Black Friday Frenzy

We`re coming upon another Thanksgiving week (for my U.S. friends and family). That means Black Friday is fast approaching, and the consumer frenzy is about to begin. I have to admit that I am a relative newbie when it comes to Black Friday.  When I started dating my husband, I quickly figured out how big a deal it is in the U.S. My stepson scours the Black Friday ads online starting a couple weeks before. Then, he gets up in the middle of the night (usually 2am) and gets in line at his preferred stores (often Best Buy and Walmart) and gets the door crasher type items. I must admit, I was kind of mystified by this annual shopping holiday. Here in Canada, we have no equivalent day. I have seen a couple retailers here and there try to emulate the Black Friday phenomenon, but it really has not caught on.
I must admit, looking at some of the advertisements, it really gets tempting. I have seen some really, really good deals, especially on toys and electronics equipment. It definitely makes me want to part with some of my hard-earned money, and I guess that`s really the point. Consumers need that temptation, that little push, to open up their wallets and spend some money on Christmas gifts. In a recession tinged  year such as 2010 this has never been more true. However, it also encourages me (and a lot of others, I suspect) to sink deeper into consumer debt. I can definitely imagine having that rush, scoring that one thing I wanted to buy for 50-70% off retail. However, that rush would soon turn to guilt, watching my credit card bills climb, something that I definitely don`t want to do this year. So I guess I will be sitting out Black Friday this year, sigh.