17% Have Finished Their Holiday Shopping

"With less than three weeks until Christmas, just 17% of Americans have finished their holiday shopping. Just three percent (3%) finished their shopping over the past week. Seven percent (7%) had finished shopping before Thanksgiving."

And that surprises anyone? With the economy being what it is, everyone is looking for that deal and I'm no exception. And then there is the little thing about loving to shop on Christmas Eve. I don't think that a year has gone by that I haven't picked up at least one item on Christmas Eve. It's just a whole lot of fun and that is what Christmas is all about... regardless of your age! Christmas Eve is just magical, but finding that "magic" is going to take a bit more work this year... at least when it comes to finding the prices we can afford to pay!

The Westside Story: 17% Have Finished Their Holiday Shopping:

Looking for Bargains

Image by David Sherret via Flickr

At the moment, I'm sitting in Toronto, with a Christmas party looming and no coat that will work with the outfit I'm planning on wearing... didn't expect it to be so cold! Anyway, went shopping yesterday to find a new coat. Okay, Okay, I needed a new one anyway, but still didn't want to spend a bundle if I didn't have to. Spent the afternoon at Markdale Mall and nearly bought a gorgeous black shawl that "nearly" worked. It was easy to wear and had this trim of black "fur" around the edges. But, something held me back and out of the blue my husband asked if I wanted to go to Yorkdale Mall to see what they had.

Now I know Yorkdale Mall and while their clothes are gorgeous, their prices... not so much! I was pretty sure that I wouldn't find what I was looking for but hey, it would be fun to peruse the stores with all of their Christmas decorations. Anyway, I managed my way through just THREE stores and found a coat that had been marked down by 75%!! I still can't believe it. It's one gorgeous knee length black coat that was actually less expensive that the shawl that I had been considering.

What did I learn?? Make a game out of your shopping. You just never know what you will stumble upon and during the afternoon of perusing... I was so busy looking that I didn't even spend any money on coffee and a pastry which is usually the case when I go shopping!

Things for Free!

It must be the coming holiday season that is turning my thoughts in this direction. ;)

A cheer for the snow--the drifting snow;
Smoother and purer than Beauty's brow;
The creature of thought scarce likes to tread
On the delicate carpet so richly spread.
With feathery wreaths the forest is bound,
And the hills are with glittering diadems crown'd:
'Tis the fairest scene we can have below.
Sing, welcome, then, to the drifting snow!
Eliza Cook

How beautiful it was, falling so silently, all day long, all night long, on the mountains, on the meadows, on the roofs of the living, on the graves of the dead!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.”
Bill Watterson

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels”
Unknown

When I was a child and the snow fell, my mother always rushed to the kitchen and made snow ice cream and divinity fudge-egg whites, sugar and pecans, mostly. It was a lark then and I always associate divinity fudge with snowstorms.”
Eudora Welty

Black Friday and Beyond: Walmart vs. Amazon in Holiday Shopping Battle

Now this was an interesting read. I'm really quite new to this whole Black Friday thing, having lived in another country until up to a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, from what I have been hearing, it's kind of scaring me. People are actually getting up in the middle of the night to find the sales?? Well, apparently Amazon wants to change all of that!

More Here

RPT-PREVIEW-'Black Friday' deals may not signal retail comeback | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

Image via Wikipedia

I know that I'm a lot more careful and not quite as frivolous as I used to be. I wonder what the final numbers will be??

RPT-PREVIEW-'Black Friday' deals may not signal retail comeback | Markets | Markets News | Reuters