How will you make the most of Black Friday?

It's mostly retail hype and the deals aren't that great. The crowds are ridiculous and rude. You couldn't drag me out of the house for that madness.

I notice most of the answers are in the "Are you kidding?" column, and yet the stores are mobbed. How does that work?

I'll be standing in lines at 5am outside Walmart - then going to work from 9 to 6 - great holiday, huh?

I'll be home sleeping at that time of the morning, like a 'sane' person and enjoying my day off from work.   Oh.., and eating leftover turkey and all of the trimmings.   Mike in Montana

This year, my family has made a decision to have a small christmas. I would rather stay home and enjoy my family. There are no great deals that we feel that we need. We are very content with what we have. Happy Holidays to all!

I am unemployed for the first time in my adult life. I finally realize shopping and buying detract from the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I will be spending time with famliy, thankful for the important things, such as our health, each other, and a country that allows us to worship in the manner of our own choosing.

For the first time in my adult life I am unemployed. I can come to realize that shopping and buying presents tend to detract from the true spirit of the holidays. I will be spending time with family giving thanks we have each other, our health, and live in a country that allows us to practice the religion of our choice.

I've finished shopping for the kids, online, everything will be delivered to the door. Sleeping in on Friday, will read a book and play with the Grandkids. Now THAT is a holiday weekend.

Having worked retail in the past,,,most raise their prices in September in anticipation of "lowering" them in November...All Marketing, All a legal scam... So I stay away from the stores and do my shopping when the true, honest, and real, sales take place... But the suckers will be out in force tomorrow spending money like water and if they had been smart, they would have gotta twice as much for half the price.... But you won't know that, for the Media is at it's most dishonest at this time of year,,cranking in all those advertising dollars....Even the Weatherman/girl gets invovled and kind of holds back should the weather be frightful..... I hate Marketing Maggots more than I hate Demoncrats, for they bring us both,,,Phoney Sales and Demoncrats...

The deals are just not that good anyways.

This message is directed at the truly middle class workers out there. You know who you are. You've managed to evade unemployment (My apologizes for those of you who are out of work but have rainy day funds enough to get by. You've joined the ranks of the poor, but your wallet doesn't know it yet.) You drive a car that could be repossessed at a moment's notice if you missed a payment, and you live in a house that is likely worth quite a bit less than you paid for it.

Now I want you all to consider the consequences of what you may or may not be doing this holiday season. Because if you are planning to acquiesce to the "spirit of the season" and go out and spend money you don't have, on things neither you or your family need when you could very well have some financial emergency to tend to in 2010, please think again. The financial leaders of this nation need a good loud wake-up call. The stock market is already inflating a brand new asset bubble and it needs to be popped before things get much further out of hand. The ONLY way this will happen is if you and the rest of those who are tenuously holding on to a slippery spot on the great southerly moving ice burgh that is middle class America snap your wallet shut and just say "no." No to the "doorbusters", no to the"sales," no to the silly jewelry commercials, and no to the "bargain" big screen TV.

I know, some of you are thinking, "but the little ones, it's Xmas!" Fine, grab a few cheap toys off the shelves at Big Lots (didn't we used to call these stores the "5 & dime"?) and put'em under the tree if you must. If they are old enough to complain, they are old enough to remember that you've probably given them anything they want or need over the course of the year anyway. Hell, if you really think about it, Xmas hasn't been a big deal for kid's personal economy since the first Starbucks opened up in your neighborhood.

The fact is, its time to scare the manure out of the hedge fund managers and the rest of the elite investment community in this country. Let them know that unemployment of 10.2% (20% if you omit the fuzzy math used by Washington) means no profits (holiday or otherwise) for ANYONE. They need to realize very quickly that they have pushed the economic tachometer so far into the red that they had better do some preemptive hiring to keep the whole thing from blowing up. BUSINESS NEEDS EMPLOYED CUSTOMERS. And they need to understand that right now. And I mean THIS YEAR. Because if we passively go about our usual routine spending money we don't have and "making the best of the holidays", they'll have bridge-profits to last until the Chinese middle class really gets moving. Once that happens, they won't need you at all. THEY won't need you at all. They won't need you or ANY middle class American consumer at all. After all, why pander to an American workforce who wants outrageous things like health care, a living wage, overtime, OSHA protections and all the rest of those worker benefits, when they can have CHINESE MIDDLE CLASS CONSUMERS who will still be cowering under the fear of their government but willing to buy cars and TV's and iPODS from the big multinational companies that really own this world.

