Musings of an Info-Geek: Stop the Insanity: Don't Participate in Black Friday

Musings of an Info-Geek

Observations on Technical Writing, Knowledge Management, and Content Development amid life in Austin TX

Jennifer A Brown
Instructional Designer/Technical Communicator delivering accessible and re-useable knowledge and process content to improve workplace performance.

Essentially I eliminate the frustration of time lost in ramp-up and rework through creating and streamlining knowledge, process and training content. In other words, I like to get my hands dirty with information to make other people's work lives easier. Member STC, ASTD.

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Musings of an Info-Geek: Stop the Insanity: Don't Participate in Black Friday

Stop the Insanity: Don't Participate in Black Friday

Unless Black Friday "doorbuster" deals are the only way you'll be able to get a few, select gifts for your nearest and dearest this holiday season, consider staying home.

And consider watching What Would Jesus Buy?, a documentary about the Shopocalypse, the end time according to Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. While Billy and his band of merry rebels outrageously target big corporations, the sentiment is very real.

Instead of going into deeper debt and buying too much stuff for those you love and those you think you'd lose face over if you didn't shop for, pledge to scale back. Limit the gifting to the nearest and dearest and don't fall into the trap of giving to everyone because It's Just How It's Done.

Are you one of those people who go into debt over it? I know one person who borrowed nearly a thousand dollars from family to do black Friday, and they had trouble keeping up with car repairs before that. It's insane. Here are some statistics from creditcard.com to back it up:

The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortages, according to Experian. (Source: U.S. News and World Report, "The End of Credit Card Consumerism," August 2008)

76 percent of undergraduates have credit cards, and the average undergrad has $2,200 in credit card debt. (Source: Nellie Mae, "Undergraduate Students and Credit Cards in 2004: An Analysis of Usage Rates and Trends.")

National average credit card debt per credit card borrower is $1,673. (Source: TransUnion, June 2008)

You don't have to buy something for everyone you know. You don't have to spend a grand on each kid for them to have a grand Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year). Give gifts that really matter, and help teach your kids to value meaningful gifts, not the sense of entitlement to the best and most, with the accompanying sense of inadequacy when that ever higher watermark isn't obliterated.

Is it really necessary to make retail workers start work before 5am, 4am, and even midnight just to get that great sale? Is it really worth it? How many of those folks are able to work full time enough to reap benefits of the sleep deprivation?

If you absolutely have to do it, don't get caught up in deals for something you don't need, and don't really want, mkay?