Blue (02:01):
Okay.
What do people call us?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:03):
Twins.
Joy Blue (02:04):
Because
Chelsea Pribyl (02:06):
We have been known to look a lot alike
Joy Blue (02:10):
do we look a lot, like right now?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:13):
I believe we do.
Because on zoom, our haircutthat is usually completely
opposite is actually the same.
Joy Blue (02:21):
do we see the same hair?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:23):
We do.
Joy Blue (02:24):
Oh, my
Chelsea Pribyl (02:25):
I saw her first.
I just want everyone to know.
Joy Blue (02:28):
you did.
But I saw her two days ago,
Chelsea Pribyl (02:30):
yeah.
So you saw her most recently, soyou have the freshest fade, but
we do look a lot alike.
There have been times in ourlife when we have been grossly
mistaken for one anotherconstantly.
Like when we were working at thesame place that we're serving
the same organizations and yeah.
So twins.
Joy Blue (02:48):
One of us goes off headset, the other can just
answer all the questions andnobody knows the difference.
Chelsea Pribyl (02:53):
It's brilliant.
Joy Blue (02:54):
Okay.
What is your flavor of nerd youwant to talk about today?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:57):
My flavor of nerd is all about Black Friday
and how it relates to giftgiving and budgeting.
Joy Blue (03:08):
That's amazing.
Chelsea Pribyl (03:10):
Yes.
Especially because you hate it
Joy Blue (03:12):
I do.
Okay.
When did you start black Fridayshopping?
Chelsea Pribyl (03:19):
I started black Friday shopping 15 years ago.
And I definitely had to do themath this morning before we
jumped on this podcast because Iknew you were going to ask me
and yeah, I went back and figureit out when it started and yeah,
15 years ago this year.
Joy Blue (03:36):
Who ushered you into this discipline?
Chelsea Pribyl (03:42):
It's a great question.
Joy Blue (03:44):
I almost said cult and I'm like, no, it's not, that's
not the right word.
I don't know the right word todescribe it.
Practice.
I don't know.
Chelsea Pribyl (03:50):
Oh, sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
Either one of those.
It started with my sister andher friends in college.
And it started very casuallybecause as you and I get further
and further into theconversation, you'll see that
it's not a casual thing for meanymore, but in the beginning it
was just kinda like, uh, hop inthe cars where we want to go and
(04:14):
visit a couple of stores onBlack Friday.
And that was it.
My sister and her friends werein college at the time and they
were totally broke and I wastoo.
So, you know, It wasn't reallyanything big and elaborate and
it certainly wasn't planned.
It was just on a whim.
Joy Blue (04:31):
Do you remember what you felt that first time?
Like What was the hook?
Because I look at you now andyou're so hooked.
like w- how did you get from I'mbroke, hanging out with my
college-age sister and herfriends to what we will discuss
of how into it you are now.
Chelsea Pribyl (04:52):
I think the very first time I was just pumped to
be with my sister at any point.
And I felt like I was supercool.
Cause I was getting to hang outwith her friends.
We also just have really alwaysloved shopping.
So my mom really enjoysshopping, so even when we were
little, it's just something thatwe have done a lot of, you know,
(05:13):
on the weekends or when we're onschool breaks.
We had a really fun time goingto the mall and it was a family
thing for us girls.
And so fast forward to when Iwas an older age, in high school
and beyond.
I still enjoyed shopping.
And so my sister, Catie and Iwould do a lot of that together.
And so I don't really rememberanything super specific about
(05:35):
the first few black Fridays inparticular, other than.
I loved spending time with mysister and I love shopping.
And if you could get a good dealwhile you were doing it, then
that was a bonus.
Joy Blue (05:46):
That's so interesting.
Because you and I are bothquality time people and it's, I
don't know.
I guess you and I have neveractually talked about this.
I just know that you do thisblack Friday thing and it's
really intense.
And you send me picturesthroughout the day and you make
at least five coffee stops thatare planned.
And.
I don't know you, you went fromjust hanging out too intense.
(06:09):
When did you start planning?
Chelsea Pribyl (06:11):
was a slow ramp.
I would say.
you know, First few years, nottotally planning at all.
Once we started catching on tothe things that we really liked
about Black Friday and theadvantages that we had and the
fun that we would have.
We just slowly every year,morphed it into something a
(06:32):
little bit different andsomething more specific,
actually creating a plan oractually creating a budget or
actually inviting certain peopleto join us.
Or Just every year it turnedinto something a little bit
different and bigger and betterin our opinions.
And so once we were both marriedand like totally on our own,
(06:56):
like we're not living at home,we're not in school age of any
sort anymore.
Then it really became a moreofficial tradition and something
that we definitely plan for andput a lot of work into.
