Show V t 7 Section I : I Monday I'- December29 2003 Vr :i Pagel The Herald journal mtn Xi -- r: £ By Krilir Davit Christmas shopping is a lot of pressure for most of us and no matter how hard we try there is no way to get the absolute perfect gift for everyone on your list Usually I do OK but I have to admit that I gave some really stupid gifts this year ' Due to sick kids and a business ' trip I was short on time and ideas but I figured I could make it all come together in a week somehow Sigh I swear to you right how 1 am going to be the “Shopper of the Year for 2004” and buy Christmas gifts all year round like' all those annoying lit--: tie perfect shoppers do (You know y who you are you're Out there buying next year’s gifts already at the after Christinas sales and we hate you) "' ' I think the ' worst mistake " AP photo y General Sales Manager for JM Lexus Randy Knapton stands next to 2004 GX 470 Lexus' decorated with' a Christmas bow on Dec 20 in Margate Fla! Automakers and retailers hoping tocashinoruh flurry pushed the idea of a car as a Christmas gift in advertisements and customers responded::' year-endsal- es made this1 year was going to Pier One That I place dazes' and mesmer-- : izes me Why why why did that store have GX 470 for Christmas considered ETROITAP) — to come to Logan? I went there hanging the key around the peck of :V impossible They’re walked around in a Pier One Hare down the another to slide holiday gift — a new puppy for many blissful hours and found : ' -with and then the her and 7surprising chimney pretty ' “the perfect gift” for everyone on my hard to cover with newSU V in the driveway list The only hitch The pooch was' wrapping paper ' HolycrapI was one misguided y ' : small':' too butmany Ameji s tressed-oshopper What on earth So Gallagher planned to keep the cans still found a Way this holiday made me think tnafaiy friend who ' vehicle at his daughter’s nearby season with a ones loved to surprise take-out ' always eats out or gets house on Christmas Eve and have-very big gift — - a ivew car : would want a giant set of Pier One and retailers Automakers her drive it over Christmas morning hoping ' glass bowls in descending sires? where Joanne would find it in the ' in cash sales on a to year-en- d flurry — What is he going to do with those pushed the idea in seasonal adver-:-': driveway complete with a big red use them for organizing his nuts and ' tisemento-And took bow oii top — not unlike a scene people many bolt$?(Hey I might just suggest ' on their offers US sales of : depicted in one of the automaker’s them up that!) y : new cars and trucks in December TV ads Furthermore when you have to ' be the near to are The Lexus replaces a l996 v ' expected highest' explain to someone what their gift:'' 7 level of any month this year aided Chrysler Towh & Country minivan is you know you don’t k actually the improving economy and co- n- '' 1 “She has ho idea this is coming’’ by friend a have t a winner gave exactly ' sumer incentives saidGailagher whoownsa business a little Pier One thingy that you1 ' luXu- there’s to more a But that makes marine' antennas and giving use say ifyou want to have a ' sedan or sprety pickup than just other ry a and equipment '“She thinks she’s-gettinbed near water of your pitcher : ' 000 a new blouse maybe some ' $40000' handing over$20 matching glass and wanted that glass ' do how "even to dealer— a $60000 inside the pitcher slippers but not this” to fit upside-dow- n ''j " you keep it a secret? Do husbands so you didn't spill it on the way to Gallagher bought the GX 470 at ' JM Lcxiisin Margate Fla General really dazzle their wives by using the bedroom and then you could ' ' ' for the nose as to a car new the sales manager Randy Knapton said key keep fillingup that little glass all front-yarwe’ ve as d a snowman the South Florida business usually without getting up' again night long in TV ads?-seen sells 500 to 600 vehicles a months In I I But know want I!' one' yeah ' ' for ‘It’s said sure’! V that’s tricky I December the numbers rise ' have to say that nearly every gift vehi814 Alan Helfman sold JM Last December ai: want is manager longtime give something ' River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Hoiis- cles including 23 delivered on ' - My biggest gift’snafu this year nation’s the one ton of Christinas Eve alone Knapton said largest however was the present I gave my : hide “Yoii can't dealers This month the business expected to brother I'm a confessed “techy Chrysler J : them in the closet” ' nerd” but it seemed me that every top l'XX)0 sa)eS including about the 7 ' Bud Gallagher of Parkland Fla' same number of cars and SU Vs drione oh the planet should want a ' Joanne Lexus wife who a his thumbnail-siz- e ven away on Christmas Eve1 r file bought computer storage device! I don’t know tuny society ever functioned before we had these miraculous devices! Those' little thumbnails can store files photos whatever you want in one click of a mouse They also make interesting jewelry if you were to put one on a "" By Mary Hunt neck-chai- With car prices down and the economy up many found their big gift in the driveway 1 ut : - s ' : : : - 7 : 7Y n! ' Anyway my brother is a high powered attorney I figured he would be very impressed that I found one of these thumboailswith so muchstor-ag- e capacity! Well it tumsout that attorneys do not want or need to know how or where files 'are stored since-thehave bunches of : secretaries named Kimberly to do this for them I’ll make a long stray ‘shoft and just give you the punchline: I wrote him a check for $60 and he v handed over the thumbnail storage device Not a bad plan actually I mabe on to something Maybe I should just continue