How Atlanta Families Can Give Thanks for Saving Money This Thanksgiving
What's your perfect Thanksgiving? Is it hanging out with family and friends and having your fill of turkey, stuffing and Grandma's famous candied yams? Or is it plotting your Black Friday shopping spree?
Americans are increasingly choosing the latter, say Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys. For the first time, many big box stores aren't even waiting until Friday to unveil their holiday sales - they're opening their doors today. It seems the day that used to be about giving thanks is now about Christmas consumerism. At a time when many folks can barely handle paying the mortgage, it's a costly trend. And it's not just our bank accounts that will suffer.
Sears is open from 7 a.m. to noon today. Wal-Mart is open 24 hours. And in case you want to wait until the table is cleared to do your shopping, you can still get an early start by lining up at Toys "R" Us at midnight. It seems that retailers have taken a perfectly meaningful holiday and turned it into a way to spend money we don't have. But it's not too late - we can take back Turkey Day.
No matter what the advertisements say, there's no sales price low enough to make it worthwhile to buy something you don't really need - or can't afford. The kind of items that are most heavily advertised - appliances, flat-screen TVs, fancy cell phones and trendy toys - are things that we either already have or have been making do just fine without. And when it comes to Christmas gifts, most people aren't expecting big-ticket gifts. In fact, even though it sounds cheesy, sometimes it's the handmade and heartfelt gifts that mean the most - things like homemade treats or a lovingly crafted scrapbook.
Think of it this way. You can spend the rest of the week - heck, the rest of the holiday season - thinking about how to buy things you don't have. Or you can spend it giving thanks for what you do have - be it a steady job, good health, food to eat or a roof over your head - while also saving money.
That said, we all need to have some spending money. If you've got so much debt that you have to choose between buying groceries or paying your mortgage, something's got to give - and bankruptcy might be the answer. Millions of folks have found financial relief by filing for bankruptcy. Find out for free if bankruptcy could be the solution you've been waiting for when you try a complimentary personal debt analysis with an Atlanta bankruptcy attorney. Look at it as one more thing to be thankful for - a fresh financial start.