I've never been a huge fan of Black Friday...voluntarily throwing yourself into a really angry mosh pit really early in the morning for vaccum cleaners and tvs.  No thanks. Today is a different day- it's Small Business Saturday, a campaign begun in 2010 by American Express in order to encourage consumers to shop locally, educate people about the benefits of local shopping and to provide resources to small businesses. American Express provides incentives for its customers to follow through with local shopping at qualified local businesses, when using the American Express credit card, of course. Find businesses here. And read FAQ here.

With my parents being small business owners, shopping small is very important to me.  There are so many small independent businesses throughout the country and they need our support and patronage to compete with the chains and big boxes.  Happy Shopping y'all!

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• Small Business Saturday & Look Local (preservationinpink.wordpress.com)
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