Black Friday or "Buy Nothing Day"

One of my previous blogs reported an extensive research study commissioned by The Wall Street Journal that found Black Friday prices were not worth getting up early, fighting the crowds and getting sucked into buying way too many "made in China" goods that will quickly end up in the landfill. Basically the study reported that only some prices are lowest on that day and often only for very limited quantities of products.See the October 8 blog post "Myth of the Black Friday Deal."
Consider instead the international "Buy Nothing Day" movement to encourage consumers to buy more responsibly, to buy locally produced goods, and to support local artists and cultural performances. "Buy Nothing Day is your special day to unshop, unspend and unwind. Relax and do nothing for the economy and for yourself - at least for a single day." See: http://www.buynothingday.org/ Now that Black Friday is encroaching on Thanksgiving Day, consider the workers who are forced to leave their families to work in retail or lose their jobs. Sure, our economy needs a boost but shopping on Thanksgiving or participating in the Black Friday frenzy is not the answer.Check out Arlo and Janis: http://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2010/11/26

The Myth of the Black Friday Deal

According to the October 8, 2012 Wall Street Journal, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), is rarely the time to score good deals on holiday gifts. “You’re probably wasting your time” getting up early to brave the cold and crowds. Based on research that followed prices for at least 2 years, the report reveals that jewelry, watches, big screen TVs, popular toys, and other “hot” items get more expensive from September to December, while appliances and other items get cheaper.  Leading up to the holidays, September and October are often the best months to buy.  While stores offer Black Friday deep discounts on some select items as “loss leaders” to get buyers in their stores, often quantities are limited, making it hard to score a deal. So carefully plan your holiday shopping budget today and start shopping for those “hot” items.  Enjoy a good nights’ sleep and avoid the hysteria of Black Friday crowds.  With more stores offering layaway, consider that option for making sensible purchases that fit your budget and don’t incur credit card interest.  Read the details:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443615804578042700772445448.html?mod=ITP_marketplace_0

Before you spend all that money on Black Friday...

Will you really "save" money by spending?

Do you really need to give gifts to all the people on your list? Or might you honor them by donating to their favorite charity or with tickets to a play or concert?

Is it time to start teaching your (grand)children about giving (especially on Thanksgiving)?

Do any of us need more clutter in our house? We are getting new floors in our house so all the furniture (and most of the stuff in closets) needed to be moved into the garage or from room to room as the work progressed. As part of the process my husband and I have been getting rid of STUFF! Some will go to Somebody's Attic thrift shop (couch and double bed with frame) but a lot of little stuff will go into the trash where it should have gone long ago.

"It's time to say goodbye to all that stuff" Jane Brody recently wrote in the New York Times. Brody refers to a new book “The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life” (published Tuesday by Rodale Books) by Robin Zasio, a clinical psychologist and a star of the show “Hoarders.” If you need motivation to clean out excess stuff and to reduce your gift buying, read Brody's article.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Arlo & Janis on "Black Friday"

In case you missed the Arlo & Janis (by Jimmy Johnson) comic strip on "Black Friday":

Arlo: "It's 'Black Friday,' the most profitable day of the year."

Arlo: "They say our spending is vital to the economy, especially the stock market." 

Arlo: "They're only telling half the story!"

In the background Janis is digging into her purse as she prepares to go shopping...

Arlo: "It's 'Red Friday' for most of us!"

See it in color at: http://comics.com/arlo&janis/2010-11-26/

Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day? You decide

The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally one of he biggest shopping days of the year, complete with news stories of predawn shoppers lining up in the cold. (Remember the trampling death at Walmart a few years ago?)

The alternative is "Buy Nothing Day," http://www.buynothingday.org/ an international day of protest against rampant, run-wild consumerism. Two years after the September 2008 world financial meltdown, the Global Financial Crisis drags on and the U.S. is still mired in (the aftermath of) the worst recession since the Great Depression. Although the National Bureau of Economic Research has declared the official end to the US recession, unemployment remains high (nearly 10%) and the foreclosure rate in Utah is still going up (note the appalling number of Legal Notices (a.k.a. foreclosures) in the newspaper.

With Thanksgiving ("the forgotten holiday") upon us, and Friday the beginning of the holiday shopping season, now is a good time to take a deep breath and reflect on what is really important to you. Some of us did much of our shopping at the Alternative Gift Market in Logan. It's never too late to give a meaningful gift to help the world (and reduce the pressure on the local landfill). Check out http://www.altgifts.org/. In Northern Utah shop at: Global Village Gifts, 146 North 100 East, Logan, UT 84321-4610; (435) 713-4347 http://www.globalvillagegifts.org/. "Global Village Gifts is a non-profit shop in Logan that supports struggling artisans in developing countries by selling their fairly-traded handicrafts."
Don't forget Logan's Gallery Walk from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fri. Dec 03, 2010. Buy locally!

Yes, the economy depends on consumer spending to get back on track and create jobs but consider giving tickets to a music or dance performance, pump your $ into the local economy rather than buying this year's hot gift made in China. For a great deal on last year's hot gifts, just check E-bay.

Other gift ideas: 2 books by Greg Mortenson who is fighting the Taliban by building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Books, not bombs! His first book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School At A Time, is an inspirational worldwide best seller and mandatory reading for all Army Special Forces. I just finished reading his second book, Stones into Schools, and highly recommend it. Both books make great gifts for women and men.If you and your family and friends have already read both books, consider making donations to the Central Asia Institute http://www.ikat.org/ in the name of a loved one. (Check the website to learn about ikat). Greg is speaking at Weber State October 1, 2011... but it's already sold out. I guess I'll have to wait for the movie which is surely coming (Sundance 2012??). 

Three Cups of Tea is also available in a young readers edition: Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World…One Child at a Time.

"Listen to the Wind, the children’s book, is told in the voice of Korphe’s children, and illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world while sharing a riveting example of how one person can change thousands of lives. Visit www.threecupsoftea.com for more information."

Also check out Pennies for Peace, "an international service-learning program," for kids
http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

Happy holidays!