And I think the fun increasedfor us when we started doing
that as well.
Joy Blue (07:17):
Okay, that's fantastic.
First and foremost.
Second, we keep talking aroundthis word, the plan.
Well, Two words.
What is the plan?
How do you plan?
What does your plan look like?
Is it strict?
Chelsea Pribyl (07:31):
The plan is a guard rail.
Let's call it a guard rail or aset of boundaries to play within
and so.
I hope Catie would agree.
I don't think it's super strict.
I think It's a way for us to bethe most efficient.
That's probably the reason forthe plan.
(07:51):
We plan far in advance, which isprobably nauseating for most
people listening to thisbecause.
Joy Blue (07:59):
How far in advance?
Chelsea Pribyl (08:01):
On our good years like a couple of months.
On our most desperate rushyears, it's like a few weeks.
But either way, it definitelyrequires getting in the right
mindset.
Because for us, the end goal ofblack Friday: one, it's the time
together.
It's the quality time, like yousaid.
But two (08:21):
It's the goal of being completely done with Christmas
shopping by the time the day isover.
And so, in order to do that, wehave to know who we're buying
for, what kinds of stores weneed to try to find, what kinds
of deals we're looking for onwhat types of items.
We also need to know what kindof budgets we have to work with.
(08:44):
Because for us, this isn't likea, just spend all the money and
go crazy and be in tons of debtwhen the day is over.
That's not what it's about forus.
Like we go into it with a setbudget.
And speaking for myself and formy husband, like we save all 12
months of the year for this day,so that it's not a stressful
(09:05):
financial day for us.
So knowing that, you need toknow how to stretch your dollars
and you need a plan to supportthat.
And also there's only so manyhours in the black Friday day.
And so you need to know kind ofwhat route you want to take so
that you can hit all your storesbefore they close, or before
deals end, and all of thatstuff.
(09:25):
So it's a lot of conversationabout, Hey, where do you need to
hit?
Where do I need to hit?
What kinds of things are youlooking for?
So I can help you look for thosethings and vice versa.
And we have a mantra (09:35):
don't settle.
We never settle on black Friday.
So if you are like in target andyou're holding something, and
you're like, oh, would thisperson like this thing, or is
this exactly what I'm lookingfor for myself?
And you're like waffling, we putit back on the shelf.
We don't buy things that we'rewaffling on.
(09:56):
We buy things that we're like ahundred percent confident, this
is the best deal, or this isexactly what I've been looking
for.
And we do it with confidence.
So if you're waffling, you justmove on
Joy Blue (10:06):
That's fantastic.
Chelsea Pribyl (10:09):
It's probably a good life motto too, but it
works for shopping.
Joy Blue (10:13):
Can you get that tattooed in a waffle somewhere
because you know, don't settle.
Don't waffle.
Chelsea Pribyl (10:19):
I need an introductory tattoo.
So that sounds like a big one.
Joy Blue (10:22):
There you go.
I am in awe of all of this.
How do you plan to use it on thespreadsheet?
Chelsea Pribyl (10:28):
You know, it! It is in a multi tab spreadsheet
that I keep track of and work onall throughout the year.
It's definitely not as elaborateas yours would be.
100%.
You were just working on aspreadsheet for me yesterday and
for something.
And I can't even scratch thesurface of your spreadsheet
(10:48):
wizardry.
But yeah, for me, it's somethingthat lays out all of the people
that we gift give to that'sright...
That we give gifts to all thepeople, the budget for each of
them.
And then any ideas that I havewalking into black Friday about
what they might enjoy, somethingthat I'm looking for for them,
(11:09):
and then a possible store whereI might find it.
So I have a lot of nieces andnephews just to use them as an
example.
I love buying kids stuff.
It's like my favorite categoryof things to buy.
And so all throughout the year,Out and about, and listening to
conversations and seeing thingsonline, and so I'm keeping track
of ideas.
(11:30):
And so I might have five thingslisted for a niece or nephew in
particular, but I'm looking forwhat is the best deal?
How can I stretch my money themost and what can I get my hands
on that day that I think thatthey will really love.
So yeah, the spreadsheet isencompassing all of that.
But then.
(11:50):
Additional tabs in thespreadsheet that get formulated
more on Thanksgiving because youhave to get the paper on
Thanksgiving, or you have to belooking at the ads online and
you're tracking what deals arecoming out just that day before
black Friday, or you're trackingstore hours or, You know,
(12:13):
certain stores say, Hey, we havedeals going until noon.
You know, You have to bephysically in the store in order
to get a certain deal.
So then we're creating lists ofall of those kinds of things.
Stats and store hours and
Joy Blue (12:27):
This is magic.
