Wal-Mart trampling

Did you hear about the man working at Wal-Mart who got trampled to death when he unlocked the store's doors on Black Friday? How sad. And how pathetic that people are so eager to get a bargain that they are willing to charge through the doors like that! I place most of the blame on Wal-Mart, though. The company exploits the very people they supposedly "serve," and many of its business practices are deplorable. Why didn't they have safety measures in place? This tragedy was completely avoidable, and I think Wal-Mart should be held accountable. I wish people would just stop shopping at that place.

Black Friday shopping: a guest post by Erin Dunkle

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I won't have time to post this weekend, so I recruited my blog friend Erin to write a guest post. Erin and I have never met in person, but we have a special connection. Her husband, Geoff, is waiting for liver transplant right now (and he's been waiting patiently for a long time) and as some of you know I've been through that myself. So, needless to say, when she found me through my other blog we became fast friends (if we lived closer, I am sure we would hang out and drink wine and shop together!!). Anyway, read on for her reflections on Black Friday shopping!! And after you read it I hope you'll drop by her blog, Life With the Dunkles, and find out the latest with LiverWait '08. Please say a prayer for her husband, too.

It’s coming…

And no, I am not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas. I am talking about Black Friday. BRING. IT. ON. This is one of those days that I get so fired up about. Okay, so, I know the economy is bad and my Roth 401K is gone, and my husband is waiting for a liver transplant, but I am throwing that all out the window (well not the husband and the liver thing) and jumping in feet first!

This is an annual tradition (one that I cannot wait to pass onto my daughter) that my family and I have done for years. It starts on Thanksgiving morning. We are up bright and early scouring the ads one-by-one, placing them in their appropriate piles, and re-reading them just to be sure nothing was missed.

The piles are typically labeled:
1) MUST-MUST have
2) If we can’t get the must-must haves then we will move onto these items
3) If we strike-out on the first two piles then let’s just buy these items so we don’t look like total losers for getting up at 3:00AM

It’s sick. It’s an addiction. I know. One year I stood in line at Best Buy starting @ 4:00AM with my mom and aunt just to walk out of there at 5:30AM with a $5 Johnny Cash CD.

This year I’m taking it up a notch. This year I will be shopping at our local outlets at midnight on Thanksgiving. That’s right you read that correctly, the local outlet mall is opening at midnight for their big “Thanksgiving Sale”. I’ve recruited some friends and my mom. Were all set to go. Since the ads have not “officially” come out (I’ve been Googling the ads for days online), I’m not exactly sure how my day will go, but one thing is for sure, tomorrow I will be up at the crack of dawn putting together my “piles”.

Happy Shopping!

Gift cards!

Who doesn't love receiving gift cards??! And for that matter, who doesn't love giving them? It's so easy -- you go the store, plunk down some cash (or, plastic -- which I totally don't recommend unless you intend to pay it off as soon as the bill comes) and your gift is ready to go. Nonetheless, it is important to equip yourself with some knowledge about gift cards before going out and getting one for every single person on your list. That's why, today, I am sending you all over to Leah Ingram's fabulous Lean Green Family blog, where you can read up on Five Tips for Buying Gift Cards.

I'm dreaming of a lean Christmas

I knew weeks ago that Carl and I had to cut back on spending this Christmas. We had a fun, busy and expensive year. We bought a sailboat. We went to Maui. We had to fix our car. Now that the end of year is approaching, we're out of disposable income. And, thanks to the economy, our usual source of extra funds has dwindled to the point that it isn't even worth dipping in to. I'm not complaining -- I know we are all in the same boat. It just means we have to make concessions.

So, we set a strict budget for Christmas. $50 for each of our parents. $25 each for our two nieces. $50 for Carl's sister and her husband. $25 for my grandparents. $100 for everything else, like hostess gifts, small gifts for friends, etc. etc. Total budget this year: $400 (gifts for each other don't fall into this budget -- that's separate).

Two weeks ago, that sounded completely reasonable and doable. However, I am now looking at slashing the budget even more. Why? Because I totally misunderstand the pay rate on a very time-consuming project that I recently completed. I thought this check would cover my Christmas budget and the 10 personal training sessions I just signed up for (with some $$ left over). Wrong. Now I'm not sure yet where my Christmas money -- or the money to pay the trainer -- will come from (since I freelance, I never really know when my checks will arrive).

