By: Darrell Castle

I’m a credit card getting ready for Black Friday

I’ve been dreading this weekend all year long.  Being the credit card I am, I know what this weekend brings.

All year long, my owner only used me for gas and emergencies.  That’s my passion – I love to help out when needed, but “needed” seems to be a loosely-used term nowadays.  But with the holidays here and Black Friday looming, I know I’m about to be abused.

I saw this all go down last year. I stayed tucked into my favorite wallet slot the majority of the time.  My owner pulled me out once a week so that I could give some credit to the gas pump.

There were a few other times I was used as well –

My owner took his son to Nashville one weekend to watch the Titans play.  On the way, a tire popped and my owner hadn’t budgeted for a new one so early.  Luckily, I made the trip and was able to give some credit to the tire shop so we could finish the trip to Nashville.

I also remember once last summer when my owner’s family got a new couch for their house.  One thing led to another and the couch went through the screen door.  I was happy to be able to give some credit to Home Depot to get the necessities to fix the door.

There were a few other occasions such as these, but not often, and my owner always made sure to pay his balance so that I was full of credit to help him out the next time he needed me.

Then November rolled around.

The Black Friday deals were in the Sunday paper and on TV commercials. My owner saw great deals on new 60 inch HD flat screen TVs that would be perfect to watch Memphis Grizzlies games on.

There were also advertisements for deals on laptops that would be great for when my owner’s daughter started college the next Fall.

There were deals everywhere!

So, there I was on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, sitting on the dresser by my owner’s bed.  I overheard his wife and him planning out their Thanksgiving Day.

“Alright, plans are set.  We’ll go to your parent’s for lunch, my parent’s for dinner, and then go wait in line around 8pm or so at Best Buy,” my owner said. “These deals are just too good to pass up.  We can use the credit card since everything is so cheap right now and just pay it back after the holidays.”

Fast-forward to a week later – I was maxed out.  I had been swiped through so many machines to give credit for so many Christmas gifts that I lost count.

And do you want to know the really sad part?

Interest kept building up so much on the debt my owner accrued during Black Friday weekend that the Black Friday savings were wiped away.  Consequently, I was taken out of my favorite wallet slot for a while.

I wasn’t able to help my owner when his son got the flu and had to go to the emergency room unexpected the next month.  Instead, I sat on the dresser and watched my owner stress over his expenses and how he was going to get out of debt. He even pulled out a pair of scissors on me once, but he couldn’t follow through with it.

Though it wasn’t easy, my owner recovered and I’ve since moved back into my favorite wallet slot.  However, with Black Friday looming yet again and my owner’s son demanding a new XBox One, I can’t help but to be nervous.

——————-

Here at Darrell Castle & Associates, we don’t want this credit card to be yours.  We want you to spend responsibly during this time of gift-giving and stay within your means.

However, if you do find yourself overwhelmed with debt you can’t pay, we can help. If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, or would like to explore other options around resolving your debt, please call a leading bankruptcy law firm Memphis, TN residents have been relying on for over a decade.

The decision to file bankruptcy isn’t easy but the process certainly can be.  If you’re tired of debt, filing can make a huge impact on your life for the better.

If you have any questions or are considering bankruptcy, contact us online today or call us at (901) 327-2100.