Chelsea Pribyl (12:29):
it's a process.
Joy Blue (12:31):
I've always known that you do this thing, but like this
conversation is making me reallyhappy because now I know how you
do the thing.
And one of the things that makesme the most happy is learning
how.
And I could almost cry rightnow, I'm so happy.
I know.
It's insane.
It happens.
My eyeballs, just do that.
Chelsea Pribyl (12:47):
They do they water.
Joy Blue (12:49):
you really are thinking about this all year?
Chelsea Pribyl (12:52):
Yeah, it is on my mind all year long, but it's
most intensely on my mind thethree to six months before black
Friday.
So I've tried different tacticsbefore.
Like one year I totally changedit up.
And I said, if I'm out and aboutthe entire year, and I see
something that inspires me forsomeone else, I snag it and I
(13:15):
just hang on to it.
Or if I find really great dealson a set of things, I'm going to
buy them because I'm suresomeone on my list will
appreciate it at Christmas.
But that tripped me up.
I wasn't really anticipating itbecause then I found myself the
week of Thanksgiving going, Ihave a table full of stuff, and
I don't remember who I boughtthem for or how much I spent on
(13:37):
that.
I didn't keep track of thebudget side of it and all that.
It really screwed up the wholeplan.
And so this year by comparison,I haven't bought a thing that I
would put towards a Christmasgift.
And so.
yeah I'm, I'm starting to thinkwho are the people?
What are they into?
Like what would surprise anddelight them to open at
(13:59):
Christmas?
I take a lot of notes, whenpeople are talking to me about
things that they love, orrestaurants that they'd gone to,
that they really enjoy orexperiences that they've had.
So that they spark creativityand curiosity in me when I'm
shopping on black Friday.
Joy Blue (14:14):
It feels a little bit like I just walked into Oz.
And I'm getting just a littlebit of a glimpse of the magic
behind the curtain.
And I both want to know and alsobe like no, no, no, no, no, no,
no.
I don't want to know.
I don't want to know.
I don't want to ruin it.
But I'm going to ask all thequestions.
One of the things I have come toknow about you and appreciate
(14:34):
about you so deeply is that youare such an intentional gift
giver.
And I had no clue until youknow, I was today years old when
I found out that you keep noteson people.
But that makes so much sensebecause everything you've given
me has been incrediblythoughtful and it almost always
makes me want to cry because I'mlike really Chelsea, you did
(14:55):
that.
What?
Stop!?
I love it so much.
And this is just a delightfulpart of your nerdiness and your
intentionality and how you loveyour people.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:06):
Um,
Joy Blue (15:06):
Kills me with goodness.
Yeah.
Also terror because you'remagical at it.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:12):
I am horrible at a lot of things.
So do not be in such awe andwonder, but
Joy Blue (15:19):
It's and wonder, because I'm so bad at it.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:22):
I actually don't think that you're bad at it, but
we can
Joy Blue (15:25):
Comparison is the killer of joy.
But comparatively sure.
Last question.
What is one of your most proudfinds or discoveries
Chelsea Pribyl (15:36):
Oh man.
Definitely not proud of the pinkcake that I gave you when I
first met you.
That was
Joy Blue (15:42):
I'm still so pleased with that cake.
I was, I almost wanted to cryjust because somebody I didn't
know, made me a cake.
Okay.
And that was like one of themost Surprising things that
could have happened.
Because I did not expect peopleat all to see me, understand,
approach me.
And that was one of, that wasone of the first things you ever
(16:05):
did that I was like, holy crap,this girl is different.
I don't understand.
Scared.
Hesitant.
Must be her friend.
Okay.
And here we are.
11 years later.
Chelsea Pribyl (16:17):
Oh my goodness.
That's a really great questionthat I wish I had a wow answer
for.
But to roll a few things intoone quickly I'm always blown
away at the price of Sharpies,which are my favorite thing on
the planet.
on black Friday.
(16:37):
So Sharpies, like they're amust.
Like Ryan just knows.
I always come home with Sharpieson black Friday.
I don't need them, but I wantthem and I love them.
They bring me joy.
So, black Friday's and amazingday to buy luggage.
That's the most adultingsentence I've ever said in my
life, but that week is a greattime to invest in really nice
(16:57):
luggage.
And my sister and I, between thetwo of us, we have bought a
handful of video game consoles.
You know, that's A great day tobuy them for a steal.
And so I'm remembering some ofour most like courageous or most
memorable, very early morningkind of moments on black Friday
(17:22):
of standing in line, beforestores open.
Or being a part of, maybe wewere given like raffle tickets
and you don't know if you'regoing to get one until the very
last minute or just spending allday being on the hunt for a
video game console.
