My house is paid for, however utility bills keep rising, and food and RX drugs take most of the rest of the income, leaving little for savings. Until something changes there is really no discretionary income. The economy is pretty stagnant around here. I feel thankful to have as much as I do, there are those who are struggling much more.
SilverOwl
· 12 months ago
Usually we pick names between the adults (over 18) and buy for all the children. Our family has decided not to exchange gifts between the adults. We've agreed to decrease the amount usually budgeted for the kids. No gift cards either.
Older_Wiser
· 12 months ago
I will do NO shopping except to get my son a new insulated coverall (needs for work--he actually has duct tape on tears on the old one), otherwise, he never wants anything. Then my 2 grandchildren will get a little cash (they're struggling), and they can spend however they like. No other gifts. Most of my income goes for necessities anyway. To my atheistic way of thinking, xmas is nothing but a greedfest anyway. I will probably give something to the local food bank, too, since more people are applying for food these days.
I'll just decorate the house (don't even need anything new there) and enjoy the irony...
sullivan
· 12 months ago
no gifts this year for family or friends.
EllaDisenchanted
· 12 months ago
No, I've never been a Black Friday Fan...I think the crowds are ludicrous. I also think it's disgusting that material obsessed people will sit out in freezing weather on the street corner braving the elements all night for a damn Wii, but ask one of them to give a substantial donation or some volunteer time to the people who actually LIVE on the streets in those conditions every day -- I'd be surprised if 5% ever even thought about it. :::Climbing down off soapbox:::
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
That another thing I love about my wife, she has never been an obsessive shopper, she hates shopping as much as I do. we go shopping with a list , get that and come home, this year all Christmas shopping was done on line with LL bean, clothing for all the grown children, grands and great grands.
dad
· 12 months ago
way back
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
No shopping for us . my wife finished her shopping over a month ago, all online and already paid for. all the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are getting either clothing or money for Christmas. If we spend money at least it is for something useful, well there is a couple of bikes in there but for 7 year olds who live in the country, that is pretty useful for burning off energy
Kiwi Jackson
· 12 months ago
Cutting back? Oh yeah.
Donating to Doctors Without Borders in the names of family & friends in lieu of gift giving. Cleaning out the pantry this weekend- L.A. Regional Food Bank is getting all our cans etc. Got an email from them to the effect that, not surprisingly, there are way more withdrawals than deposits right now.
lilybart
· 12 months ago
Thnks! DWB is our favorite charity too.
EllaDisenchanted
· 12 months ago
I like the cleaning out (and donating) the pantry! I think that's what I'll spend this rainy day doing as well!
driver1076
· 12 months ago
This year We are cutting way back on gift giving.any large purchases will wait til things pick up or after the first of the year and alot of the retailers go out of business,and start to give the stuff away.Im afraid We havent seen anything yet,as long as these idiots in Washington keep giving there buddies bailout money and not get jobs created then it will only get worse.
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
addendum, I forgot to mention what we are getting each other, a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean islands of St Maarten and St Thomas, which is also aready paid for
Indigo
· 12 months ago
Some of the best discounts available are from the cruise lines. Bon voyage!
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
Yeah we shop around to get the best deal, book inside since it is much cheaper, don't need balcony rooms as we only use the room to sleep in. Actually we have found that cruising is the cheapest way to vacation when you consider that all the food is part of the cost and we save all year for our one trip well other than the constant hand out to grandchildren in need.
mermaidart
· 12 months ago
Cruising is great! We did Alaska in September (many of the houses around the Governor's mansion had Obama signs in the yard - tee hee) and had a wonderful time. It's so relaxing to be out on the water and have everything done for you. It's always such a shock to come home - the bed not turned down, no funny towel animal and no chocolate mint on the pillow :(.
