Are you going to one among millions who is getting ready to beat the crowd and crab whatever you want on the Black Friday sale?

Or many who are planning to wait out and avoid the blackfriday sale this year?

Either way, you are thinking about Blackfriday sales like me, a 10 year veteran Blackfriday shopper. Black Friday is just less than a week away.

It is the biggest shopping event of the year happens next day after Thanksgiving. Like Thanksgiving, Blackfriday shopping has became a tradition to many Americans and American families. It actually kick starts the Christmas shopping season for many and serves has a good marketing platform for retailers and manufacturers to introduce new products, get rid off old ones through rebates and special deals so they can write it off from their balance sheet.

This year, it is going to be yet another different but dull year compared to past.

Blackfriday 2008 - A look back

Last year, the recession just started and credit crunch was hitting the market as many big banks were going solvent. A quite lot of mergers were happening in all industries including many bankruptcies. Circuit city, one of the big electronic retailers filed bankruptcy and went away from the scene.

Many manufacturers and retailers faced a challenging shopping season as the economy was heading to wards worst recession. They don't know what is in the stake for next year, so they slashed prices to get rid of their stock levels and reduced their inventory. It triggered more sales even after the Blackfriday event than usual. Also there were not many attractive products in the market as manufacturers were cost cutting and waiting for the direction in the market. They just wanted to sell their old products with some improvements to retain their market cap.

From the consumers front, it was very cautious effort as many concerned about jobs and lot worried about the investments since the stock market was heading to wards downtrend starting to see the fall like deck of cards. All played it safe but still many consumers continued their shopping spree with their stashed away cash taking the rare opportunity and got things on heavy discount.


Blackfriday 2009 - Dull and Different

It is going to be totally a different year than past years and more importantly than last year. It is the first Black Friday after a long recession. The nations unemployment rate is in the record high of 10.2% and economy is still dragging its feet waiting to make a turn towards an uptrend.

At this time, shoppers are thinking about breaking their tradition by avoiding the Black friday sale altogether. The reason, they don't want to go through the hassle of getting up early, standing in big line for hours or camp out if the same product will Be sold much cheaper after black friday like last year. In many blackfriday forums, they were discussions about missing this year's fun sale event. This change in mind set is happening with many Americans especially because of last year experience.

However, many veteran Blackfriday shoppers were saying, this year is different for many reasons and won't be same as last year. Because of slow economy and less production which means less supply of products. Manufacturers don't want to over produce and take the chance at this tough times. Also many consumers are in the saving mode after a long time. Americas saving rate has gone up in the past few months. Basicaly less supply and less demand so products might be limited on the stores shelf. It is better to hurry up and get things instead of waiting because of the uncertainty. Check out this video from news channel which talks about this year scenario.

It is better sometimes to wait out for the right time and right price but it depends on the importance of your need. If you really need the item and been waiting for this sale event, you better plan to buy after researching the sale price.

Ask yourself which camp you wannabe this year. Are you going to be in the blackfriday line or just going sleep in?

On the other hand, if you are among many millions who don't bother to even blink for the blackfriday, I would recommend to at least try out once for the sake of experience and fun.

Go ahead and share your Blackfriday experience. How long you been doing the Blackfriday shopping? Also come and check out tomorrow, I will be posting more tips, tricks, hot sale items, good websites and more things to do just before, after and on the day of Blackfriday.

Recent days, I see one among three cars on the road are either new or almost new, waiting to get their new license plate. Thanks to the CARS program putting more fuel efficient cars on the road taking out gas guzzlers but no thanks. It seems to be the talk of all news channels and the most popular stimulus package of all in recent months.

It has become so popular, it even ran out money so fast in just weeks and waiting for approval to get more funds almost two billion to jump start again. While it is on hold in process to get more money, we take time to analyze,

Is the program really helps the consumer, economy and enviroment as it supposed to?

It is a $64 question. I tried to do my investigation as usual from many information loaded internet websites.

Quick Overview of CARS program
Cash for Clunkers program also known as The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is a $1 billion government program that helps consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car or truck. The program is designed to energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation's roadways.


Is it helping the consumer?

Answer to the question is, Yes and No. Consumers will be able to take advantage of this program and receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from the car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new one. Consumers do not need to register anywhere or at anytime for this program. However, to find out eligibility requirements click here and also check another website http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/ for more info on this program.

By giving the cash credit to auto buyers while trading in their gas guzzlers, it is free money and helps the consumer. But it is again putting the consumer to debt and adding their debt load. Many consumers who can't even afford to buy a new car at tough time. They just want to get the cash credit and blinding buying without realizing they need to pay back the rest of their auto loan which not even tax deductabile. It was similar to the situation people bought big houses when they can't afford mortgage payment. It not helping any middle class who are suffering from loss of jobs instead adding their burden by teasing them with free money.

So please don't go rushing to get a new car if you can't even afford to make car payments says Houston chronicle sharon buggs. She also says, if you can pay all cash for the vehicle after the cash credit and other incentives are applied, then you can afford to buy a new car. Also if your take-home pay can absorb a monthly car payment — and you are not in jeopardy for losing your income stream because of a layoff — then you can afford to finance the purchase of a new car. Check out some tips from her at Houston chronicle.

Is it atleast guzzling the economy?

Not really. It is only helping one industry which is Auto. It is also in a way boosting customer confidence with money flowing between consumer, banks and manufacturers. Thats a good thing. Banks and Auto dealers are writing off loans and loosening the credit crunch a bit.

It sure helping auto makers like Ford, Toyota who is selling more cars compared to last year. The program helped lift Ford Motor Co. to its first monthly sales increase in two years, the company's top sales analyst said Sunday. July sales results mark the first year-over-year gain for Ford since November 2007 and apparently the first uptick by any of the six biggest carmakers since last August, Ford sales analyst George Pipas said. Check npr.org for more info.


OK! What about reducing carbon residues?

Not exactly! I know it is meant to take out gas guzzlers out of the road help which eventually help reduce gas consumption but it doesn't affect lot on reducing carbon residue. According to npr's report, an analyst calculates that if you trade in an 18 mpg clunker for a 22 mpg new car (22 miles per gallon is the minimum mileage allowed for a new car under the program), it would take five and a half years of typical driving to offset the new car's carbon footprint. With trucks, it might take eight or nine years.

Of course, the bigger the mileage improvement from your old car to the new one, the more gas you save and the faster you work off the new car's carbon footprint. If you trade in a 20 mpg car for a Prius that gets about 48 mpg, it saves so much gas that you can offset the Prius' footprint in about a year and a half. (But a 20 mpg car doesn't qualify as a clunker, so there's no government voucher).

Analyst don't see a direct or immediate impact on the reduction of carbon residues by this program but it does help in the long run. It also takes whole lot of cars to be taken out of the road to really make a difference. Check out another npr.org report, "Clunkers" program isn't really green.

Bottom line, in all aspect, I don't see a real value to this CARS program. It neither nurtures the consumer personal finance status nor the environment. I only has shorter impact to the economy especially to auto industry. At this time of recession, when the unemployment rate is very high and people are struggling to feed their family, we need better program with greater impact. This program only helps smaller portion of people who either has good job or good bank account or credit to spend for their new car.

Thats my take and I am sticking to it.