And it's really mostly for ourhusbands.
Like we've been tasked withfinding the right thing.
(17:44):
And so those have been somereally fun memories where you're
on the hunt.
The hunt is part of the fun forCatie and I.
And anytime we're like lookingfor one specific thing, And
you've spent your day, alwayschecking and always looking or
calling stores or visiting fiveof the same store, just to see
if you can find it like ascavenger hunt sort of way of
(18:07):
those are always really fun.
And the only other thing thatcame to mind was the ability to
find a way to give back on blackFriday is always a big part of
what we're doing.
And so, looking for local placesthat are doing food drives, coat
drives, school supply drives,something like that, or their
proceeds give back to otherpeople.
(18:29):
We really get jazzed about beingable to be a part of
organizations like that on sucha day where everybody's shopping
and you're out doing it anyways.
So why not go the extra mile anddo a couple of things for other
people too?
So.
those are Kind of My mostmemorable things.
Sharpies for the win
Joy Blue (18:47):
I, yeah, you say that as I look to my left and I have
an entire lego array that'svertical.
That's built.
That's has Sharpies.
And I think you and I both haveabout the same amount of
Sharpies.
No, you
Chelsea Pribyl (19:02):
the more Sharpies, the better, that whole
thing.
Wasn't Sharpies that I justshowed you, but
Joy Blue (19:07):
I lied, I have one more question.
Chelsea Pribyl (19:09):
Bring it on!
Joy Blue (19:10):
What's your normal timeframe on a black Friday?
What time do you get out?
And what time do you get home?
Chelsea Pribyl (19:14):
Uh, When I was a little bit younger, and a little
bit more flexible and adaptable,we would wake up in the three
o'clock hour and be out in thefour o'clock hour.
Um, There have been years wherewe've started by standing in
line at places and trying to winraffles and get amazing deals.
But as the economy has changed,and as people's method of
(19:36):
shopping has gone more to onlinestores are offering different
things.
And so the demand for all thatearly morning stuff is really
non-existent now.
And so we now get up more in thelike five or six o'clock hour
and just get out and in the sixor seven o'clock hour, like it's
later and a lot easier to rollwith in my 35 year old body.
(19:59):
And so then we go all day.
We literally go totally drop.
So I'm usually coming back homeat 10 o'clock or so at night.
And yeah, I guess that would be15 hours.
16 hours would be prettytypical.
And this last year we countedour stops.
It was something like, I don'tknow, 20 something stores or
(20:22):
restaurants that we stopped atalong the way.
Joy Blue (20:25):
You are magical.
That's why both of us love theimage of the unicorn.
And you got me a sign that saysbe yourself, unless you can be a
unicorn, then always be aunicorn.
Chelsea Pribyl (20:36):
Always
Joy Blue (20:37):
Always.
Thanks for your time, Chelsea.
Chelsea Pribyl (20:40):
anytime.
Joy Blue (20:42):
So here we are.
This was such a fun episode torecord.
Not only because Chelsea is oneof my besties, but also because
she is just so easy to talk withand be with.
And thankfully she loves meenough to not invite me to go
Black Friday shopping with her.
And I'm so grateful for that.
(21:03):
I hope this episode comes inhandy for you as black Friday
and Christmas are right aroundthe corner.
All right.
I've got to know.
What's one of your flavors ofnerd?
How does it show up in yourlife?
This is indeed the part of theshow where I ask you to email me
atherewearethepodcast@gmail.com,
and tell me all about how youlove to nerd out.
(21:24):
And if you want to just talk tome on Facebook or Instagram, you
can do that too.
Check out here we are on both ofthose platforms.
If you're looking to go one stepfurther and financially support
what I'm doing with the podcast,head on over to patreon.com
search for Here We Are thepodcast and sign up for one of
the many quirky support tiersthat I am so proud of.
(21:46):
Until next time.
Don't forget that curiosity winsand the world needs more nerds.
Bye
Welcome to Here We Are.
This week, we are bringing backthe ever popular Black Friday
episode from last year.
I thought it was extremelyapropos since black Friday is
just a few days away.
And.
In all honesty, I didn't have achance to edit an episode for
(00:21):
this week.
But standby for next week, it'sgoing to be a fascinating
episode all on fish virology.
You won't want to miss it.
So without further ado here isour Encore presentation of
episode 33.
Chelsea Pribyl and Black FridayWelcome to Here We Are.
(00:49):
The podcast where we talk aboutcuriosity, fascination, and what
makes us delightfully nerdy.
I am your curator of nerdinessJoy Bork.
I am so excited about today'sepisode.
You're about to meet one of mybesties.
The one and only Chelsea.
(01:09):
We go way back.
