The Legal Checkup Blog

I have seen it reported that consumers spent $59.1 BILLION last year on Black Friday.  $59.1 BILLION! 

This number is staggering to me, and even more so when I consider the significant portion of these sales that likely represents well-intentioned, but useless, gifts.  So many items will be returned because they are the wrong size, the wrong style, or just not something the recipient wants or needs.

Even worse, how many of you have received something that you would never wear or use, but you did not return it because you did not want to hurt the giver's feelings?  Perhaps you re-gifted the item the next year, but let's face it - there is a great deal of waste around the holidays, and the true meaning behind the gifting has been stampeded in a rush to get the best prices.

What concerns me even more is that many people take out loans or make these purchases on credit cards, digging themselves deeper into debt in the process.  This is not what the holidays are supposed to be about.  Thanksgiving is a perfect time to reflect as a family, and to take steps to put the meaning back in the holidays.

You may want to consider setting a dollar limit, or having a grab to reduce the number of gifts each person needs to buy.  You might consider implementing a new charitable tradition that the entire family can feel good about, such as making or purchasing items for nursing home residents who may not have family of their own, or for homeless families.  You could conduct a food drive to replenish the food pantries that are always in need, or send items to our troops who are in harm's way to protect our country.  The possibilities are endless, and these gifts are always the perfect fit.

Let me offer another suggestion.  Before you and your family spend hundreds of dollars on things you probably don't need, consider putting the money towards something you should all have in place.  If every member of your family age 18 and older does not have a basic estate plan in place, consider spending on that instead.  At the very least, you should each have a Durable Power of Attorney and a Health Care Proxy with a HIPAA Release, appointing one or more agents to make health and financial decisions for you if you become unable to do so.

You can get additional information on my website about estate planning, long-term care planning, and other services. 

www.TheLegalCheckUp.com 

Whether you will be part of the Black Friday stampede or collecting items for others, I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!