Beware Black Friday ‘Deals’

November 23, 2018

As we see the full retail advertising onslaught and stores open ridiculously early for Black Friday (some are even opening on Thanksgiving Day now, which I find appalling), please try to remember a couple of things:

1) This is the time of year when emotions can override logic and overspending can occur. I have spoken with countless people who end up with a sizeable chunk of credit card debt because of holiday spending. Go into the shopping season with a list (wow, I’m becoming my mother!) of who you are buying gifts for and set a budgetary target. Then, stick to those targets. Those Black Friday “deals” may not seem like such a deal if they have 19.9% interest tacked on to the balance next summer.

2) The people in your life, if they are anything like me, will be happier to spend time with you than they are with any gift that you might buy. I’d wager that if you think back over the last several years, you probably can’t remember what you bought for each person on your list or what they bought for you. It’s a season of friends, family and togetherness – not retail profits.

Drink some cocoa, enjoy your friends and family – and have a safe, fun, and financially secure holiday season.