[Leanan]

CNN just did a story about that group that asked people not to buy anything yesterday. CNN said that though it's a nice sentiment - we all want Christmas to be less commercial, don't we? - if we actually did it, it would a disaster. An "economic catastrophe." Businesses going belly-up, people losing their jobs, etc.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and shop!

[IslandCrow]

I think that "Buy nothing Day" is a good idea .... I just keep forgetting it is the day after Thanksgiving (that date is also not in my calander). One local shop here opens on that day, but refuses to sell anything. I love that . Given that attitude I find it one of the most enjoyable places to shop, knowing that they care about other people and not just making money. Fair Trade is the way to go.

[Heineken]

Christmas in the US has become an obscenity, as epitomized by the recent customer stampede at a Wal-Mart, in which a woman was trampled and her wig fell off. Our family doesn't participate in the commercial madness at all, although we're perpetually astonished, horrified, and amused by what's going on around us.

Here's an idea for your family Christmas: Agree to exchange no gifts, maybe just cards with personal, hand-written (as opposed to Hallmark-generated) messages. Agree to put up minimal decorations (say, a single wreath and a single candle).

Instead, do something for charity, either individually or as a group, and have a wonderful Christmas meal.

A far more satisfying way to go, and you don't end up with $9000 in credit-card debt.

[killJOY]

I'm issuing a moratorium to my parents: no presents for me and my partner.

My folks live in the MidWest. They've got gas bills to pay.

[some_guy282]

I heard a statistic a little while ago watching the news. They said 80% of a store's profits came in the month of December alone. I think it was Toys R Us. 80% in one month?!

[Leanan]

My family used to do a lot of presents and stuff when my sister and I were kids. Now that we're adults and on our own, we don't do it as much. We only see each other every 2 or 3 years now, so we have no clue what other family members have or want.

One Christmas, I gave my parents a copy of one of Don Aslett's books. (He's an organzation expert, known for his books on reducing clutter.) I told them we all had more than enough junk, and that we should try to cut back. I suggested that instead of exchanging gifts, we save our money for family vacations instead. (We live widely scattered across the country right now.) They agreed.

We still buy each other small things for Christmas, but try to make it items that are inexpensive and/or consumable. Food, soap, that kind of thing. I usually just send a card for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. For my sister, I'll donate to one of her favorite charitable or political causes.

[RonMN]

I get a serious yuk out of watching the shoppers get trampled

I wish somebody would string all the clips together so i could sit for an hour, eating popcorn & enjoying the fistfights of the Christmas spirit. that'd even be better then "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge"!

[Ludi]

Wonder how many of the tramplers drove there in SUVs with fish magnets on the back?

[BabyPeanut]

http://www.gunung.com/arod/xmas/xmas9.html

[Dukat_Reloaded]

I got a good idea, wrap up anything at your home you don't like and give it out to people.

[cube]

Holiday sales off to a luke warm start

I think this sums it up pretty well
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ccording to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks total sales at more than 45,000 retail outlets, the overall sales on Friday were relatively unchanged compared to a year ago, despite heavier discounting and expanded hours that drew a surge of shoppers to stores in the early morning hours.

The Chicago-based research group reported total sales Friday at $8 billion, down 0.9 percent from a year ago.

[Heineken]

US society's attitudes about Christmas are US economic attitudes in microcosm: We've got to buy more and bigger and better stuff than in the previous year, and make more profits, and assume more debt, and generally take more of the guts out of Mother Earth, or we're a failure as a species.

[some_guy282]

Here is a collection of stories of people working retail on Black Friday. Scary stuff.

[The_Virginian]

As soon as I get some income I"M SHOPPING.

Heres My Hanuka wish list"

Toyota Spyder M2 25,000 FRN

Subaru Impreza 18,000 FRN

LRB M14 2050 FRN

Wool/Cotton Futon 220 FRN

One Handmade platform tahi style bedframe 550 FRN

Lutel.cz Swords/Pikes 800FRN

One Bluderbus, 1 Dragoon Musket Total = 784 FRN

One good woman to keep me warm (comes with Spyder..)


The abilty to pay for all this with out going into debt = PRICELESS

[Tim7332]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', 'C')hristmas in the US has become an obscenity, as epitomized by the recent customer stampede at a Wal-Mart, in which a woman was trampled and her wig fell off. Our family doesn't participate in the commercial madness at all, although we're perpetually astonished, horrified, and amused by what's going on around us.

Here's an idea for your family Christmas: Agree to exchange no gifts, maybe just cards with personal, hand-written (as opposed to Hallmark-generated) messages. Agree to put up minimal decorations (say, a single wreath and a single candle).

Instead, do something for charity, either individually or as a group, and have a wonderful Christmas meal.

A far more satisfying way to go, and you don't end up with $9000 in credit-card debt.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tim7332', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Heineken', 'C')hristmas in the US has become an obscenity, as epitomized by the recent customer stampede at a Wal-Mart, in which a woman was trampled and her wig fell off. Our family doesn't participate in the commercial madness at all, although we're perpetually astonished, horrified, and amused by what's going on around us.

Here's an idea for your family Christmas: Agree to exchange no gifts, maybe just cards with personal, hand-written (as opposed to Hallmark-generated) messages. Agree to put up minimal decorations (say, a single wreath and a single candle).

Instead, do something for charity, either individually or as a group, and have a wonderful Christmas meal.

A far more satisfying way to go, and you don't end up with $9000 in credit-card debt.

[Paul64]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', '
')We still buy each other small things for Christmas, but try to make it items that are inexpensive and/or consumable. Food, soap, that kind of thing. I usually just send a card for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. For my sister, I'll donate to one of her favorite charitable or political causes.