I originally met Chelsea when Iinterned where she was working
back in 2010 and we've beenfriends ever since.
Chelsea amazes me often with hergenuine love, care of her
people, and her kindness.
Basically, I'm a lifelong, cardcarrying member of the Chelsea
Pribyl support team, and I am soproud of it.
(01:33):
So without further ado let'slearn about Black Friday from
the master herself, ChelseaPribyl
Chelsea Pribyl (01:40):
hello, podcast family.
My name is Chelsea Pribyl and Iam from the Northwest suburbs of
Chicago in Huntley, Illinois.
Joy's favorite line aboutHuntley is it's the village with
country charm
Joy Blue (01:55):
No, it's the friendly village with country charm
Chelsea Pribyl (01:57):
with country?
Joy Blue (02:01):
Okay.
What do people call us?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:03):
Twins.
Joy Blue (02:04):
Because
Chelsea Pribyl (02:06):
We have been known to look a lot alike
Joy Blue (02:10):
do we look a lot, like right now?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:13):
I believe we do.
Because on zoom, our haircutthat is usually completely
opposite is actually the same.
Joy Blue (02:21):
do we see the same hair?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:23):
We do.
Joy Blue (02:24):
Oh, my
Chelsea Pribyl (02:25):
I saw her first.
I just want everyone to know.
Joy Blue (02:28):
you did.
But I saw her two days ago,
Chelsea Pribyl (02:30):
yeah.
So you saw her most recently, soyou have the freshest fade, but
we do look a lot alike.
There have been times in ourlife when we have been grossly
mistaken for one anotherconstantly.
Like when we were working at thesame place that we're serving
the same organizations and yeah.
So twins.
Joy Blue (02:48):
One of us goes off headset, the other can just
answer all the questions andnobody knows the difference.
Chelsea Pribyl (02:53):
It's brilliant.
Joy Blue (02:54):
Okay.
What is your flavor of nerd youwant to talk about today?
Chelsea Pribyl (02:57):
My flavor of nerd is all about Black Friday
and how it relates to giftgiving and budgeting.
Joy Blue (03:08):
That's amazing.
Chelsea Pribyl (03:10):
Yes.
Especially because you hate it
Joy Blue (03:12):
I do.
Okay.
When did you start black Fridayshopping?
Chelsea Pribyl (03:19):
I started black Friday shopping 15 years ago.
And I definitely had to do themath this morning before we
jumped on this podcast because Iknew you were going to ask me
and yeah, I went back and figureit out when it started and yeah,
15 years ago this year.
Joy Blue (03:36):
Who ushered you into this discipline?
Chelsea Pribyl (03:42):
It's a great question.
Joy Blue (03:44):
I almost said cult and I'm like, no, it's not, that's
not the right word.
I don't know the right word todescribe it.
Practice.
I don't know.
Chelsea Pribyl (03:50):
Oh, sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
Either one of those.
It started with my sister andher friends in college.
And it started very casuallybecause as you and I get further
and further into theconversation, you'll see that
it's not a casual thing for meanymore, but in the beginning it
was just kinda like, uh, hop inthe cars where we want to go and
(04:14):
visit a couple of stores onBlack Friday.
And that was it.
My sister and her friends werein college at the time and they
were totally broke and I wastoo.
So, you know, It wasn't reallyanything big and elaborate and
it certainly wasn't planned.
It was just on a whim.
Joy Blue (04:31):
Do you remember what you felt that first time?
Like What was the hook?
Because I look at you now andyou're so hooked.
like w- how did you get from I'mbroke, hanging out with my
college-age sister and herfriends to what we will discuss
of how into it you are now.
Chelsea Pribyl (04:52):
I think the very first time I was just pumped to
be with my sister at any point.
And I felt like I was supercool.
Cause I was getting to hang outwith her friends.
We also just have really alwaysloved shopping.
So my mom really enjoysshopping, so even when we were
little, it's just something thatwe have done a lot of, you know,
(05:13):
on the weekends or when we're onschool breaks.
We had a really fun time goingto the mall and it was a family
thing for us girls.
And so fast forward to when Iwas an older age, in high school
and beyond.
I still enjoyed shopping.
And so my sister, Catie and Iwould do a lot of that together.
And so I don't really rememberanything super specific about
(05:35):
the first few black Fridays inparticular, other than.
I loved spending time with mysister and I love shopping.
And if you could get a good dealwhile you were doing it, then
that was a bonus.
Joy Blue (05:46):
That's so interesting.
Because you and I are bothquality time people and it's, I
don't know.
I guess you and I have neveractually talked about this.
I just know that you do thisblack Friday thing and it's
really intense.
And you send me picturesthroughout the day and you make
at least five coffee stops thatare planned.