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
Ain't that the truth. I love cruising because many years ago I was in the navy and spent the better part of 2 years cruising on a navy destroyer, where there was not anyone to turn down your bed or make funny animals and there was not 24 hour a day food available, but the sunrises and sunsets were just as beautiful and visiting ports from Barcelona to Istanbul were a site seers dream especially Athens Greece and cruising through the Greek Isles,. If the wife ever wins the lottery that is the cruise I would love to take
Indigo
· 12 months ago
The Black Friday deals are too good to pass up if you're shopping for a specific item such as, like you said, a flat screen TV. I'm shopping for groceries so tomorrow will do just as well. No discounts there.
EllaDisenchanted
· 12 months ago
Hubby and I already said no gifts for either of us...though I asked for a $17 pictorial history book, that I've asked for for the last 3 years, in case he felt the urge. I am using Heifer.org for my mother and her husband. We're cutting back on impulse buys for the kids, but I've never treated Christmas as a toy free for all. They've always gotten on substantial thing, and many necessities. Toys come from uncles aunts and grandparents. For our house we have one major purchase to make, but we've decided to put it off until Jan 21, 2009.
grandpajohn
· 12 months ago
we have usually always let the spouse pick what they want since my wife is very adamant about her likes and dislikes as i said below, this year the choice was unanimous
tlsintx
· 12 months ago
i like your 1.21.09 idea...that's when I start flying the flag again...
lilybart
· 12 months ago
We are not going anywhere this year, few presents BUT we are waiting for great deals on flatscreens since we still have old TVs and no Tivo! Living in a small NY apartment, flatscreens save so much room and if you have to stay home more....
I hate that the economy sucks so bad you can get great deals, because these are not great deals for business or employees.
It's like Climate Change. I try to enjoy the nicer weather in spite of the reason.
Pathfinder
· 12 months ago
Cutting way back. Tempting as the big discounts are, my salary was cut in half this fall. Nothing to spare for the extras this year. On the plus side, there's 4 cord of wood on the porch, food in the fridge, and a roof over our heads. Happy Black Friday everyone!
ComradeRutherford
· 12 months ago
Thanks to the Republican's intentional destruction of America over the last 8 years, I have to work five jobs and we still can't make the rent this month. We are only buying groceries and trying to keep the electricity and internet on. I am going to take a sixth job as video rental store clerk next week. We have some decoupage paste, so we are going to print some photos of the kids and send out 'christmas' decorations with kids pictures all over it.
My rule is if you see it advertised on TV, they have enough money already and don't need a cent of mine. We also refuse to buy anything but groceries and gas for this weekend. I never buy anything on Amazon, since they are just as evil as Wal-Mart and Starbucks. If I want a book, I order it form my local bookstore, if I want a movie, I buy them from the rental store's used bins, or, very rarely, order a new version through them (like I did for 'War, Inc.', I ordered that new to help Cusak's sales numbers).
AdmNaismith
· 12 months ago
If you must buy from Amazon (and I avoid it too), see if your favorite website has a link/portal to Amazon. If you click through from there and buy something, the website gets a few pennies.
mousegirl
· 12 months ago
Nope, no Black Friday for me. I thought I'd wait until the end of the year and see if the sales are better. I would like a new laptop or HDTV, but not if I can't find a real deal (though there is a 40" Sony Bravia for $899 that I have my eye on)
calpolymom
· 12 months ago
I'm definitely cutting back - I lost my job in July and haven't found work since. Living off dwindling savings and no health insurance, trying to help out my two kids in college. They are getting necessities; no flat screen TVs or cruise vacations for this family!
Webster
· 12 months ago
Yes, be wise and very careful. I've been out of work for three years now, my savings are gone and I had to pull out my retirement money just to survive--and I'm surviving on that and the hope (even in this economy) that maybe I'll find work. So my heart goes out to you, because I know how very, very difficult it must be for you. My sympathy doesn't pay your bills nor make anything easier for you, I know. I hope this will only be a short patch for you and over soon. If my wishes for you were income, I hope you know you would be wealthy.
Attila the Blond
· 12 months ago
The 20 year old TV is finally showing signs of getting ready to die, so a new one really is justified. AND the prices on a similar sized flat screen are about down to the price we paid for the regular old TV. We figure two weeks AFTER Christmas will be the right time to buy.
So we are doing Greek Orthodox calendar this year.
