Will you be boycotting Black Friday?

We talk a lot about the trials and travails of navigating the financial burdens of Black Friday: the day after Thanksgiving when most major retailers open early and often to officially kick off the seasonal shopping season exceptional prices to encourage cost-conscious consumers to head to their stores for the impending holiday purchases. But this year, with stores vying for shoppers with even earlier openings at midnight, lines are blurring between the holidays and the holiday shopping season, much to the chagrin of retail employees and an American public frustrated with big business interests on Wall Street and its impact on families on Main Street. In fact, according to The Huffington Post, “More than 15,000 people have signed a petition at Change.org asking Target not to open at midnight on Thanksgiving as planned and to open at 5 a.m. on Friday instead to allow workers to spend more time with their families. Anthony Hardwick, an Omaha, Nebraska-based Target employee, said he started the petition because asking workers to arrive at the store no later than 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving day would cut into the time they have to celebrate the holiday with family.” Target isn’t the only company cutting into the holiday as they slash prices. Major retailers like Macys and Walmart are also getting into the business of expanding the Black Friday sales, with the latter store opening at 10 PM on Thanksgiving day. But, according to HuffPost, the stores could experience an unexpected backlash from shoppers. “Some consumers say they may not take advantage of Black Friday sales in part in an effort to protest retailers' decisions to make their employees work on part of Thanksgiving, according to The New York Times. For others, being in line when the sales start on Thanksgiving Day will cut too much into their own family time.” So whether you buy up all of the bargains over the Thanksgiving holidays or acted as an anti-consumer, there are lessons to be learned from Black Friday vs. boycotting Black Friday debate. On the one hand, American consumerism drives our economy and yes, with a better economy we see increased growth, greater purchasing power, and more room for hiring and job growth. And less unemployment coming out of years of near double-digit rates could be a great holiday gift for us all. Yet, as millions prepare to stand in line for hours at major retail outlets just to take home more stuff, we also see just as many bringing home more debt. And with just as many shoppers in 2010 Black Friday buying frenzies as folks who have filed for bankruptcy this year, it’s easy to see the correlation between spending for the season and boycotting senseless buying practices. Nevertheless, this blog isn’t all about “Bah Humbug.” As we’ve said before, consumerism need not break the bank. In fact, taking advantage of extreme deals during this holiday season can be a great way to replace that leaky refrigerator, get that spiffy new interview suit for a better job hunt, or even to enable you to make more home improvements with new tools or supplies without the safety net of equity loans. But be careful. Black Friday comes at no better time, as we quickly learn the day before from the Thanksgiving dinner table to the belt-loosening on the couch: moderation in all things can be essential to feeling good about oneself And remember, if you are having trouble dealing with debts from Black Friday’s past, present or future, it may be time to join the millions of Americans who are already bankruptcy bound. The bankruptcy professionals at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt offer a totally FREE debt consultation and now, more than ever, it may be time to take them up on their offer. Just call toll free to +1-833-627-0115, or find them online at www.billsbills.com. Simply click on the yellow “FREE Consultation Now” button.