to give people 4ktuff that I want and then oner to trade them money! This could be the perfect idea! Does Pier One offer its V own credit card? I think I’ve got a shot at being “Shopper of the Year : for 2004!” - high-power- ed y Key DuBoii Davis la a technical writer Iving in SmNhfiekL8he can be reached: ! byemalatutahdaisy20030yahoocQm Customers haye' different ways of penSu Yoii can identify Christmas hiding their big gifts Some iike' graduation and normally the fall V when kids 'are going back ti v Gallagher pick iip the vehicles' themselves and hide them witb'a v 7 school” v ' neighbor of family member Others Even some dealers and their v salesman take to for a part " employees can’t avoid (he enticing arrange ' in the Surpriseand deliver if to the ' offers at this time of year and the home on Christmas Eve chance to be Santa’s No elf Some who buy vehicles' weeks ' ! Kevin Lamphier a service consu- lahead of time keep them stashed at tant at River Oaks in Houston : the dealership ' planned to stun his wife' Katrina “Like every retail business this with a new Chrysler Pacifica on the sell- time of year the people-o"Christmas Eye He said he’d wrap ing side are wbikingextra long and the a Pacifica brochure in a ' key their weekr hours and canceling ends'' Knapton said “But thjs'is 'p small tox and pophorf hersixni when the car business is full You’ ve after he got word via cellular :teltK phone that a salesman reached his ' got the new models that Came put in October and November and Lexus house with the vehicle! makes its big pitch plus We get a lot “I did the same thing eight years- of snowbirds downhere this time of ' ago" Lamphier said “Here we go ' " v year It all seems to come together" again” Art Spinella of CNW Marketing Helfman couldn't pass lp nearly' Research in Banidon Ore said in customer and dealer $4800 moms and dads at times buy hew ' rebates on a new Jeep Grand Chero- vehicles during the holiday s aS fam- son Blake kee foe his 1 ily gifts and parents might splurge’ One night during HanukJkah Helf on a new car or thick' for a graduatman planned tci bring the family to ing son or daughter ' dinner at a restaurant with Valei Spinella estimated that vehicles niaike up slightly less than 2 parking When the Helfmans pip-- ' pared to: leave guess whose new saies December in percfcnt of total ' vehicle the valet attendant was — higher thaii most other months ' ' drive-uin? to going “During the course of the year ' "Oh man he’s gonria freak” ahout l 25 percent of al sales fall into that category” he1 said “There' Helfman said !Tf$ just better to use 'some kind of gimmick” are: very specific tirties when it hap- 1 : ' : ': - Estimate now much you': spent ori presents' Add together those twp estimates and niake a ' ' commitment right now that yoii will either save There’s nothing quite so joyful as turning the that much cash for next Christmas' ordownscale brand-neBut fresh onto a year! page unspoiled ' ' your spenidinguntil it matches the cash you can for the majority of Americans the joy will last save miserable receive it takes a as as to abput long COMMON HOLIDAY DEBT PITFALLS y one that reminder of the past holiday season Don’t hide-fro' the new debt- Write it down y comes wrapped up In credit card bills! the exact amount Even with and lock eyeballs You not fear is can to this If happening you ments Do this and your holiday debt will be paid be part of a larger balance separate it arid may though a take to out perform 'dig steps prevent repeat in full by summer Example: You added $1200 in it If you don’t you’ll be paying interest on this : mancenextChristmas' holiday related expenses to your credit cards' new debt for 15 to 20 years or rnoie depending on ahead most for major expenWhile people plan divide bysix to get $200 If your current mini -- Vthe ' interestrate! y y' ditures like buying a car or a down payment oh a mum monthly payment is $125:increase if to !!:'-it’s the rin v debt' to to Don’t ikld easy adopt house few plan ahead for Christmas Apparently’ $325 for six months or until the ienitire $ l200 is ' attitude that yoitJiave so milch debt jiow a few we just don’t think of the holidays as the regular! ' paid"more purchases won’t matter But it will matter v ly recurring major expense it has become We Continue paying $200cxtrae very month not Make a commitment to no more new debc allow the season to sneak up on us and then we to yourcredit card debt but to yourself for your ' Don’t feel your situation is hopeless There's fed so stressed and pressured we'll do anything Holiday Cash Stash This is the only way you ' — always means that even if hope! Your attitude and determiiiritiop will to just get through will be able to breakyour dependence on credit help you find the best way to repay your holiday when you get into a financial jam 'v debt and get back on track ' So what should you do if you’ve entoed the ' Estimate the amount you spent in non-gi- ft — ' i New Year dragging a big load of debt with you? holiday expenses Examples: concert and pageant Mary Hunt is the creator of The Cheapskate HOW TO CONQUER HOLIDAY DEBT tickets extra food fw entertaining travel holiday V Monthly newsletton-whiccan be ordered onljne at Determine exactly how much of your debt is clothes office parties decorations gilt wrapping ! wwwoheapekatemonthlycomAim questions attributable to the holiday season just passed - - Christmas cards Christmas postage kid s or tips at cheapskateunitedmediacOrn or Everyday photos (or more) of that amount in f Pay one-six- th school and church events banquets choir parties Cheapekafs PO Box 2135! Paramount CA 90723 addition to your regular monthly credit card pay- - ' and grit exchanges " w : : ! : ! : s’ : 7 h |