Older_Wiser
· 12 months ago
The whole idea of gift giving at xmas (the 3 wise men come to mind--note they were bringing expensive gifts to what they thought was the king of kings) is rather absurd anyway.
Give gifts all year to those who need them--the homeless, the poor, those not making it on the crappy wages these days which have been devastated by high prices.
I only celebrate Winter Solstice anymore which is why I decorate the house (that practice is far older than xmas--and it helps ward off winter blues), have a good meal and enjoy company.
As much TV as I watch (mostly MSNBC (KO & RM) at night & CSPAN in the am) I could get on a 13 in. black and white (but not my son, alas). Americans seem to be sold on novelty and the latest gadgets. My 4 yr old desk top computer is doing well, and won't be replaced, either; it's good enough for my purposes and so is my landline phone. Yes, you can call me a curmudgeon. : )
powwow500
· 12 months ago
We are definitely cutting back. Having gone from dinks to oinks due to unemployment, hubby and I are probably buying one inexpensive gift for each other, and will spend a little for our niece's boy. That's it except for a really great home cooked meal, and singing around the piano. Maybe invite one of our out of town friends over to spend time with us. It will be good, and I won't miss the spending.
Damn, that's awful. At least you pulled it over in time!
lxxf
· 12 months ago
We had a dashboard fire about 15 years ago and I was glad that my husband insists that we keep a fire extinguisher under the seat of our cars. I don't know that it would have helped you by the time you discovered the fire, but it can't hurt.
Forty2
· 12 months ago
It probably would have put it out. Sounds like it wasn't that bad when they pulled over.
That reminds me, mine's in the trunk, I should put it under the seat.
Eclectablog
· 12 months ago
The fire fighter my wife talked to said that by the time you see actual flames in the engine compartment, you can pretty much figure it's totaled. By that point, the wiring is usually pretty much entirely fried. Literally.
scottinsf
· 12 months ago
That's horrible. Glad to hear you and your wife are fine. I had a Jetta wagon but I never drove it and it just collected dust in the garage so I sold it in July. I loved the car though because it had the TDI engine and got about 45mpg on the freeway. I got tired of paying $80/month for insurance when I only put about 1500 miles on it over the last three years. I'm curious, was yours a TDI?
Eclectablog
· 12 months ago
Yes, indeed, it was a TDI. I just found out our insurance doesn't include car rental (because I'm dumb and did sign up for it, I guess.) Tip to all y'all: put car rental on your auto insurance. You'll wish you had.
scottinsf
· 12 months ago
Almost certainly it was an electrical malfunction. That's messed up though.
Did you like the TDI? I bought mine new in 2003 in Washington State and brought it into California. It wasn't legal for Volkswagen to sell TDI's in California. The fuel economy was too good for this petrol-centric state I guess. California is all about huge SUV's with lousy mileage and endless freeways. The bigger and more the better. One thing I cannot stand about this state.
Did you know TDI Jettas get better milage than those hideous Smart Cars?
Eclectablog
· 12 months ago
I LOVED my TDI and if at all possible, I will replace it with another TDI. I'm not sure I can afford it, though, right now. I have two kids in college... *sigh*
How ironic about California...
My TDI actually got better mileage the older it got (it was a 2003). I actually got just over 700 miles on one tank last summer. It was like magic.
Of course we're cutting back! We have told our kids and grandkids as much, and they are fine with it. We are spending part of our dab of "retirement savings" stocking up on non-perishable foods, and i canned and dried and preserved every bit of fruit and veg we grew or scrounged. What in the hell good is a flat-screen teevee do you? The advice now is: pretend we are in the middle, not the beginning, of this almost-depression. Save and thrift NOW!
mermaidart
· 12 months ago
If I was doing any shopping at all today, it would be online. I hate malls, crowds and shopping...and I'm a woman!! We have made plans to do more entertaining this Christmas - getting together with friends and relatives, rather than shopping. Presents are the least important part of the holiday season to me.
