Spending by the numbers
• 9: increased percentage of U.S. consumer bankruptcies in 2010
• $87,000: average loan amount per customer at The Coastal Bank in 2010
• $45 billion: estimated amount spent by consumers on Black Friday in 2010.
• $365.34: average amount shoppers spent on purchases on Black Friday, compared with 2009’s average of $343.31.
Many consumers apparently are learning their lessons the hard way when it comes to big spending during recession-era holiday seasons.
According to a recent American Bankruptcy Institute news release, U.S. consumer bankruptcies have increased 9 percent nationwide in 2010 compared with 2009.
The complete story is in Sunday's Coastal Courier.