Black Friday for Shops- Red Friday for Shoppers

All the talk about the next thirty days being do or die for the shops to crawl out of the recession and return seems like another trip to the casino. We, the shoppers will go into the red so the shops can go into the black. What’s so good about that?

We all spend too much money buying gifts for our friends and family- often paying more than they would pay if they actually wanted that particular item- and we artificially pump up the economy by spending our money less wisely against a deadline to check off the list and be done by 12/25. The result is billions of dollars are poured into the economy by the banks, because practically everyone uses credit cards and personal debt skyrockets instead of paying down our credit card bills. We run around like a bunch of drunken sailors spending money we don’t have for the next thirty days. Instead of strengthening our economy we’re increasing our personal debt and sliding back into the bad habits that got into the world’s greatest recession.

Think about what would happen if everyone pledged to spend only the money they have, instead of buying everything on credit cards. We’d spend a lot less, everyone would get something, the thoughtfulness would still be conveyed, and on December 26th no one would be in more debt than they were on Thanksgiving.
People who take the time to find a thoughtful gift that’s within their means have to work a lot harder. It’s easy to impress people with an expensive gift, but much harder if you stay within your means. We have to shop and shop, fight crowds and traffic to hunt down that perfect, yet affordable gift.

We could make more of our gifts. We all talk about doing this, but time and other conflicts seem to get in the way.You might bake, knit, make a craft, paint… Who doesn’t treasure a labor of love, made just for you, by someone who was thinking of you the whole time they made it. I received a beautiful homemade cribbage board and some other very thoughtful homemade gifts over the years. They’re my most treasured gifts.

As we claw our way out of the recession wouldn’t it be comforting to say no to more debt, let the stores stay in the red, and really get ourselves into the black and enjoy the holidays?