AdmNaismith
· 12 months ago
We make a point of celebrating the Solstice, which the Christians stole from the Pagans. If you like something about a christian holiday, it was likely stolen from the Pagans.
Levi's products all the way around. They sent lawyers on their own dime to fight Prop 8. If anyone deserves your money, it's these guys.
Everyone else gets bags of goodies from Trader Joe's (a bargain gormet grocery store). I prefer this over sending pre-made gift baskets 'cause I get more for my money and my hand-picked selection is nicer, I think. And books (which probably will be bought new). My husband wants some kind of dock for his Mp3 player (which I will try to find used).
Used DVDs and CDs are on my list.
Forty2
· 12 months ago
THIS is just fucking sad. Trampled to death by a crazed mob incited by these stores' generated mania.
One word - lawsuit. If stores got sued for damages when this kind of shit happened, there would be (1) more security at these things and (2) simply less to get manic about. I would kind of think having one of your employees getting trampled to death while on the clock would open yourself up to all kinds of litigation. I certainly hope so.
Beth
· 12 months ago
I'm sure that's comforting to the family of the deceased.
MGBYG
· 12 months ago
Was going to post the link, too.
All to save a few bucks on a blu-ray
PaulMorel
· 12 months ago
I am not cutting back on Christmas spending. If gas prices had stayed high, then I would be, but since I am now saving $20+ per week on gas, I have the room in my budget that I didn't think I would have.
And if the economy stays afloat, then I am going to buy that TV for myself in January.
missmarple
· 12 months ago
My 20 year old Maytag washer gave up the ghost, so I'm shopping for a front loader today. We're driving a '94 Honda Accord and can't afford to get it painted - although I'm a little embarrassed to drive it. Daughter has had her hours cut back and part of our income is now going to help her stay in her home. She is behind on her mortgage (fixed rate), but Wells Fargo seems to be in no mood to help modify her mortgage. We're both in our seventies and didn't think our waning years were going to be like this.
Forty2
· 12 months ago
Oh and it's "Buy Nothing Day" if y'all didn't know.
Well, I'm done with shopping. On November 3, 2004 I made my infamous vow to spend nothing inessential until Bush was out of the White House with the frequent caveat that then only if he didn't wreck the economy on the way out. Well, OK, he's gone and I did do a few things on my list of "Things To Do After John Kerry Is Elected", simply because they had waited too long (like getting of dial-up, with which I could not be posting this). But I also find that after four years of not shopping and limiting my purchases to food, cat supplies and toilet paper, shopping doesn't interest me anymore and I've kind of forgotten how. I just don't want as much STUFF anymore. So no real Christmas shopping for me. I'm making some gifts and recycling others if i have something i think would mean a lot to somebody.
curlytoes79
· 12 months ago
I'm buying something for my loved ones as usual, but about 50% of my holiday budget is going to charity. The more wobbly the economy becomes, the more I feel compelled to give to the growing mass of needy folks. I'm sponsoring a family in Baltimore MD that doesn't have $$ for holiday gifts or a meal; if you're in that area and are willing/able, you can sponsor a family too. Contact Heather Harvison at My Sister's Circle; mysisterscircle@aol.com.
mirth
· 12 months ago
I have never participated in this particular day of frenzied consumerism. Yuck to that and to bringing home more "stuff" that no one really needs. Last year my made-family gave as gifts something we already owned or something we made and that was huge fun, a great Christmas. At dinner yesterday we decided to do this again.
tardigrade
· 12 months ago
Did I read somewhere that Christmas shopping really means folks buy more stuff for themselves then for family/friends?
This year, my dear friend is having trouble paying his bills, He works just about 7 days a week. I have been trying to do a prop up here and a prop up there.... I don't want him to rely on me... he needs to be strong. SO, this Christmas I will be there for him. We will need to go through all the money stuff and see what we can salvage.
My mom is quickly loosing strength and her health. So, this Christmas, I must find a place for her closer to me so I can be there sooner.
I nearly lost my daughter last year from a car hitting her on her bike. She is doing wonderfully - phew.... I will be going to visit her at Christmas and have asked her bother to come, too.
Shopping????? Can't. Too busy.
