Holiday Savings

If you've spent any time at all over the past few weeks shopping (ah, the holidays) then you have probably noticed that the deals and sales that can be had right now are mind-numbingly good. A poor economy has trickled down to the retail sector, and they've been forced to slash prices in order to move enough product this holiday season. If you're one of the lucky Americans who has NOT been overtly affected by the financial downturn, you may naturally be thinking "I need to take advantage of some of these deals for myself!"

Well, to quote my main man Admiral Ackbar, "It's a trap!" A financial trap!

Sure, if you were going to buy paper towels or a some new trousers anyway then it makes perfect sense to take advantage of the deals-a-plenty offered to you. But if, while shopping for some presents for your loved ones (anybody know what I should get my uncle? I am totally taking suggestions. I feel like another Red Sox sweatshirt will push him over the edge.) you are tempted by the siren song of cheap Wii games or shoes that you don't really need but feel the prices offered are TOO GOOD TO PASS UP I want you to take a deep breath and think of the following:

Do I really need this? Even though something priced $100 is 45% off and you're saving a whopping $45, if you weren't going to buy it at full price then you're still spending $55 that could have gone to your savings. With all the great deals out there, you can fall into this trap multiple times. That money could be collecting interest in a savings account, it could be put aside for an emergency, or it could be used to buy presents for your favorite bloggers (Kidding! Kind of.)

So deck the halls, and take advantage of those great holiday deals to get your Christmas shopping done with plenty of cash left over to save for a rainy day. That's the best present you can give yourself.