Black Friday reboot
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”-Will Rogers
Is anyone home to read this or is the whole world out shopping? Shucks, my teenaged nephew went shopping with one of his uncles at 9 pm last night. This nephew of mine professes that he’s really not even fond of people. Trust me, I’ve walked across the Brooklyn Bridge with this kid and he really finds crowds to be, well, just a bunch of people in his way. So, frankly, I can’t wrap my head around why on Earth he’d leave the warmth of his couch to go Black Friday shopping before it’s even Friday.
Statistics show, however, that women and young people make up the majority of Black Friday shoppers. This is one of those time when the men of the world are really having the last laugh; all cozied up in their after-Thanksgiving comas on the couch or putting lights on the house. That gets my vote over charging the stores to save a few bucks any day of the year.
Ironically, I’ve read that Black Friday shoppers do not save money. In fact, the earlier a person shops, the more likely they are to spend over and above the people who shop Dec 8-14 every year. We did our shopping already. Maybe we should heed this advise and shop a little later next year.
I understand the philosophy behind this, though. Shop early but, then, you’re still wandering in and out of stores for groceries up until Christmas. You’re still seeing great ads on t.v. and in the newspaper until Christmas. Your mind is whirling with all the ‘savings’ available, questioning yourself. “Maybe I should buy that gizmo for our neighbor” or “Maybe I should grab a few of those for extra stocking stuffers” or “I wasn’t going to exchange with co-workers but that’s such a good deal, I should buy some of those for the office.”
Be ruthless people. No one’s saving for your retirement, vacation and/or mortgage payment except you. Make a list of who you want to buy for, assign a dollar amount to each person and stick to it from Nov 28-Dec 31. You will be so glad come January when the credit card bills trickle in.
It’s like the old saying on your death bed of not wishing you’d spent more time at the office. You will not be sitting in the living room on Jan 20, 2014 saying “I wish I’d spent more money on holiday gifts in 2013. I think I’ll plan to spend more in 2014.” Come on, doesn’t reading that just sound silly?
Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.