Jill
· 12 months ago
I'm cutting back even though I don't really need to. I was laid off in August and was lucky enough to get another job quickly, with no cut in pay. But there seems something unseemly about doing something like replacing a perfectly good CRT television in the bedroom that rarely gets watched with a flatscreen. And it seems a jinx to trade in our seven-year-old Civic for a new Fit (hence the two grand I'm putting into Big Maintenance Items today). So I think we will buy a Garmin GPS for me to use when the highways I take to and from work are impassable, and I will bake cookies to send to family members. I will donate to my local food pantry, I donated coats to the coat drive already and bought gifts for a needy familly through the tag tree at my workplace. And I'll put any money left into my local well-run community bank that doesn't need bailout money -- for when I get laid off next time.
pat
· 12 months ago
Circuit City is selling Sony Flat Screens below cost of purchase, but if you wait until after christmas they will be really cheap
Beth
· 12 months ago
This day disgusts me and symbolizes all that's wrong with our country. The soul of our country is sick. The story of a minimum wage worker being trampled to death by people in search of cheap 'stuff' says it all. Maybe its going to take the crashing of the economy for people to get a grip and realize what's really important and stop filling their lives with stuff instead of substance.
dula
· 12 months ago
I will finally bite the bullet and replace this 6 year old Mac that makes me wanna slit my wrists vertically whenever I load this site. If I have to watch the page jump and sputter one more day I'm gonna need a Dramamine. I'll go with the cheap Mac Mini though because I can't afford the $1200 for the others...mini is only $599.
John Aravosis
· 12 months ago
For what it's worth, our site loads LOADS better on Safari than on Firefox (unless you're using Safari, then never mind :-)
dula
· 12 months ago
Oh thanks I'll try it...have been using Firefox.
exhack
· 12 months ago
No Black Friday for me. I've made one major purchase so far, and we may make one more, but even those are on the cheap. My one indulgence has been computer hardware - I have a beautiful Toshiba Qosmio laptop I basically use as a desktop replacement, plus the old white-box desktop my partner built 4 years ago for games. I have a second laptop I got for $150 used on a surplus site that I used for bringing to work (I'm a Federal employee and do side work for a small business I co-own, during my breaks, plus some selling on eBay to pay for luxuries.) Unfortunately, our roommate's computer died last month, so she's pretty much got the cheap laptop for the foreseeable. I bought a little MSI Wind netbook last night, 2 weeks old and upgraded, on eBay last night, for $360 after the eBay coupon. The built-in speakers on our TV really suck (we usually have to use closed-captions), so I'd like to find a home-theater sound system for $100 or so on eBay (BestBuy sells a lot of its returns through its eBay account, Best_buy_outlet) or Amazon, but if a retailer has a kickass deal, I'll probably spring.
Other than that, that's about it. I'm a Federal employee with enough seniority in my agency that I'm probably safe from layoffs if/when things get worse, but my financial crisis came during the fat years, when I lived off my cash to try to make a go of our business. I'm finally about solvent again after nearly 4 years. I like that better than spending beyond my means. Been there, done that, still got some of the sh*t I really didn't need when I bought it. I don't need to do any Black Friday big spending.
exhack
· 12 months ago
I forgot - I'm tired of dealing with the lousy little $79 all-in-one inkjet printer we've ben stuck with for the last couple years, so I'm probably going to bite the bullet and bring my 15-year-old LaserJet 4Si - the big, oven-sized departmental black-and-white printer with the steel frame - in for servicing. There's just something comforting about big, heavy hardware that looks and feels "real."
necer23
· 12 months ago
Just a thought....it would be so nice if on this wonderful blog, that we are all so blessed to have in our lives , if ocassionally there were more positive inspiring stories instead of constant rampage of doom and gloom. I realize we need to be informed but I beleive we attract what we think about the most................hope no one is offended and that this holiday was wonderful for all of you.
lovepeaceandallthat
· 12 months ago
I certainly am not offended. I do come here to get "hard news", which isn't usually good. However, like you I feel that we attract and create what we think about the most. It would be nice if this blog featured concrete examples of good things that people are doing. Organizations and start-up ideas that will really make a big difference.