And.
I don't know you, you went fromjust hanging out too intense.
(06:09):
When did you start planning?
Chelsea Pribyl (06:11):
was a slow ramp.
I would say.
you know, First few years, nottotally planning at all.
Once we started catching on tothe things that we really liked
about Black Friday and theadvantages that we had and the
fun that we would have.
We just slowly every year,morphed it into something a
(06:32):
little bit different andsomething more specific,
actually creating a plan oractually creating a budget or
actually inviting certain peopleto join us.
Or Just every year it turnedinto something a little bit
different and bigger and betterin our opinions.
And so once we were both marriedand like totally on our own,
(06:56):
like we're not living at home,we're not in school age of any
sort anymore.
Then it really became a moreofficial tradition and something
that we definitely plan for andput a lot of work into.
And I think the fun increasedfor us when we started doing
that as well.
Joy Blue (07:17):
Okay, that's fantastic.
First and foremost.
Second, we keep talking aroundthis word, the plan.
Well, Two words.
What is the plan?
How do you plan?
What does your plan look like?
Is it strict?
Chelsea Pribyl (07:31):
The plan is a guard rail.
Let's call it a guard rail or aset of boundaries to play within
and so.
I hope Catie would agree.
I don't think it's super strict.
I think It's a way for us to bethe most efficient.
That's probably the reason forthe plan.
(07:51):
We plan far in advance, which isprobably nauseating for most
people listening to thisbecause.
Joy Blue (07:59):
How far in advance?
Chelsea Pribyl (08:01):
On our good years like a couple of months.
On our most desperate rushyears, it's like a few weeks.
But either way, it definitelyrequires getting in the right
mindset.
Because for us, the end goal ofblack Friday: one, it's the time
together.
It's the quality time, like yousaid.
But two (08:21):
It's the goal of being completely done with Christmas
shopping by the time the day isover.
And so, in order to do that, wehave to know who we're buying
for, what kinds of stores weneed to try to find, what kinds
of deals we're looking for onwhat types of items.
We also need to know what kindof budgets we have to work with.
(08:44):
Because for us, this isn't likea, just spend all the money and
go crazy and be in tons of debtwhen the day is over.
That's not what it's about forus.
Like we go into it with a setbudget.
And speaking for myself and formy husband, like we save all 12
months of the year for this day,so that it's not a stressful
(09:05):
financial day for us.
So knowing that, you need toknow how to stretch your dollars
and you need a plan to supportthat.
And also there's only so manyhours in the black Friday day.
And so you need to know kind ofwhat route you want to take so
that you can hit all your storesbefore they close, or before
deals end, and all of thatstuff.
(09:25):
So it's a lot of conversationabout, Hey, where do you need to
hit?
Where do I need to hit?
What kinds of things are youlooking for?
So I can help you look for thosethings and vice versa.
And we have a mantra (09:35):
don't settle.
We never settle on black Friday.
So if you are like in target andyou're holding something, and
you're like, oh, would thisperson like this thing, or is
this exactly what I'm lookingfor for myself?
And you're like waffling, we putit back on the shelf.
We don't buy things that we'rewaffling on.
(09:56):
We buy things that we're like ahundred percent confident, this
is the best deal, or this isexactly what I've been looking
for.
And we do it with confidence.
So if you're waffling, you justmove on
Joy Blue (10:06):
That's fantastic.
Chelsea Pribyl (10:09):
It's probably a good life motto too, but it
works for shopping.
Joy Blue (10:13):
Can you get that tattooed in a waffle somewhere
because you know, don't settle.
Don't waffle.
Chelsea Pribyl (10:19):
I need an introductory tattoo.
So that sounds like a big one.
Joy Blue (10:22):
There you go.
I am in awe of all of this.
How do you plan to use it on thespreadsheet?
Chelsea Pribyl (10:28):
You know, it! It is in a multi tab spreadsheet
that I keep track of and work onall throughout the year.
It's definitely not as elaborateas yours would be.
100%.
You were just working on aspreadsheet for me yesterday and
for something.
And I can't even scratch thesurface of your spreadsheet
(10:48):
wizardry.
But yeah, for me, it's somethingthat lays out all of the people
that we gift give to that'sright...
That we give gifts to all thepeople, the budget for each of
them.
And then any ideas that I havewalking into black Friday about
what they might enjoy, somethingthat I'm looking for for them,
(11:09):
and then a possible store whereI might find it.
So I have a lot of nieces andnephews just to use them as an
example.
I love buying kids stuff.
It's like my favorite categoryof things to buy.
And so all throughout the year,Out and about, and listening to
conversations and seeing thingsonline, and so I'm keeping track
of ideas.
