[frankthetank]

Seems to me that most people are spending this holiday season buying the normal junk...I think the nat gas bills haven't hit home yet.

............

4 YEARS of American high school German classes and the most i can say is

"Bitte, Bitte, Wo ist the toilette?"...and the answer would be "Da druben!"...

Ahhh...Got to love American school system.

[okek]

[quote="frankthetank"]Seems to me that most people are spending this holiday season buying the normal junk...I think the nat gas bills haven't hit home yet.

They hit here just today! A number of our neighbors have been hit heavier that we are it seems though. We expected a much higher bill than we got. It was still pretty high, though.

We have also really cut back on our holiday spending. We have 4 kids and have placed a $100 limit per plus we don't exchange (dh and I). We send home-made cards, usually artistically created by our children. They are original works of art!!!

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NiKfUrY69', '
')Interesting note: the <b> Walmart store in Dumas Arkansas is closing after Christmas</b>.

Has anyone ever heard of a closing Walmart store??

[Leanan]

Malls full, but sales not spectacular

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')etailers remained anxious Sunday, after the last full weekend of shopping before Christmas appeared robust but not spectacular, despite generous bargains for many goods.

The retail industry - which had an uneven start to the holiday season and has seen disappointing crowds at the malls since - was hoping for a big sales bonanza. But with lean inventories and the final critical days still yet to come, stores are not panicking.

[dbarberic]

My good friend is a store manager of a Starbucks in an upscale mall in Northern Ohio. For the first time ever, his sales numbers are down compared to last year.

He has also reported that overall mall traffic seems to be down and that other managers in different stores in the mall are also reporting the same thing.

I don't believe the main stream media that reports that Xmas sales figures are up.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NiKfUrY69', '
')Interesting note: the <b> Walmart store in Dumas Arkansas is closing after Christmas</b>.

Has anyone ever heard of a closing Walmart store??

[dbarberic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'F')rom my experience in retail management, retailers book the gift card revenue at the time of the gift card purchase, not redemption. Gift cards expire, and I assure you, WalMart does not wait until then to take credit for the sale.

[dbarberic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'I') think the nat gas bills haven't hit home yet.

[PrairieMule]

Went to the mall in Frisco, TX(3rd fastest growing city in the US)yesterday to get Disney Princess crap for my daughters. Mall was slow and traffic did not pick up until 2pm. We too are strapped this year so we just decided this year to keep it simple.

I know self reliance gifts and gift certificates are all I asked for this year, just like the last seven years. My in-laws gave me bass-pro gift certificates since they did not know where to order fence pliers. I just ordered a mioxx water purifier off basspro.com.

I'm more jazzed up about what my dad got me, A 14" POULAN GAS CHAINSAW!!!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

[worrier]

I think we can choose how we want to celebrate Christmas. Some time ago my Mum, brothers and me decided to have a $20 limit on Xmas gifts, I found that it seemed to make us think more about what the person might like. It also kind of made Christmas more low key and take the focus off gifts and onto enjoying the day in a low key way. I think we all found it a good way to approach Xmas. I think we can decide, no I'm not going to get sucked into the hysterical focus that advertisements try to foist on us. I don't have kids, so I know it's easy for me to preach when giving kids a great Xmas adds to the pressure. But even with kids, surely we can choose our own way?

[Leanan]

This article:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10413794/site/newsweek/

Suggests a "homemade Christmas." Yes, even with kids. You can only give gifts you make yourself.

[Seadragon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrairieMule', 'W')ent to the mall in Frisco, TX(3rd fastest growing city in the US)yesterday to get Disney Princess crap for my daughters. Mall was slow and traffic did not pick up until 2pm. We too are strapped this year so we just decided this year to keep it simple.

[o2ny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dbarberic', 'H')e has also reported that overall mall traffic seems to be down and that other managers in different stores in the mall are also reporting the same thing.

I don't believe the main stream media that reports that Xmas sales figures are up.

[Leanan]

This time of year really makes me realize how unsustainable our way of life is. Everyone is worried about "same-store sales," and if they don't increase, there's gloom and panic on Wall St.

Even Wal-Mart, a retailing success if ever there was one, is feeling the pressure. They are now trying to expand overseas, because the U.S. is pretty much glutted. A lot of analysts are skeptical; Wal-Mart's truck-dependent model works in the U.S., but will it work in Canada or Brazil?

But Wal-Mart shareholders are demanding more growth, so they are trying to expand overseas. It doesn't matter that they're a behemoth that has rolled over all the competition in the U.S. It's not enough. They have to keep growing.

[o2ny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', 'T')his time of year really makes me realize how unsustainable our way of life is. Everyone is worried about "same-store sales," and if they don't increase, there's gloom and panic on Wall St.

[The_Toecutter]

Not having much money anyway, my family won't be exchanging much, maybe about $10 worth of items per person...

[NevadaGhosts]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Last year 77% of US consumption was financed by borrowing as spendthrift Americans mortgaged their homes to pay for consumer goods and services. Both the Federal Reserve and Freddie Mac say that nearly one-third of American consumption has been financed by such borrowing over the past decade.

[clv101]

Is it correct to interpret that figure of 77% funded by borrowing by saying that Americans are spending 3x more than they earn? Based on the logic that to spend $100, $77 is borrowed and $34 is earned, $100 being 3x $34.

Say the money is borrowed at 4% interest that means that $77 loan will cost $3 to service which is 10% of annual earnings ignoring any capital payback.

[artiko]

In my country (Poland) it is normal that people are spending 3x more than they earn But Poland is not normal country . USA is normal, I thought so, but now ... after your information ...

[Permanently_Baffled]

So if Americans stop borrowing , 77% of 25% of the worlds economy stops consuming ?

The next recession is gonna suck