I think John does do this to some degree already. But more would be nice.
John Aravosis
· 12 months ago
Well, yesterday was practically all fun. I'm game to post more happy stuff, but you guys need to find it and email it me to (my email is at the top of this column). Please :-)
lovepeaceandallthat
· 12 months ago
It is hard for me to cut back on Christmas gift spending since I never spend much on holiday gifts to begin with. I will be spending even less this year, however. My family wouldn't mind at all if I just made a batch of cookies for everyone. We can't afford to take advantage of the cut-rate prices. Our credit card debt is way too big and we have no savings. My goal is to make handmade gifts for everyone. I need to re-learn how to knit!!
And I can't for the life of me understand what people like about big-flat-high-definition TV's!!! I would never allow one of those in my home. It is just a personal preference I suppose, but there is no denying that those things take over a room and .... we haven't watched television at all for about 10 years anyway.
I can't stand this Black Friday crap!! What really irks me is that these big-box stores are ruining the holidays by having these "Midnight Madness" sales and opening as early as 3am!!!! Hello? That means exhausted and/or drunk folks driving on the highways in the wee hours. Nice. It also means many people are not home for the holidays because they are either camped out for two days before the store opens or they have to work these crazy hours. In my city people were being served Thanksgiving meals from their families *while they were camped out at the stores ON Thanksgiving day*. What kind of family holiday is this?
I guess some people really are just trying to save some bucks on items they really need. But it is sad that people have to spend one of their precious days off from work to get up at ungodly hours and stand in lines and risk being trampled. We don't give people nearly enough vacation days and those days get spent shopping.... very sick.
Business leaders love to call themselves "leaders of the community". Well, many local business leaders do amazing work for the communities they live in. But the corporate-owned big box stores just want to move inventory and they could care less about the community or the holiday or what effects their policies have on people's safety or health.
Happy Buy Nothing Day!!!! It is sooooooo much more peaceful to just stay home today. :-)
Beth
· 12 months ago
Please explain to me why ANYONE would stand in any line at 5AM just to purchase something. I really don't understand this whole concept. I guess I'm not wire that way Thank God!
kh7463
· 12 months ago
My ex and his wife go every year, getting up at like 2 am. This year he ended up in the hospital on Thanksgiving and they decided to keep him overnight. He was upset he wasn't going to be able to go shopping today. wtf?
kh7463
· 12 months ago
I can't afford any Christmas this year. I can't pay the whole amount of my rent, sending in what I have every month. Luckily my kids are older, and understand we may have to wait to see what, if anything, I get back in a tax refund to have a Christmas.
All Comments
I'll just decorate the house (don't even need anything new there) and enjoy the irony...
:::Climbing down off soapbox:::
Donating to Doctors Without Borders in the names of family & friends in lieu of gift giving. Cleaning out the pantry this weekend- L.A. Regional Food Bank is getting all our cans etc. Got an email from them to the effect that, not surprisingly, there are way more withdrawals than deposits right now.
For our house we have one major purchase to make, but we've decided to put it off until Jan 21, 2009.
I hate that the economy sucks so bad you can get great deals, because these are not great deals for business or employees.
It's like Climate Change. I try to enjoy the nicer weather in spite of the reason.
My rule is if you see it advertised on TV, they have enough money already and don't need a cent of mine. We also refuse to buy anything but groceries and gas for this weekend. I never buy anything on Amazon, since they are just as evil as Wal-Mart and Starbucks. If I want a book, I order it form my local bookstore, if I want a movie, I buy them from the rental store's used bins, or, very rarely, order a new version through them (like I did for 'War, Inc.', I ordered that new to help Cusak's sales numbers).
So we are doing Greek Orthodox calendar this year.
Give gifts all year to those who need them--the homeless, the poor, those not making it on the crappy wages these days which have been devastated by high prices.
I only celebrate Winter Solstice anymore which is why I decorate the house (that practice is far older than xmas--and it helps ward off winter blues), have a good meal and enjoy company.