(11:30):
And so I might have five thingslisted for a niece or nephew in
particular, but I'm looking forwhat is the best deal?
How can I stretch my money themost and what can I get my hands
on that day that I think thatthey will really love.
So yeah, the spreadsheet isencompassing all of that.
But then.
(11:50):
Additional tabs in thespreadsheet that get formulated
more on Thanksgiving because youhave to get the paper on
Thanksgiving, or you have to belooking at the ads online and
you're tracking what deals arecoming out just that day before
black Friday, or you're trackingstore hours or, You know,
(12:13):
certain stores say, Hey, we havedeals going until noon.
You know, You have to bephysically in the store in order
to get a certain deal.
So then we're creating lists ofall of those kinds of things.
Stats and store hours and
Joy Blue (12:27):
This is magic.
Chelsea Pribyl (12:29):
it's a process.
Joy Blue (12:31):
I've always known that you do this thing, but like this
conversation is making me reallyhappy because now I know how you
do the thing.
And one of the things that makesme the most happy is learning
how.
And I could almost cry rightnow, I'm so happy.
I know.
It's insane.
It happens.
My eyeballs, just do that.
Chelsea Pribyl (12:47):
They do they water.
Joy Blue (12:49):
you really are thinking about this all year?
Chelsea Pribyl (12:52):
Yeah, it is on my mind all year long, but it's
most intensely on my mind thethree to six months before black
Friday.
So I've tried different tacticsbefore.
Like one year I totally changedit up.
And I said, if I'm out and aboutthe entire year, and I see
something that inspires me forsomeone else, I snag it and I
(13:15):
just hang on to it.
Or if I find really great dealson a set of things, I'm going to
buy them because I'm suresomeone on my list will
appreciate it at Christmas.
But that tripped me up.
I wasn't really anticipating itbecause then I found myself the
week of Thanksgiving going, Ihave a table full of stuff, and
I don't remember who I boughtthem for or how much I spent on
(13:37):
that.
I didn't keep track of thebudget side of it and all that.
It really screwed up the wholeplan.
And so this year by comparison,I haven't bought a thing that I
would put towards a Christmasgift.
And so.
yeah I'm, I'm starting to thinkwho are the people?
What are they into?
Like what would surprise anddelight them to open at
(13:59):
Christmas?
I take a lot of notes, whenpeople are talking to me about
things that they love, orrestaurants that they'd gone to,
that they really enjoy orexperiences that they've had.
So that they spark creativityand curiosity in me when I'm
shopping on black Friday.
Joy Blue (14:14):
It feels a little bit like I just walked into Oz.
And I'm getting just a littlebit of a glimpse of the magic
behind the curtain.
And I both want to know and alsobe like no, no, no, no, no, no,
no.
I don't want to know.
I don't want to know.
I don't want to ruin it.
But I'm going to ask all thequestions.
One of the things I have come toknow about you and appreciate
(14:34):
about you so deeply is that youare such an intentional gift
giver.
And I had no clue until youknow, I was today years old when
I found out that you keep noteson people.
But that makes so much sensebecause everything you've given
me has been incrediblythoughtful and it almost always
makes me want to cry because I'mlike really Chelsea, you did
(14:55):
that.
What?
Stop!?
I love it so much.
And this is just a delightfulpart of your nerdiness and your
intentionality and how you loveyour people.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:06):
Um,
Joy Blue (15:06):
Kills me with goodness.
Yeah.
Also terror because you'remagical at it.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:12):
I am horrible at a lot of things.
So do not be in such awe andwonder, but
Joy Blue (15:19):
It's and wonder, because I'm so bad at it.
Chelsea Pribyl (15:22):
I actually don't think that you're bad at it, but
we can
Joy Blue (15:25):
Comparison is the killer of joy.
But comparatively sure.
Last question.
What is one of your most proudfinds or discoveries
Chelsea Pribyl (15:36):
Oh man.
Definitely not proud of the pinkcake that I gave you when I
first met you.
That was
Joy Blue (15:42):
I'm still so pleased with that cake.
I was, I almost wanted to cryjust because somebody I didn't
know, made me a cake.
Okay.
And that was like one of themost Surprising things that
could have happened.
Because I did not expect peopleat all to see me, understand,
approach me.
And that was one of, that wasone of the first things you ever
(16:05):
did that I was like, holy crap,this girl is different.
I don't understand.
Scared.
Hesitant.
Must be her friend.
Okay.
And here we are.
11 years later.
Chelsea Pribyl (16:17):
Oh my goodness.
That's a really great questionthat I wish I had a wow answer
for.
But to roll a few things intoone quickly I'm always blown
away at the price of Sharpies,which are my favorite thing on
the planet.
on black Friday.
