Now is the time of year when some people choose to add to the holiday cheer by leaving a little extra something out for the folks — doormen, mail carriers, garbage collectors — who make their lives easier during the other 49 weeks of the year. And if you’re going to hand out tips during the holiday season, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re doing it properly. [More]
holidays
Should You Go To A Restaurant For Thanksgiving?
By 11.16.11
If you’ve decided to ditch the turkey fryer and go to a restaurant for your Thanksgiving meal, you’re not alone. According to a new survey, 14 million Americans will eat out on Thanksgiving this year. [More]
Walmart Will Open At 10pm On Thanksgiving
By 11.10.11
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]
Most Americans Giving Black Friday The Cold Shoulder
By 11.10.11
Despite all the hype and hoopla and multi-page spreads, most Americans are planning on doing absolutely no shopping at all on Black Friday, according to a new survey. [More]
JCPenney's Black Friday Ad Is Out
By 11.7.11
If you want to see what kind of deals JCPenney is offering for the Black Friday sale this year, their entire 72-page ad just got uploaded. [More]
Big Retailers Opening Doors Even Earlier On Black Friday
By 11.3.11
Instead of the usual 3am Black Friday door opening, several retailers, including Target, Macy’s, and Kohls, announced they’re going to be open at midnight this year. [More]
Isn't It A Tad Early To Be Selling "Belated" Christmas Cards?
By 11.2.11
Seems to be jumping the gun a bit to already be selling “Belated Christmas” cards, don’t you think? [More]
Pier 1 Kicks Off Christmas Creep Season
By 7.13.11
It may not be a full-fledged instance because it’s not in a physical store, but a recent email promo by Pier 1 is at very least a warning shot that Christmas Creep season is upon us. They recently sent around an email featuring a large snowman. It said, “You can now scratch “get an early start on Christmas” off your to-do list. Preview holiday fun before it even gets to our stores.” [More]
Fireworks Can Explode Both Plastic And Flesh Humans
By 7.1.11
Those wild and crazy folk over at the CPSC blew up a bunch of mannequins with fireworks on a public lawn in DC to showcase the danger of improperly using fireworks, using illegal fireworks and using professional fireworks when you are not a professional. Here’s the disturbing video. And if you’re a sick puppy, here’s the safety demonstration set to the 1812 overture. Instead of becoming like one of the disfigured humanoids in the video, here’s a few safety tips you can follow: [More]
Amazon Patents Tech That Returns And Exchanges Bad Gifts Before You Get Them
By 12.29.10
Call it “The Bad Gift Filter.” Amazon has patented a system that could intercept the yet another sweater Aunt Janice has sent you and automatically return it and exchange it for something you actually want. [More]
Holiday Cat's Big List Of Return Policies
By 12.28.10
Hey kids, Holiday Cat here. I’m taking a break from looking out the window and purring with my eyes shut as people fall down in the snow to start getting my holiday gift return strategy together. Yes, it seems that some people forgot that I hate catnip and love sardines. But before I rush out, I like to know everyone’s return policies to avoid any embarrassing situations at the cash register that might result in my back arched and hair standing on end. [More]
It's Not Too Late To Give A Consumerist Anti-Gift Card
By 12.23.10
If you’ve been procrastinating about buying Christmas gifts for the past eleven months, it’s time to fish or cut bait (and, being a cat, I prefer that you fish, thank you very much). And, at this point, you can basically a) brave the insane crowds at the mall, b) spend a few hundred on ultra-super-express shipping, or c) give a Consumerist Anti-Gift Card. [More]
It's Time For The Airing Of Grievances Around The Consumerist Festivus Pole
By 12.23.10
Have at it. [More]
Is An IOU An Acceptable Alternative To An Actual Gift?
By 12.22.10
With just four days left until Christmas, it may be time to admit you’re going to end up stiffing someone. You could just do what I do: just purr and let them give you gifts. If that’s not an option for you, there are other choices. According to a new poll from our calculating cousins at Consumer Reports, about half of the people who don’t finish their gift shopping in time give IOUs instead. [More]
Make Your Own Glitter Flats At Home
By 12.22.10
Why drop $285 on a pair of Kate Spade glitter flats when you can make some yourself? Over at We Are Not Martha they show you how to take an old pair of flats and turn them into foot bedazzlers with just some mod podge, glitter, a foam brush, clear glaze spray and a mimosa. [More]
Who Should I Tip During The Holidays And How Much?
By 12.20.10
I’ve left strict word upstairs that the cat-sitter must be tipped well. So far, it’s worked. The fancy food comes out, the litter box is kept extra clean, and I even get to sleep in the master bedroom. But not everyone is so generous with their cash. [More]
How To Get Your Fatty Christmas Drink On, Or Not
By 12.20.10
One of the basic tenets of surviving December is that there must be enough alcohol to make the holidays, and the experience of answering “So, you’re still single?” for the eleventy billionth time, remotely tolerable. Getting fat during the festive season? That’s as unavoidable as your drunk Uncle Jim’s annual tradition of passing out under the Christmas tree, so why not tip the scale and get tipsy at the same time and get it over with? [More]
Co-workers Give The Worst Christmas Gifts
By 12.16.10
If you think your boss or colleagues have deliberately gone out of their way to bestow the worst possible holiday gifts on you year after year, you’re in good company. According to a new survey from our scientific siblings at Consumer Reports, about 30% of employed adults single out co-workers or bosses as the worst gift-givers. [More]
