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November 26, 2004 05:18 PM

Tips For Stretching Your Holiday Budget


Excerpt: Savvy shoppers are expected to do comparison shopping online this year. And according to a recent study from JupiterResearch, there are a lot of smart shoppers out there.


Savvy shoppers are expected to do comparison shopping online this year. And according to a recent study from JupiterResearch, there are a lot of smart shoppers out there.

If the study is correct, online retail holiday sales this year will reach $21.6 billion. A rising number of Americans -- 86 million to be exact -- are expected to make holiday purchases on the Web this year compared to 73 million last year.

"Consumers use the Internet to get inspiration as well as to find good prices at the holidays," said JupiterResearch retail analyst Patti Freeman Evans. "Over half of online holiday shoppers say they will use the Web to get gift ideas or to seek better prices," she said.

Hopefully, those shoppers will comparison shop for better prices -- instead of spending too much by clicking "Charge my card" without thinking through their purchases.


Holiday temptations
The holiday season is an all-out assault on your senses. The music, decorations, lights and the delicious seasonal smells assail your sensibilities on every street and in every store. The pace is frantic, the mood is manic, and the atmosphere is, well, different.

The holidays are so set apart from the norm that people are tempted to break out of their norm -- for just the season.

"It's seduction," says Ruth Hayden, a financial educator and author of "For Richer, Not Poorer: The Money Book for Couples."

"Consumers are seduced into buying. To be seduced means that you're crossing boundaries that you've set. You're tempted to buy because you want to belong. You're tempted to buy because you want to create love."

And that's where it gets dangerous -- financially speaking.

Read Full Story ...



Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping (November 28, 2004)
Shopping: You either love it or hate it. Regardless of which camp you fall into (I'm in the former), you have no choice come the holidays. But even for dedicated shoppers, buying for everyone can be daunting -- not to mention expensive. Here are some ...
Give Gifts That Give Back (November 28, 2004)
The holiday shopping season officially starts this week, but many halls are already decked and many consumers' budgets are already stretched. Holiday spending is up almost 20 percent from the same time last year, reports Visa, and momentum is building. This year will see more ...
Meet The Bargain Hunters: Three Everyday Experts Share Their Tips (November 26, 2004)
Think you're thrifty? Top this: Malysa Niederkohr of Mill Creek spends $50 a week on groceries for her family of four. Including diapers. Shelly Watanabe of Burien — a self-described "thrift queen" — once scored a $200 beaded cocktail dress for $4.99. Mara Phipps of ...
Smart Holiday Shopping (November 25, 2004)
While the average consumer expects to spend $702.03 over the holidays, just 4.5 percent more than last year, plenty of us will spend more than we can afford. Are you worried about a debt hangover this holiday season? Here are 5 tips to help you ...

Read all 21 posts in the same category of Spending:

Cell Phone Calls In Flight? - Dec 09, 2004
Holiday Tipping - Dec 09, 2004
Tunes Coming To Callers? - Dec 08, 2004
Electronic Ways to Pay Eclipse Checks in Number - Dec 07, 2004
The Trouble With Rebates - Dec 07, 2004
Customers Tire of Excuses for Rebates That Never Arrive - Dec 07, 2004
'Phishing' Attacks Surge In 2004 - Dec 06, 2004
Bush Signs Internet Tax, Special Ed Bills - Dec 05, 2004
The Wide World Of Online Shopping - Dec 04, 2004
Shopbots: Your Own Automated Shopping Assistant On The Web - Dec 04, 2004
Traveler: Know Your Options - Dec 04, 2004
Worried Merchants Throw Discounts at Shoppers - Dec 04, 2004
Regifting 101 - Dec 02, 2004
Health Costs Up 7.5% - Dec 02, 2004
5 Popular Holiday Shopping Scams - Nov 30, 2004
Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping - Nov 28, 2004
Give Gifts That Give Back - Nov 28, 2004
Meet The Bargain Hunters: Three Everyday Experts Share Their Tips - Nov 26, 2004
Smart Holiday Shopping - Nov 25, 2004
Some Shoppers Find Fewer Happy Returns - Nov 07, 2004