(16:37):
So Sharpies, like they're amust.
Like Ryan just knows.
I always come home with Sharpieson black Friday.
I don't need them, but I wantthem and I love them.
They bring me joy.
So, black Friday's and amazingday to buy luggage.
That's the most adultingsentence I've ever said in my
life, but that week is a greattime to invest in really nice
(16:57):
luggage.
And my sister and I, between thetwo of us, we have bought a
handful of video game consoles.
You know, that's A great day tobuy them for a steal.
And so I'm remembering some ofour most like courageous or most
memorable, very early morningkind of moments on black Friday
(17:22):
of standing in line, beforestores open.
Or being a part of, maybe wewere given like raffle tickets
and you don't know if you'regoing to get one until the very
last minute or just spending allday being on the hunt for a
video game console.
And it's really mostly for ourhusbands.
Like we've been tasked withfinding the right thing.
(17:44):
And so those have been somereally fun memories where you're
on the hunt.
The hunt is part of the fun forCatie and I.
And anytime we're like lookingfor one specific thing, And
you've spent your day, alwayschecking and always looking or
calling stores or visiting fiveof the same store, just to see
if you can find it like ascavenger hunt sort of way of
(18:07):
those are always really fun.
And the only other thing thatcame to mind was the ability to
find a way to give back on blackFriday is always a big part of
what we're doing.
And so, looking for local placesthat are doing food drives, coat
drives, school supply drives,something like that, or their
proceeds give back to otherpeople.
(18:29):
We really get jazzed about beingable to be a part of
organizations like that on sucha day where everybody's shopping
and you're out doing it anyways.
So why not go the extra mile anddo a couple of things for other
people too?
So.
those are Kind of My mostmemorable things.
Sharpies for the win
Joy Blue (18:47):
I, yeah, you say that as I look to my left and I have
an entire lego array that'svertical.
That's built.
That's has Sharpies.
And I think you and I both haveabout the same amount of
Sharpies.
No, you
Chelsea Pribyl (19:02):
the more Sharpies, the better, that whole
thing.
Wasn't Sharpies that I justshowed you, but
Joy Blue (19:07):
I lied, I have one more question.
Chelsea Pribyl (19:09):
Bring it on!
Joy Blue (19:10):
What's your normal timeframe on a black Friday?
What time do you get out?
And what time do you get home?
Chelsea Pribyl (19:14):
Uh, When I was a little bit younger, and a little
bit more flexible and adaptable,we would wake up in the three
o'clock hour and be out in thefour o'clock hour.
Um, There have been years wherewe've started by standing in
line at places and trying to winraffles and get amazing deals.
But as the economy has changed,and as people's method of
(19:36):
shopping has gone more to onlinestores are offering different
things.
And so the demand for all thatearly morning stuff is really
non-existent now.
And so we now get up more in thelike five or six o'clock hour
and just get out and in the sixor seven o'clock hour, like it's
later and a lot easier to rollwith in my 35 year old body.
(19:59):
And so then we go all day.
We literally go totally drop.
So I'm usually coming back homeat 10 o'clock or so at night.
And yeah, I guess that would be15 hours.
16 hours would be prettytypical.
And this last year we countedour stops.
It was something like, I don'tknow, 20 something stores or
(20:22):
restaurants that we stopped atalong the way.
Joy Blue (20:25):
You are magical.
That's why both of us love theimage of the unicorn.
And you got me a sign that saysbe yourself, unless you can be a
unicorn, then always be aunicorn.
Chelsea Pribyl (20:36):
Always
Joy Blue (20:37):
Always.
Thanks for your time, Chelsea.
Chelsea Pribyl (20:40):
anytime.
Joy Blue (20:42):
So here we are.
This was such a fun episode torecord.
Not only because Chelsea is oneof my besties, but also because
she is just so easy to talk withand be with.
And thankfully she loves meenough to not invite me to go
Black Friday shopping with her.
And I'm so grateful for that.
(21:03):
I hope this episode comes inhandy for you as black Friday
and Christmas are right aroundthe corner.
All right.
I've got to know.
What's one of your flavors ofnerd?
How does it show up in yourlife?
This is indeed the part of theshow where I ask you to email me
atherewearethepodcast@gmail.com,
and tell me all about how youlove to nerd out.
(21:24):
And if you want to just talk tome on Facebook or Instagram, you
can do that too.
Check out here we are on both ofthose platforms.
If you're looking to go one stepfurther and financially support
what I'm doing with the podcast,head on over to patreon.com
search for Here We Are thepodcast and sign up for one of
the many quirky support tiersthat I am so proud of.
(21:46):
Until next time.
Don't forget that curiosity winsand the world needs more nerds.
Bye
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