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Holiday shopping with Liz’s Mom

Spend the season wisely

[November 3, 2009]

Elisabeth Hooker, STCU education outreach officer

Year after year, my mother makes the same claim once the holiday decorations begin going up in stores. “I’m leaving town,” she says. Mom loves Thanksgiving, she hates Christmas.

She loves Thanksgiving because all she has to do is throw the turkey in the microwave,* set out the fine china and wait for the family to arrive. She hates the rest of the season because of one thing and one thing only: shopping. The crowds, the people, the bodies, the panic rising in her chest as the days slowly tick down and the lines get longer.

Mom’s aversion to shopping led to many an interesting item under the tree for my brother and me. Highlights include: a box of multi-colored embroidery floss; a set of special hangers, each for multiple pairs of pants and skirts; and the infamous battery charger. (“It charges triple-A and double-D!” Mom said.) Then there were the overboard years, matching TVs for my brother and me, a new stereo and phone -- there was no middle ground.

Mom could have saved herself a lot of trouble and stress simply by planning ahead. We all could. It's no small matter, considering the expectations placed upon shoppers during the holidays.

In 2008 Americans spent an average of $705 on holiday purchases, $505 of that on family and friends. The most important factor in where purchases were made was sale or price discounts. This year the average American is planning to do more with less, planning to spend $683 during the upcoming season.

According to the National Retail Federation, 40 percent of you have already started your 2009 holiday shopping. To help you find middle ground as well as peace, love, and joy this holiday season, let’s take a look at a few ways to mitigate stress:

Plan ahead

• Take a look at last year. Who did you buy for and what did you spend? Ask yourself if you went overboard.
• Before you pick who to shop for, decide how much you have to spend.
• Santa makes a list and you should too. If you don’t have a list, you will never find a cut off for those you buy for.
• Set boundaries at school and at work. Do not feel guilty if someone did not make it onto your list.
• Be realistic about what you can afford.
  Save before you spend. A $1,200 holiday tab charged on your credit card at 17 percent will take almost 20 years to pay off and cost $2,076 in interest, if you only make the required minimum payments.
• If giving gifts is a big deal to you, make sure you are saving money all year and set aside a little each month. Take advantage of the STCU Christmas Club account.
• Don’t forget to plan for all the extras such as trees, special outfits, decorations, long distance phone calls, travel, etc.

Ground zero

• Do a little holiday recon, using the internet or weekly ads to make a game plan for your trip to the stores.
• If crowds make you nervous, shop in the morning, mid-week.
• Black Friday, the day retailers go from being in the red, to being in the black, is not always the biggest shopping day of the season. But it’s the one you hear the most about.
  Take advantage of the special deals if they are already a part of your list. However, don’t go shopping on Black Friday without a purpose; you might end up purchasing something out of desperation.
• In recent years, Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has become the biggest online shopping day of the year. Many online retailers will offer incentives like free shipping.
• Don’t purchase something just because it is on sale, or because you don’t want to “waste” your coupon.
• Stores will try and lure you in with the promise of 15-20 percent savings when you open up their store card. Many store cards offer interest rates in the mid to high twenties, not much of a savings in the long run. Not to mention the multiple inquiries that could damage your credit rating.
  A rule of thumb: only charge what can be paid in full within two or three months.
• While gift cards have been popular in the past, only give a gift card to someone you know will use it, and use it in the near future.

The Spirit of the season

The perfect gift is the one that comes from the heart. The dancing jingle teddy bear tie might not be the best choice, even though it is your last. When you feel desperate for a gift, don’t panic, think about what really matters.

• Give smiles and cards.
• Give compliments.
• Give in someone else’s name.
• Give time.
• Give love.

Mom has it right, in part. The holidays are about time spent together and not what was spent. Start early, be practical, and enjoy this holiday season with your friends and family.

*Yes, the Hooker household does, in fact, microwave the Thanksgiving turkey in a two-cubic-foot 1978 Litton.