As much TV as I watch (mostly MSNBC (KO & RM) at night & CSPAN in the am) I could get on a 13 in. black and white (but not my son, alas). Americans seem to be sold on novelty and the latest gadgets. My 4 yr old desk top computer is doing well, and won't be replaced, either; it's good enough for my purposes and so is my landline phone. Yes, you can call me a curmudgeon. : )
That reminds me, mine's in the trunk, I should put it under the seat.
Did you like the TDI? I bought mine new in 2003 in Washington State and brought it into California. It wasn't legal for Volkswagen to sell TDI's in California. The fuel economy was too good for this petrol-centric state I guess. California is all about huge SUV's with lousy mileage and endless freeways. The bigger and more the better. One thing I cannot stand about this state.
Did you know TDI Jettas get better milage than those hideous Smart Cars?
How ironic about California...
My TDI actually got better mileage the older it got (it was a 2003). I actually got just over 700 miles on one tank last summer. It was like magic.
Nothing from nothing leaves nothing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_DV54ddNHE
I am no longer a consumer, just a survivor
Levi's products all the way around. They sent lawyers on their own dime to fight Prop 8. If anyone deserves your money, it's these guys.
Everyone else gets bags of goodies from Trader Joe's (a bargain gormet grocery store). I prefer this over sending pre-made gift baskets 'cause I get more for my money and my hand-picked selection is nicer, I think. And books (which probably will be bought new).
My husband wants some kind of dock for his Mp3 player (which I will try to find used).
Used DVDs and CDs are on my list.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/11/28/...
All to save a few bucks on a blu-ray
And if the economy stays afloat, then I am going to buy that TV for myself in January.
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
This year, my dear friend is having trouble paying his bills, He works just about 7 days a week. I have been trying to do a prop up here and a prop up there.... I don't want him to rely on me... he needs to be strong. SO, this Christmas I will be there for him. We will need to go through all the money stuff and see what we can salvage.
My mom is quickly loosing strength and her health. So, this Christmas, I must find a place for her closer to me so I can be there sooner.
I nearly lost my daughter last year from a car hitting her on her bike. She is doing wonderfully - phew.... I will be going to visit her at Christmas and have asked her bother to come, too.
Shopping????? Can't. Too busy.
after christmas they will be really cheap
Other than that, that's about it. I'm a Federal employee with enough seniority in my agency that I'm probably safe from layoffs if/when things get worse, but my financial crisis came during the fat years, when I lived off my cash to try to make a go of our business. I'm finally about solvent again after nearly 4 years. I like that better than spending beyond my means. Been there, done that, still got some of the sh*t I really didn't need when I bought it. I don't need to do any Black Friday big spending.
I think John does do this to some degree already. But more would be nice.
And I can't for the life of me understand what people like about big-flat-high-definition TV's!!! I would never allow one of those in my home. It is just a personal preference I suppose, but there is no denying that those things take over a room and .... we haven't watched television at all for about 10 years anyway.
I can't stand this Black Friday crap!! What really irks me is that these big-box stores are ruining the holidays by having these "Midnight Madness" sales and opening as early as 3am!!!! Hello? That means exhausted and/or drunk folks driving on the highways in the wee hours. Nice. It also means many people are not home for the holidays because they are either camped out for two days before the store opens or they have to work these crazy hours. In my city people were being served Thanksgiving meals from their families *while they were camped out at the stores ON Thanksgiving day*. What kind of family holiday is this?
I guess some people really are just trying to save some bucks on items they really need. But it is sad that people have to spend one of their precious days off from work to get up at ungodly hours and stand in lines and risk being trampled. We don't give people nearly enough vacation days and those days get spent shopping.... very sick.
Business leaders love to call themselves "leaders of the community". Well, many local business leaders do amazing work for the communities they live in. But the corporate-owned big box stores just want to move inventory and they could care less about the community or the holiday or what effects their policies have on people's safety or health.
Happy Buy Nothing Day!!!! It is sooooooo much more peaceful to just stay home today. :-)