A Blackless Friday

It’s the day after Thanksgiving! Here’s what I won’t be doing:

I’m weeks away from the end of my New Year’s Resolution / No Buy Experiment and I still don’t miss shopping. In fact, I’m thrilled to NOT be participating in the craziness that is Black Friday.

I’ve done it before – freezing while waiting in line at 4 am for the opportunity to spend money. Feeling like I was beating the system when really the system had me just where they wanted me.

This year, the shopping is commencing earlier than ever. Target and Walmart opened at midnight, so by the time you read this blog post, thousands of dollars will have already spent on tons of stuff made in China.

But a deal is a deal, so I get it. A few hours of lost sleep is worth that $200 saved on a flatscreen television.

Here’s another deal that I think sounds great. American Express is promoting Small Business Saturday – another made-up consumer holiday – by offering a $25 credit to anyone who registers their AMEX card and spends $25 at a small business on Saturday, November 26. That’s free money!

I signed up even though I won’t be buying stuff on Saturday, because local restaurants are included on their list of qualified small businesses. Check out the Small Business Saturday Facebook page and register your AMEX card now!

Happy shopping to you all! I'll see you at the stores in the new year...