Media outlets and retail mavens have been free with advice this holiday season about how to shop smart this year-getting more for your money and budgeting purchases to avoid the traditional binge of overspending. May we offer yet another thought this Black Friday? Shop smart and shop locally.
Discount retailers are seeing an upswing in receipts as Americans hunker down to weather a possible recession, but there is more to think about than just a ticket price when you are buying your Christmas gifts.
When you factor in less time shopping and burning gasoline hitting the stores, shopping locally can bring the total price tag down quickly. Plus, you may just feel better about spending the money in the bargain.
Around Newberry, 15-gallon tank of gas is running about $25.95. That's a couple trips to the mall, or-one more present in the family gift exchange. If you are looking for something unusual perhaps it is the year to take a closer look at home. Newberry County boasts plenty of shops with items you won't see at major retailers. That $25 in gas savings could go a long way toward justifying a boutique purchase versus a cookie-cutter gift.
Looking for the ease of gift cards for those folks you have a hard time picking for? Local grocers sell gift cards for lots of stores, and most stores and restaurants in the area sell gift cards for their own businesses, or you can pick up Berry Bucks that spend at a variety of city storefronts.
Don't waste your time at stoplights, or burning up the road to the mall, when you can spend a little time and money supporting your neighbors and community members and come out with wonderful gifts for reasonable prices. Then you can turn around and spend the time you saved, with family, or with friends, or doing a little Christmas giving that is of the more soul-saving sort. Yes, people are pulling back on their spending this holiday season. But that doesn't mean that we should pull back on taking care of each other and bolstering our local economy.
The point is this, keep the money as close to home as you can. If you are going to spend the money, why not spend it wisely and help stave off the effects of a recession in your immediate environment? We all rely on each other for our living. Look out for yourself and your neighbors and shop smart this holiday season.
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