Boycott Black Friday

This is my worst nightmare

I have never shopped on Black Friday, and I've never been a fan of this "holiday," but this year I am extra super mad at retail giants and am not only not shopping myself, but actually asking that other people do the same.  I'm not going to just ask and hope that you heed me because you like me though, I'm going to give good reasons as well.

1. Store are opening this year earlier than ever before.  In fact, many stores are not even waiting until it's technically Friday, they're opening up Thanksgiving night.  Employees of these stores won't even have a Thanksgiving holiday.

2. Black Friday is dangerous. Maybe deaths and paralyzations will be down this year if the stores are open longer hours, but it seems unlikely.  Here's a list of the 13 Most Brutal Black Friday Deaths or Injuries.  I love a deal, believe me, but I would rather spend a little more money and potentially not get trampled to death by a bargain-savvy mob.

3. It supposed to be about family.  People get together over the holidays presumably because they love their families and want to spend time with them.  Why not just do that instead of staying up late/getting up early to hang out in a crowded store?  Play a board game, watch some movies, bring some distractions along when you go to your parents house and if you really need to get away from them for the sake of your own sanity, go for a walk.  Also, making people work on the holiday, whether by actually making them work or by appealing to financial need, shows disregard for their families.  I've worked in retail my whole working life, and often these holidays are the only days off that some people get at the same time as other people.  Retail workers frequently work long and scattered hours, especially during the holidays, and while the money is nice, sometimes you just want and need a day off.  Everyone should have that option.

4. Are you even buying stuff you want, or are you just buying it because it's a good deal?  Sure, it sounds great to pay less for a laptop or a plasma tv, but is it something that you actually need?  If it is, couldn't your money better be spent by getting a higher quality version of the same thing?  I'm awfully suspicious of a $200 laptop, and honestly can't believe that it's really a decent machine that's going to last or work well.  If you're buying it as a gift for someone, why do you need to buy something so elaborate?  Even at $200, that's an overly generous gift, and the recipiant would probably (read: should) be just as happy with something less expensive.  After all, it still should be the thought that counts.

This year, all the gifts I buy are going to come from local merchants, even though I may pay a little more for them.  On Black Friday, I plan to sleep in, go for a long run and then curl up with a book and my cat.  After that, I'm going to head down to the Rhode Island Statehouse, where there is a coat exchange taking place for most of the day.  Please Boycott Black Friday with me, and hopefully retail workers can get their holiday back.  There's also a petition at change.org http://www.change.org/petitions/target-take-the-high-road-and-save-thanksgiving asking Target stores to take the high road and save Thanksgiving for everyone.

Foodstuffs Challenge

A friend posted on her blog recently that she's dismayed that she and her husband spend $120 per month on groceries.  This figure absolutely blew me away and all I could respond with was something along the lines of "I wish we only spend $120 a month!" Prior to the implementation of the shared household credit card, I had budgeted for $200 a month for food.  That did include eating out, but as I rarely do that, it wasn't much of a factor.  Now that we have the shared card, I've noticed that we're consistently going up to and sometimes over (though a lot of that had to do with replacing a fridge worth of food) that $300 a month.  It seems completely bonkers that we're spending that much, but the credit card statement doesn't lie--I checked.

Since losing all our dry goods to the pantry moths and all our fridge and freezer goods to Tropical Storm Irene, I feel like I've really reigned in the grocery shopping.  We don't have a huge backstock of items, the freezer is emptier than ever before and the fridge is mostly full of good, home-made leftovers--so where the hell is all my money going?

I use coupons for the items I purchase frequently--yogurt, some frozen pizza; I buy store brands far more frequently than name brands and I don't buy soda (except bf has a ginger ale habit), and I spend a fair amount of time at the discount/remaindered stores i.e. Big Lots and Ocean State Job Lot (where I just got a great deal on almonds!).  For the month of November, I'm going to pay closer attention to where exactly the money is going.  I'm going to scrutinize the receipts, and try to trim the fat, so to speak.  According to my mint.com records, I went to the grocery October 6 and October 21 and spent ~$120 each time plus there was a $63 trip to Trader Joe's that was mostly coffee.  Maybe this month is an anomaly?  I certainly don't buy coffee every month and I'm set for the next three, so maybe November will not be so bad.