Now some of you are going to say, "but without consumer spending even more jobs will be lost!" But the reality is that once the people who control the finances of the world take a step to the edge of economic collapse and look into its ugly gaping maw, they'll pull back. Hedge fund managers are COWARDS. Bankers are COWARDS. Hey if you don't believe me just try to get a mortgage or any other kind of credit today. They'll take one look at the prospect of no big bonus, or worse yet, a stock market loss and say "no way!

However, if we let them think that this country has adapted to their "new normal" of sky-high unemployment and frozen or falling wages and benefits, then that as they say, will pretty much be that for middle class America. Your employer will own you even more than they already do. And you won't make so much as a peep if your company raises your health insurance premiums, cuts your wages or eliminates your 401k matching. In fact, you'll happily do the work of three people while humming the company jingle. Because you will just be happy to have a job. And that will be your legacy, and the legacy of your children for as far as the eye can see.

So put away that cash, you're going to need it next year for sure anyway. And remember, Xmas may come but once a year, but economic tyranny can last a lifetime.

"It's called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it"

I stay away from all retail stores as much as possible and shop city-local, state-local, Mom and Pop. I believe in collapsing Big Business from the inside. We only buy motor oil at Walmart.

no way---will shop on-line (which I do every year) and perhaps start decorating my house!

I'm a Wiccan so I don't celebrate Christmas anyway. Last year, I celebrated Yule with a bunch of fellow Pagans. We build a big bonfire, song some songs, had a fun party, and ate some good food. We didn't have to max out our credit cards to show that we like each other.

I will be staying at home, snuggling on the sofa with my family as we watch TV together and relax!

My husband owns a "mom 'n pop" type retail store. It's frustrating to hear all these terrible comments about retail, and it is my hope that they are primarily directed to giant retailers. Our craft store, mostly for adults but also for children, is in direct competition with many large craft and hobby stores (although there are none in our tiny town). However, personalized attention, demonstrations, and exceptional courtesy and customer service set us apart from the "giants".

It is my sincere hope that people will recognize these things! One of our town's mottos is to shop local. And lots of people do, which is great. No commercial intended here (and no specific information, either!). Just want people to recognize that all retailers are not the same--there is a HUGE difference between the giant stores and us.

It would be difficult to meet our financial burdens without the sales from the Thanksgiving weekend. So shop locally! Support your friends and neighbors!

I shop only for myself. I have been alone for the last 32 years since my wife left me.

Friday will be just another day.

What a shame that all the "outstanding church-going christians" in our world have completly lost the true meaning of Christmas and somehow believe that buying "things" and Christmas should be considered remotely connected at all! Where and when did Jesus ever consider the value of "gifts" other than the self-less love and compassion that was and is still lacking everywhere in the world.

Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc, etc; why are we surprised when we don't find fulfilment from purchases of monitary value rather than feeding our spirtual needs. How many homeless could we house or starving people we could feed for the price of a big screen TV on sale at Best Buy or Wal-Mart?

Maybe that would be the "BEST" gift to provide our children is a lesson on the value of loving strangers as ourselves.

Just a thought......

I will be kicked back with a cold one,watching college football. The best deals will not be 'till later!

As I continue to read these comments I find myself wishing that they could be posted everywhere. This has been the best picker-upper for me in a long time. I didn't even drink my coffee yet! Thank God for each one of you who expressed the importance of not having to spend money we don't have on things we really don't need...and many times buying gifts for people we really don't want to give to. Yes, time to rethink our values and priorities. As the above commentary put it, "Just a thought..."