Weekend Assignment: Holiday Shopper
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Friday, November 26, 2010
Ack! The holiday shopping season is upon us! What is your shopping strategy for this time of year? Do you spread out your shopping over weeks and months, or try to get it all done at once? Do you mostly shop online or in person? How heavily, if at all, do you rely on gift cards, gift certificates or plain old fashioned cash and checks?
I prefer to shop in person, particularly for things that the recipient might want to exchange because it's the wrong size or color. Or, if I give a gadget that's DOA, they - or I - can exchange it at a store rather than go through the hassle of shipping.
My main strategy is to shop during "off" times of the day. This is only viable because I work from home. I'd rather go shopping early in the day when it's easier to get a parking space and there is at least breathing room in the stores.
As far as gift cards go, it depends on the person. If it's someone I don't see a lot and I honestly don't know what they'd want, a gift card seems better than a "just the thing I need, how nice"* gift. Also, when you have nieces and nephews who are all getting gifts from multiple relatives in blended families, a duplicate gift card is at least more useful than a duplicate CD or book.
Extra Credit: Do you enjoy shopping the Black Friday and after-Christmas sales?
Absolutely not. But having said that, I braved the crowds at a local department store late this morning because we needed a new electric blanket. The thermostat on the old one had to settings: OFF and BROIL. When you have two people at a particular age (one of whom has a personal temperature setting that switches between WARM and BROIL), a functioning electric blanket with dual controls is essential for health and peace in the household. I also had a 15% off coupon good for today, so it was a deal too good to pass up.
As far as the after-Christmas sales go, I generally wait until later in January or even early February. That, coincidentally, is the coldest part of winter around here, and winter clothes are on deep discount as swimsuits start popping up on the racks. And no, you can't buy a swimsuit in June in Texas for love or money. That's when the winter coats show up. Crazy, ain't it?
*Say that with sarcasm as you sing along to Tom Lehrer's "A Christmas Carol."
Tags: Weekend Assignment
Filed under: Weekend Assignment
Comments are closed
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Makes sense to me! If I get to the mall between now and Christmas, it will probably be on a weekday afternoon. I'm a little surprised, though, that you're not more of a Cybershopper. On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for examining the merchandise in person!
Date: 12/3/2010 4:54:05 AM
Date: 12/3/2010 4:54:05 AM
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Makes sense to me! If I get to the mall between now and Christmas, it will probably be on a weekday afternoon. I'm a little surprised, though, that you're not more of a Cybershopper. On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for examining the merchandise in person!
Date: 12/3/2010 4:54:05 AM
Date: 12/3/2010 4:54:05 AM
|