Either way, I'm not getting down to $120 any time soon, but if I really analyze my bills, maybe I can figure out a  way to save on the items that are putting me over the edge.  Should be fun, right?

But are the deals worth it?

I get a lot of email and blog updates on various deals floating around the internet. I used to get Shop it to Me alerts sent directly to my email, I get Groupon, Target daily deals and now Buy With Me which is kind of like Groupon. I'm certainly thrilled to have the option of getting great deals and discounts, but I'm also starting to wonder if knowing about these deals makes me spend more than I otherwise would-- I wonder if I'm buying more just for the savings.

If that is the case, it wouldn't be the first time I've been suckered by a good deal, but if it is a genuinely good deal on something I'd buy anyway--is it really a bad thing to spend?

Recently, I stumbled across a deal with Buy.com where you get a travel cosmetics case that includes a Burts Bees lip gloss and small lotion, a sleep mask, a travel toothbrush and toothpaste, plus a couple other small items all for $5. The lip gloss alone costs over a dollar and then case was a good, small size perfect for overnight trips where you don't want to pack too much. Plus, I've been wanting a travel toothbrush as well. All told, it was a very good value for the items, so I bought two.

By the time it arrived and I actually looked at it, I was kind of baffled as to why I thought I needed it in the first place--especially why I thought I needed two. Cost breakdownwise, it was good value, but does that make it actually worth it?

This is what I struggle with the most. I don't really need anything, but occasionally there are things that I...need, and I'd like to get a good deal on them. When I was in the throes of my summer of underemployment, I got some great deals on contact lens solution, food, shampoo etc., but did I really need to spend so much money when I had next-to-no income?

I'm aware of this issue, and just being aware is step one, but it's just so hard to decide which is the best deal in terms of what price I'm paying and what I actually do need. I could unsubscribe to these lists and remove the temptation completely the same way I avoid stores when I'm trying not to spend money, or I could exercise more restraint. Usually my strategy is to sleep on things, and if I still want the item later, then I go buy it, but I can't really do that with Groupon since you only have 24 hours to get the deal.

That's how they get you.

I don't have the answer for this one, and I think the only thing I can do is be more discerning, which is a challenge. It never gets easier because there's always a new way to spend, but at least I'm trying.

Ebates, you are my favorite friend

I discovered Ebates a while ago, and can honestly say that it's the greatest thing since online shopping was invented. How it works:

1. Register for free with Ebates.com
2. When you online shop at certain stores, log into Ebates first so they can track your purchases
3. Buy stuff you would anyway, and get a percentage of that money back from Ebates

That's it. Take your money to the bank and feel like you got away with something.

I haven't used Ebates a ton, because I don't buy a ton of stuff, but I recently replaced my cell phone, and it was pretty awesome.

I hate cell phone salesmen--they seem to be the last holdout of the "aggressive salesman" model, at least among people that I have to deal with semi-regularly. Two years ago, when my previous cell phone died, I went to the kiosk in the mall to buy a replacement battery, and got sold a whole new phone. The new phone was a total lemon and for two years I hated it and the man who sold it to me. He also failed to mention that there would be all kinds of fees for changing phones, that the service provider I have basically doesn't stand behind their products and won't help you out if you get sold a lemon of a phone and generally made me feel very uncomfortable.

This time around, I did lots of web-based research, and found the phone I wanted. Because My contract was up, the phone was free, and because I bought it through Ebates, I got back $15. The money was delivered right into my paypal, no muss no fuss, and all for something I had to buy anyway.

I also recently found out that you can purchase Groupons through Ebates-- so you're basically getting cash back for buying a pre-paid great deal on something. Does that even make sense? For example: This past weekend's Groupon in my area is for a 51% discount on the Amica Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5k. This fills me with rage because I've already registered for that race and not gotten 51% off, but no matter. If I were registering for the 1/2 marathon using a Groupon, I would already be paying only $30 instead of $60, but if I did it through Ebates, I'd save another 6%, or in this case $1.80. That's not a ton of money, but it's savings, and takes very little time to get.

I love Ebates.