PS: On another note, I want to say thanks to Sarah Jio who blogs about health and fitness for Glamour.com. She mentioned my blog on her blog, Vitamin G, last week and I can see that quite a few of her readers clicked over. Thanks to all of you for stopping by. Oh, and if you aren't familiar with Vitamin G -- it is an absolute must-read blog. Perfect for when you need a break from work or kids or whatever. Definitely check it out!

Need decorations? Try your local garage sale

My husband Carl is looking for an industrial sewing machine (he wants to make some sail covers for his San Juan 23), so we spent last Saturday morning going from garage sale to garage sale hoping we would get lucky.

We didn't find the sewing machine, but we did find some other items -- namely, a ton of Christmas decorations. Lights, ornaments, candle holders, placements, bowls, wreathes, etc, etc. I'm not in the market for this stuff, so I didn't buy anything. But if I did need a few things to make my home more festive, I think the local g-sale circuit might be the way to go (yeah, some of it was hideous -- but for the most part, the items were totally normal-looking seasonal decorations).

Buying someone else's unwanted holiday decor is green. It's also economical. And, not to sound cheesy, but garage sale shopping is fun. Carl and I have had a ton of fun over the past 10 years going to garage sales. We get up early, get coffee, listen to Car Talk on NPR and drive around the 'hood in search of, well, whatever. I totally recommend it. And if you need lights or ornaments, act fast! I think this coming weekend is going to wrap up g-sale season -- the weather just gets too gross in November, and everyone is too busy preparing for Thanksgiving.

One guy's take on the economy, the election and holiday shopping

This afternoon I was running around town gathering up the last of the items I needed for the holiday gift guide I mentioned earlier this week. One retailer asked me why I was looking for not-so-expensive gifts this year (his store carries items under $50, but he also stocks products that cost upwards of $2K). I explained that I was trying to be conscious of the fact that people want to keep their budgets in check right now, and that because of the economic situation readers will probably be on the lookout for creative gift ideas that won't break the bank.

Now, I am sure that his reply to me had something to do with the fact that he wanted to showcase a high-priced gift. I'm sure it also had something to do with a hopeful heart (in terms of his bottom line this holiday season). But he told me he thinks concerns over holiday retail spending are overblown. After the election, he said, things will stabilize and shoppers will go nuts (just like they always do).

Does he have a point, or is this just wishful thinking? I really hope he's right, but my gut tells me that all the retail forecasters are right -- shoppers will be very fiscally conservative this year.

Two and counting

So far, I have received two holiday catalogs in the mail.

One is from Lego. Three years ago, Carl and I ordered a Christmas gift from Lego for our niece Ella and we've been receiving Lego junk mail ever since.

The other is from Samaritan's Purse. I like this one because the organization is not peddling stuff. Instead, they are promoting "40 gifts of hope for a hurting world." So instead of buying an I-Pod, you can give $250 toward the construction of a hospital in an impoverished nation. Or, for just $4, you can provide a child with a week's worth of milk. I'm also a big fan of their Operation Christmas Child program, because it is a simple and affordable way to help make Christmas brighter for kids who otherwise might not have any gifts under their (hypothetical) tree.

And speaking of trees, normally I just toss these catalogs into the recycling bin as soon as they arrive (well, I do make exceptions for catalogs from Nordstrom). This year, however, I am going to keep them so I can take a count of how many I receive. Anyone want to take a guess? I'm thinking at least 100.

Paid to shop

Holiday shopping pretty much gives me hives, so I find it just a tad ironic that I am often asked to put together gift guides for various local publications. My editor provides a shopping category, and my job is to find gifts that fall into that category. I drive around town, visit shops, talk to the managers/store owners and eventually come up with a selection of 12 perfect gifts. The idea is to make the daunting task of holiday shopping a little easier for those who pick up the gift guide.

Actually, though, I really love this task. It is way different than my own holiday shopping. I don't have to spend my money and, because I do this shopping way in advance of the holiday season, I don't have to fight crowds or listen to Silver Bells over the loudspeaker in every store.

What I want for Christmas this year

Some women want jewelry. Not me. I want a gift from the Coach store. I love almost every handbag in every Coach collection, but I've always been partial to the Patchwork collection (which reminds me, I need to break out my Holiday Patchwork from two years ago).

Honestly, though, I won't be disappointed if I don't find this under the tree this year. Christmas is not about designer handbags, and this is really no time to be blowing money on luxury items.

OK, your turn. Tell me what you want for Christmas this year (even if it is something completely out of reach).