Category: Shopping

For decades now, gift cards have become a “basic” for most of us as just another way to shop and give as gifts to our family and friends. I can remember my days as an executive with the Macy Corporation when they became first an idea and then ultimately a real money maker for the company. That was then and the profit motive was in my brain and blood. But when it comes to the reality of gift cards, are there cons to them? I mean, for you, do they actually suck?

Remember Gift Certificates? (Yes, They Still Exist)

I once had to make a presentation to the Board of Directors about expanding the sale of gift certificates at the chain of department stores I worked for back in (as Adam F. Goldberg would say) 1970-something.

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We are just a few days away from the “official” beginning of summer and that is despite the fact that the pools are already open, the beaches are ready, and the temperatures in many places have already hit 90 degrees and higher! But trips to the beach, backyard barbecues, and those lazy vacation days ahead aren’t the only hallmarks of summer. There’s the great shopping and summer retail sales to look forward to, and consumers this year can add even bigger bargains to their lists.

No surprises here, but guess what? Thanks to the 41-year high in inflation, there are even more reasons right now to shop and save. Summer retail sales 2022, here we come!

It’s been quite a while since any kind of good feeling about shopping arrived on your doorstep, hasn’t it? The big “I”—inflation—has made shopping a lot less fun and getting out to do it even less with COVID-19. But things are lightening up when it comes to that right now. While it’s true that prices are a big deal when you are trying to shop and make ends meet, Presidents Day sales in 2022 have a few bargains that still look like deals, so here’s a short list of the things and places that you can still make a killing on right now. Are you in the mood to save big?

Presidents Day is Monday, February 21st

You’re in luck! Presidents Day is a few days away, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until February 21st to save big. Right now, loads of your favorite go-to and online stores have already started to mark down tons of must-have items, from best-selling air fryers to tech deals on smartwatches and more.

As someone who worked in retailing for decades, I can tell you that business is responsible for creating an awful lot of need. Or is it that we just think we need them? There are some things in life that we actually do need, like food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and so on. But even within those basic necessities, needs are always being created for things that do us no good at all or even cause us harm to our finances and there’s the problem. So when you really think about it, you have to ask the question, “Why do we spend so willingly on things we don’t need?”

The “Brand Name” Thing

No one needs Adidas or Nike sneakers. No one needs a Big Mac. No one needs a Lexus or a Range Rover (especially here in NJ where the ranges are few and far between!). And the list of branded items that we don’t really need goes on and on.

It’s not too early to get ready for back-to-school time across the USA. The majority of schools across the country are planning on reopening for full-time, in-person instruction in the fall. Yes, some will also offer remote learning options for families who wish to keep students home, but for a huge number, returning to a regular classroom is a big part of restoring life to normal once again.

That return means shopping around to get the clothing and supplies that your children will need for the upcoming school year. It’s always a big expense to get kids ready, especially if you have more than one. So knowing what, when, and where to shop for what you need is definitely necessary and that actually begins right now! Especially if you can take advantage of a back-to-school sales tax holiday.