Holiday Shopping Made Simple

Every year about this time (November) wise people begin to plan for the coming weeks of Christmas Shopping. Each year I have noticed that Christmas displays are showing up in stores earlier each year. We are inundated with advertising in the newspapers, on TV and in the stores. Is it only because the election is over and the media needs a new hype?

I am a procrastinator extraordinaire, I wait til the last minute to shop, after everything else has been bought I buy from the dregs. But this year I am turning over a new leaf. I am going to have fun with the shopping. I am going to make an effort to visit as many business places, stores and shops that I can.

I am not going to buy anything, I said I was going to have fun. If a business is having a sale I will go in and ask for the manager and then tell them I am looking to buy several hundred of the items they have on sale. Then watch as they scramble to find the amount I need. When they tell me they will have to order more, I will ask for a price reduction because I have to wait. If they agree I tell them I will return later to place the order, if they won't give me the discounted price I simple say thank you and walk out.

Have you ever noticed that when you are in a store looking for something there is never anyone around to help, but when you are just browsing every clerk in the store wants to help? My idea this year is to see how many people I can get involved in helping me at the same time. Then ask each one what they can do on the price. Of course it will eventually get to the manager and then I will simply say no I changed my mind.

When I go to the check out line there are always people who have thirty items trying to go through the fast lane(20 item, 10 items or less). I always wondered what would happen If I confronted a few of them asking them to use another lane. Better yet ask to see a manager and have them confront the shoppers. Most stores don't wish to upset the shoppers with the most items and defer to the big spender. I can see the fights now.

have you ever went shopping and had to put up with someone else bratty kids. I think this year I am going to make it a point to call the manager of the store and ask them to intervene so that I can shop in peace. I am a curmudgeon when it comes to kids in a store. If you cannot control your kids leave them at home.

I have been the victim of price changes at the register. I find an item on the shelf that is supposed to be on sale only to find that it is on the wrong shelf. Or pick up an item that is in the same area but in a different size than the sale item. So this year I am going to move items around from one shelf to another. I would change the price tags but that is against the law.

When it comes to appliances and electronic I admit I am baffled. So this year I am going to go into the stores that have sales people who are paid commissions and find out how much they know about their products. I feel if you are going to make money on my purchase you should earn it. I found that one of the quickest ways to get sales personal to take an interest in you is to suggest that you plan to do a remodel and will be purchasing more than one item. Then after they have spent time trying to sell their product you have an out by saying you haven't begun yet.

I know this may not sound like fun to most of you, but then you may not be as ornery as I am. I still tell the waitress the order she brought wasn't the one I ordered, that the cold drink is too cold and the hot drink is too hot. I also tell them after the meal is delivered that I don't tip, if I tell them before hand they may spit in my food.