PRESS RELEASE

Dallas - November 19, 2010 - With Black Friday a week away, consumers are seriously evaluating their holiday shopping lists and budgets. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported holiday retail sales are expected to increase a modest 2.3 percent, but more consumers will rely on debit or cash to avoid overspending their budgets with credit.

"However you decide to spend your money this holiday season, make sure you have a detailed budget," said Todd Mark, vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas. "It's not too late to write down every purchase you will make for the holiday season from gifts to your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, to food for dinners and parties, travel expenses, shipping, wrapping and decorating your home. Creating this list will help keep your budget in line and figure out how much money you can really spend."

To help shoppers plan wisely for Black Friday, CCCS of Greater Dallas has introduced "Holiday Shopping without Santa's Budget," a new webinar available through its free online education program. The hour-long course explores holiday planning and shopping tips, financially responsible gift suggestions and hints for a stress-free celebration. The webinar is available next Tuesday, November 23 at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Consumers can sign up for the free webinar at www.cccs.net/webinars.

In addition, CCCS of Greater Dallas offers consumers the following 10 helpful tips to create a Black Friday plan of action.

1. Expect limited inventory. Retailers know consumers are expected to spend conservatively and may have limited inventory this year. Just as shoppers don't want to end the season in debt, retailers don't want to end it in the red. This means you should plan to get out the door in the wee hours of the morning if you want to purchase the trendiest toys or gadgets. Fortunately, many retailers are already offering great deals.

2. Friend Your Favorite Retailers. Many retailers are offering special discount codes on Twitter and Facebook. It's a good idea to add your favorite stores to your friend list (at least for the time being) to find extra savings.

3. Take Competitor Sales Ads. Take the ads with you because some stores will match prices if you present the competitor's ad.

4. Save Your Receipts. Most retailers print their return and exchange statement on the back of the receipt. Make sure you know what the policies are before you shop and keep all of your receipts in a secure place so you're prepared for returns. Also, be sure to give gift receipts to your recipients so they won't have any problems exchanging gifts that don't work out.

5. Research Electronic Deals. HDTVs and laptops continue to be the hot items this year, but research the items on sale. Many are last year's models and may not offer the features needed to function properly with the latest electronic gadgets.

6. Plan for Cyber Monday. Almost all major retailers are online - most of them offering incredible deals for Cyber Monday (November 29). Online retailers are expected to promote free shipping and many are offering coupon codes for online-only specials.

7. Collect coupons for extra savings. Keep coupons in your car or wallet for stores you plan to shop so you'll be prepared to receive extra savings when you make your purchases.

8. Rest and energize yourself. Make sure you get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast if you're one of the brave ones to shop Black Friday. Going hungry means you'll spend money on food at the mall, and going tired means you'll end of buying anything to get out of the mall and get home as quickly as possible.

9. Use credit cards and methods of payment strategically. If you plan to use credit, only use your credit cards with the lowest interest rates and don't charge anything you can't safely pay off in three months. Many banks have raised their interest rates and cut credit lines. This could impact your shopping plans so if you do not have the discipline to use credit responsibly, it's best to withdraw your budgeted amount of holiday cash and leave your credit cards at home.

10. Avoid department store credit cards. Retailers will be promoting extraordinary deals accompanying your submission of a credit application. While a free gift or a 10 percent discount can be tempting when money is tight, remember that signing up for department store cards will only lead to more debt and a diminishing credit score.

CCCS of Greater Dallas offers free financial education and counseling throughout the year. To schedule a class at your location or attend one of its free seminars, please call 1-800-249-2227. A full schedule and list of webinars on a variety of financial issues can be found at www.cccs.net/webinars.

About CCCS of Greater Dallas
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Inc. is a nonprofit, community based credit counseling and debt management service. Established in 1974, CCCS of Greater Dallas and its affiliate offices provide financial education and counseling to consumers in-person, by phone, or Internet at more than 20 locations in four states. CCCS of Greater Dallas is a HUD-approved housing counseling multi-state organization and serves as one of seven counseling agencies supporting the 888-995-HOPE Hotline. The agency is also a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), the nation's largest and longest serving national non-profit credit counseling network. To learn more about CCCS of Greater Dallas' free seminars or the agency's services, visit www.cccs.net or become a fan of CCCS of Greater Dallas on Facebook to receive updates on agency events and offerings.