The blur of the past couple weeks may have littered your home with useless trinkets others gave you in exchange for the equally useless stuff you gave them. If you had wanted any of these things you would have bought them yourself, but you’re stuck with them until you manage to simplify and declutter. [More]
Presents For Your Kids That Are Really For You
By December 12, 2011
If you buy your kids presents that you don’t feel the need to steal back for yourself, you’re doing it wrong. Clever toy manufacturers make their products just as enjoyable for parents, so avoid all the fluff and look for the good stuff. [More]
Instead Of Buying These Gifts, Opt For More Useful Alternatives
By December 8, 2011
Sometimes people want things for the wrong reasons, setting their sights on items while failing to realize alternatives that will fill their needs just as well, if not better. The problem often pops up in gift-giving, when givers seek to impress recipients with flashy, well-known products, disregarding their usefulness. [More]
How To Make A Present Looked Like It Was Wrapped By An Adult
By November 28, 2011
When you were 5, everyone told you your slapdash method of wrapping presents was adorable. But if you’ve grown up and haven’t improved your technique, your subpar wrapping efforts are just embarrassing. Maybe it’s time you sat down and learned how to wrap your presents decently. [More]
TSA Warns Passengers: Wrapped Gifts May Need To Be Unwrapped
By November 14, 2011
If you have to fly this holiday season and you were planning on wrapping any presents before you get on the plane, the folks at the TSA have issued their annual word of caution on the matter: They may need to unwrap those carefully packed gifts. [More]
Walmart Will Open At 10pm On Thanksgiving
By November 10, 2011
The arms race of hours is on. Determined to top retailers like Target, Macy’s, Kohl’s and Best Buy who are all opening at midnight on Black Friday, Walmart has announced it will be opening at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night. [More]
Beat These Deadlines To Ship Your Gifts On Time
By December 14, 2010
If you’re shipping out gifts to friends and family, you may have to start sending out packages this week if you want to get them to their destinations by Christmas. Here are links to domestic shipping deadlines for some of the more popular shipping services: [More]
How To Buy The Right Gift Of Underthings For Your Special Lady
By February 12, 2010
Valentine’s Day is soon approaching. Whatever your feelings about the day, the cold capitalist fact remains: this is a holiday when people who are not women venture into stores and attempt to purchase underthings for women. This can sometimes end badly. Fortunately, blogger Treacle over at Wisebread has broken down the essentials of lingerie-buying into four simple steps that even the most fashion-impaired gentleman can use to find a suitable gift. [More]
Guess What's In This Package?
By December 25, 2009
No, really. Guess.
Are you entitled to a refund if your wrapping paper doesn’t sufficiently conceal a package’s contents? Megan thinks so. Last week when she wrapped her fiance’s Christmas present, he got an unexpected surprise. He could tell exactly what the gift was through the opaque wrapping paper.
Is It Ever Okay To Buy Gifts At A Thrift Store?
By December 24, 2009
Tacky, incompetent regifting is one thing, but Mrs. Money over at the Ultimate Money Blog raises another question: when is it appropriate to give people gifts that you’ve purchased at a thrift or consignment store? [More]
Tales Of Epic Re-Gifting Fail
By December 23, 2009
Mainstreet.com asked their readers to recount the worst re-gifting experiences they’ve had. People really, really seem to like re-gifting unwanted wedding gifts without removing the original cards first. But the real winner in the categories of both cheapness and stupidity has to be the person who checked a book out from the library, then gave it to a friend as a gift. [More]
Parking Lot Safety Tips
By December 22, 2009
You’re not done with your holiday shopping when you swipe your credit card at the cash register. You’ve often got to navigate a potentially treacherous parking lot and get the goods home. The personal finance blog Finance for a Freelance Life offers some common yet helpful tips on how to avoid parking lot robbers. [More]
Holiday Gifts That Won't Break The Bank
By November 26, 2008
As we’ve all been hearing lately, the sputtering economy is bound to put a damper on gift giving this holiday season. If you’re belt-tightening with the rest of us but would still like to give presents to those special people in your life, there are several alternatives for consideration. For instance:
By November 20, 2008
Need gift ideas? Curbly user ModHomeEcTeacher has put together a list of 45 different holiday gift guides from around the web. [Curbly]
2008 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
By November 5, 2008
Want to make sure your present makes it in time for that special holiday moment? Check out Dealhack’s list of over 130 retailers and their shipping deadlines. By the way, deadlines for sending mail to military post offices are coming up very soon. If you’ve got something heavy, you should probably order it by this Friday, November 7th. Lighter stuff, by November 28. Checked the list and don’t get caught like I did one year, having to write a humorous fable to explain why all my presents would be showing up the week after Christmas.
Stores Offer To Send Your Friends And Family An Invasive Holiday Wish List
By December 2, 2007
Wouldn’t it be great if you could email your holiday wish list to friends and family without seeming like a self-indulgent clod? Well, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that several stores now feature self-promoting wish lists that magically email themselves or generate sales calls to potential gift givers.
Consumers Plan To Purchase Fewer, Cheaper Presents
By November 4, 2007
Prepare for disappointment this holiday season because a survey from Deloitte & Touche says the average consumer is planning to spend less on fewer presents. The average New England holiday shopping budget is down 19% to $517, and the average shopper is prepared to buy only 24 gifts – which to us, still seems like a lot.
