Real Simple has 25 tips to help save money during the holidays, and we like a few of them. Our favorites:
holidays
Unused Gift Cards Profit Retailers By $4.8 Billion
By 12.19.06
Six percent of this year’s gift cards will go unused, netting retailers $4.8 billion in free money, the AP reports.
UPS Won’t Give Refunds During Holidays
By 12.18.06
UPS ground doesn’t give refunds during the holidays.
Yes, Virginia, There is a Fruitcake Review Blog
By 12.14.06
Hey, what do you know. It turns out that some people do actually like fruitcake. No, we’re serious. Anyway, a reader sent us a link to her friend’s fruitcake blog. Yes, someone has been tasting and writing about fruitcakes since the summer. Why would anyone do this? I’m sure she has her reasons, and I’m sure you can read about them on her blog. Personally, we hate even the smell of fruitcakes, but to each her own.—MEGHANN MARCO (Thanks, Nancy!)
Gifts.com Profiles Personalities
By 12.13.06
We’ve been seeing commercials for the gift shopping site, “Gifts.com”, and wanted to check it out. We pretended that we were someone else shopping for us and took the quiz to find out what we would like. If that sentence made no sense, we apologize. Anyway, the results were acceptable, if not perfect. Gifts.com thinks we are “a thinker” and suggested things like boardgames and sudoku puzzles. Since we play sudoku on our DS all the time, we can’t argue with the results. We do not, however, want most of the crap they suggested, so maybe Gifts.com only works if you’re buying shit for really stereotypical people…in which case you probably already have a good idea what they want. Still, it’s cute and likely will generate ideas for gifts that you might not have thought of on your own.—MEGHANN MARCO
AMEX’s MyWishlist: Everything You Need To Know
By 12.12.06
Once again, the American Express website offers cardmembers a chance to participate in the “My Wishlist” promotion, but what’s it all about?
Gift Giving Tip: Pretend Your Loved Ones Are Strangers
By 12.11.06
“Familiarity with another consumer is not particularly helpful when predicting the others’ product attitudes,” Lerouge and Warlop say. They find that even when our loved ones tell us what they like, we think we know better. The findings appear in the December issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.”
Gift Cards Are New Source of Scams
By 12.5.06
Thieves have been writing down the numbers of unused gift cards. Once the card has been activated, they take the numbers online and start shopping.
EXCLUSIVE: TBWA’s Vomit-Soaked Holiday Party Invite
By 12.4.06
The holiday party invite from TBWAChiatDay, NYC, has the answer, and it’s not pretty.
You Came. You Shopped. You Bought a Skinny TV.
By 11.27.06
Flat panel TVs are shaping up to be the most popular purchase this holiday season. Why? You consumers are too “confused” (read: too smart to get drawn in) by the format wars between HD DVD and Blu-ray, and you can’t get your hands on a Wii or a PS3. That leaves your ugly, bulky old TV. Ugh! Time for a new one. Also, in addition to a flat screen, you want a bigger TV. “Screen size is very important to consumers this season, with a majority of them looking at screens of 30 inches or more and spending an average of $1,950. The 42-inch size will be the most popular of all, IDC said. “
HOWTO: Cook a Turducken
By 11.22.06
A turducken, in case you don’t know, is a turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. We know. Fantastic idea. Anyway, turducken is the stuff of legends, so we thought we’d try to help the dream become reality with a few links to some turducken HOWTO action. Thanksgiving isn’t until tomorrow! There’s still time for turducken! —MEGHANN MARCO
Airlines Cut Fares Through Dec 12
By 11.14.06
According to the LA Times, “Led by Delta Air Lines Inc., most major carriers cut leisure fares through Dec. 12, although the deals don’t apply to the busiest days around Thanksgiving and may sell out quickly.
8-point Buck Runs Wild Inside Super Target
By 11.9.06
An 8-point buck activated the automatic doors of a West Des Moines, Iowa SuperTarget and strolled right in. That’s all the information you need; on to the bad jokes from witnesses:
Walmart Predicts Flat Sales In November
By 11.2.06
Walmart dampened our holiday spirit today with a forecast of flat sales throughout November at stores open longer than one year. What’s the problem?
Holiday Shopping Secrets
By 10.18.06
• Befriend the store staff. Ask with your best bambi eyes if there’s any unadvertised coupons or sales going on that week.
