holidays
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Recession Briefing 12.18: Christmas Wallets Opening Up
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
The average amount of money Americans predict they will spend on Christmas gifts this season is now $743, up from last month’s estimate and a healthy increase over Americans’ Christmas spending forecast at this time a year ago. (Gallup)
Are you wondering why you’re not getting as many holiday cards this year? The U.S. Postal Service says there was an 11% decline in cancellations of first-class cards and letters from Dec. 1-13 — when most Americans mail holiday cards — compared to 2008. (USA Today)
About 1.7 million homeowners were on the verge of foreclosure in the fall, a looming “shadow inventory” of homes that will be put up for sale in the coming years and weigh down prices, a report said. (Associated Press)…
Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: The Host/Hostess
Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean you feel good laying off on giving. We’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique and inexpensive gifts for every friend and family member.
Hostess: Homemade Fudge
Hopefully you’ve got plenty of holiday parties that will take your mind off of the job situation for an hour or two. Instead of buying a bottle of wine for each, consider whipping up a few batches of fudge, using the easy Baker’s Chocolate recipe available here…
Recession Briefing 12.16: Sad Santas at the Mall
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
The recession is bumming out mall Santas as many children are asking for essentials such as clothing and jobs for their moms and dads rather than the usual toys and games. (Wassau Herald)
Many of the lasting scars of the recession of 2008-09 are clearly understood. The world’s economic output will be persistently lower, the balance of economic power has shifted towards emerging economies, and governments face years of repair work on their budgets. But the social scars are potentially deeper, longer-lasting and harder to quantify. (Financial Times)
A 2% mortgage? A growing number of homeowners are getting dream workouts on their mortgages, and nearly 80% of all loan modifications resulted in lower payments in the second quarter. (CNN/Money)…
Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: For Grandparents
Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean you feel good laying off on giving. The idea of entering my Mom’s house on Christmas Day empty-handed feels worse than charging up my credit card. So we’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique and inexpensive gifts for every friend and family member.
Grandparents: Charity Donation
Your grandparents are the last people you should actually buy something for. Why? Because they don’t need anything…
Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: For Dad
I was laid off in October, but the idea of entering my Mom’s house on Christmas Day empty-handed feels worse than charging up my credit card. So we’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique gifts for every friend and family member. The best part? They’re all inexpensive.
Dad: Something Practical-But-Entertaining
Of course he doesn’t want a tie, but what does Dad really want?…
Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: Mom
I was laid off in October, but the idea of entering my Mom’s house on Christmas Day empty-handed feels worse than charging up my credit card.
So we’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique gifts for every friend and family member. The best part? They’re all wildly inexpensive. Happy Shopping!
Mom: Stationery
Mom’s love thank you notes–they love writing them, receiving them and nagging you to send them–so why not give her something you know she’ll use: A stunning stationery set…
Holiday Parties for the Unemployed
For once you get to lord it over the Goldman Sachs suckers, my unemployed friends. Sure, they’re getting record bonuses this year, but do they get a holiday bash? Uh-uh.
Meanwhile, around the country, people are organizing company parties for the company-less. (In case you missed seeing your co-workers get drunk in totally inappropriate clothing choices and then clumsily grope each other.)…
Last-Minute Holiday Marketing Tips
There are just days left in the holiday shopping season, and that means your marketing efforts are getting a lot more intense. But the new rules for the changed economy say no business owners should have to unload a huge chunk of their earnings into a holiday season marketing program, even though they might have spent this way in the old days … and even if their businesses lean a lot on this time of year. So which low-cost marketing strategies yield the best results?
The following strategies represent some recession-friendly, creative ways to market your company over the next few holiday weeks…
Recession Briefing 11.30: Is Anyone Not on Food Stamps?
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children. (New York Times)
“If the United States succumbs to a fiscal crisis, as an increasing number of economic experts fear it may,” writes Niall Ferguson, “then the entire balance of global economic power could shift.” (Newsweek)
Growing ranks of U.S. citizens are heading to street corners and home improvement store parking lots to find day-labor work usually done by illegal immigrants. (USA Today)…
13 Ways to Save Money on Holiday Gifts
Black Friday may be the day retailers start turning a profit, but for shoppers it can be the day budgets starts plunging into the red. Still, with careful planning and some creativity, you can avoid the chest pains that so often come in January when you open your bills. And cutting down on holiday spending doesn’t mean you have to cut down on the holiday fun—not with our 13 savvy tips.
- Create and stick to a budget. Avoid surprises with a holiday budget that includes everything involved in celebrating the holidays, not just your gift list. Consider the cost of attend parties, making or attend holiday dinners, shopping expeditions, lunches with friends, etc…
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