2 Black Friday Purchases I Regret Making -- and 2 That I Don't

Clearly, my Black Friday experience was a bit of a mixed bag.

Some people set their alarms for the crack of dawn the Friday after Thanksgiving in an attempt to hit the stores as soon as they open and scoop up doorbuster deals. That's not my jam at all.

To me, Black Friday is for sleeping late (or as late as my children and dog will allow for), lounging around in pajamas, and enjoying leftover baked goods for breakfast (I've learned that corn muffins go surprisingly well with coffee). And so the last thing you'll find me doing that day is battling crowds at my local big-box store in an attempt to snag some bargains.

But that doesn't mean I'm opposed to online shopping on Black Friday. And this year, I did my share of it from the comfort of home.

Now the good news is that I made a couple of purchases I'm really happy about. But I also made a couple I now regret.

Purchase No. 1 I regret: New snow boots

The snow boots I own have seen better days, so when I saw a cute pair on sale for $45 (marked down from almost $100), I decided to whip out my credit card and buy them. The problem? I bought them from a discount site that charges a massive restocking fee for returned items.

Meanwhile, those boots haven't even arrived at my door as of this writing, but I already fear I won't have much of a need for them. Although my current boots aren't in the best shape, they're still fine. Do they look great? No. But will people be staring at my feet on those days when we're all forced to wade through snow to pick up our kids from school? Probably not.

So all told, this is one purchase I probably could've skipped. And since I'm looking at a restocking fee that's roughly 30% of the cost of the boots, I figure at this point I'll just keep them.

Purchase No. 2 I regret: A new sweater that's similar to one I already own

I'm big on staying warm, so when I saw a nice chunky sweater marked down from $45 to $22, I decided to go for it. The problem? Once I unpacked it, tried it on, and cut off the tags, I realized it's very similar to a sweater I already own. Granted, there are subtle differences in the color and stitch pattern. But now I feel like I wasted my money by purchasing something so comparable to an existing piece of clothing of mine.

Purchase No. 1 I'm happy with: A new printer

As someone who works from home, a printer is something I need. Call me old school, but I sometimes like to print out lists or outlines and see them in front of me on paper rather than on screen.

Meanwhile, my old printer had been giving me trouble, so when I saw a new one on sale for about 40% off its usual price, I pounced. And now, I can print all the documents I want without having to deal with errors and smudged ink.

Purchase No. 2 I'm happy with: Sports-branded gear for my son

My son is at an age where it's hard to buy him gifts. He's too old to really play with toys, but he's not old enough to go places on his own -- so things like movie theater gift cards aren't the best gift, either.

What my son does love is sports. So I wanted to get him some branded gear from his favorite hockey team.

The problem is that branded gear tends to be expensive. But I took advantage of some 30% off specials and bought items that went from being ridiculously overpriced to only moderately overpriced.

All told, what I spent on those branded t-shirts is more than what I'd normally spend on kids' attire. But since this is the one physical gift I plan to hand over (we mostly do experience gifts in our family), I figure it's worth it.

All told, I had my share of wins on Black Friday, but there are a couple of purchases I wish I hadn't made. Thankfully, I had budgeted ahead of time for Black Friday shopping, so nothing I bought will result in debt. And now, I know to be a little more judicious with my spending the next time a major shopping event rolls around.