10
Black Friday Freebies Aren't Free
![Hundreds of shoppers wait in the dark outside a Toys"R"Us in Fort Worth, Texas, for the start of the Black Friday sales.](https://cdn.hswstatic.com/gif/stores-dont-want-know-2.jpg "Hundreds of shoppers wait in the dark outside a Toys"R"Us in Fort Worth, Texas, for the start of the Black Friday sales.")
Hundreds of shoppers wait in the dark outside a Toys"R"Us in Fort Worth, Texas, for the start of the Black Friday sales.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
If you suspect everyone (but you) is getting up at 4 a.m. to score freebies the Friday after Thanksgiving, you may be right. An estimated 195 million Americans do make Black Friday a part of their holiday tradition. But it turns out those no-cost doorbusters that lure customers into camping overnight in store parking lots are about as elusive as a rooftop Santa sighting. They simply aren't free. Sure, you can get a "free" gift card or "free" dryer, but you have to purchase a certain dollar amount or a specific product first. We're sure there are a few good deals to snap up, but it's clear retailers are still making a profit, so don't count on any handouts -- unless you're willing to pay up.
