Feel the Darkness (Black Friday is Already Here.)

Picture courtesy of therecessionista.com

The Business of Life is… finding shortcuts, saving time, saving your sanity above all.

Can you feel it?

By God, I say batten down the hatches kiddies, as the Holidays (Xmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and I’ll throw in Festivus) are upon us even before their… um…err… suppose to be.

This economy has brought out the gauche in retailers looking at the all mighty bottom line, and this week, two weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw… brace yourselves… Christmas decorations up.  It was a huge OMG! because they were obnoxiously in your face.  Actually, it was embarrassing.  For them.  For me.

Really.

I mean, there is an unwritten treatise between us and retailers — you know the drill, they know the drill.  It would seem this year they’ve lost their composure and let’er rip and threw up (in more ways than one) the holiday decor before the unofficial treatise date of Friday. Black Friday to be specific.  As if somehow I’d spend more money, earlier, because they are that much more in the Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa or Festivus) spirit (but I really mean Christmas because you no matter how they disguise it that what they mean too) than other less holy establishments.

My plan?

Screw’em.

I’m going online, shopping before (can anyone say June?) and I’m 80% done by this Friday.  I shop local small shops and boutiques, or Amazon.com (thank GOD for PRIME) and it’s done. No panic, no stress.

Thank you very much and I’ll take my martini straight up with a twist of smug.

I’m also going for the novel approach of giving less this year.  My children usually ask for 3 things and maybe get 1 or 2, this year they’re asking for one less and donating their other “wish” to a solider in fighting abroad.  They don’t need it, and if they’re going to get far more by sending that soldier a gift than ANYTHING I could have bought.

So Black Friday what?

I’ll be playing with my kids.