Let’s be honest here: as the big shopping season rolls to an end, we can’t offer you that much more help. It’s the 24th and if you haven’t bought your gifts by now then any tips we had about saving money or getting the best product are pretty much down the drain. Just run out and get whatever is left from whatever store happens to have some open parking.
Of course, we’ll be back after the Christmas break with suggestions on returns and re-gifts and ideas about how to use up all those gift cards. We may also be able to review what were the most sought after gifts of the season and how this year’s shopping season compared to last year’s. If you have a small business, this kind of information is invaluable. After all, the American consumer is your customer or your customer’s customer. Knowing how consumers behave and what they like is an important part of any kind of business.
But if you are thinking of yourself as private consumer, don’t think that post-shopping information isn’t important for you. Of course, the information won’t be about you as an individual but you never know when it’ll help you spot a pattern in your own behavior. It’s easy to be caught up in the holiday spirit and get a little carried away. Even if you don’t go over your budget, it’s always good to see where you invested a lot and where you invested a little.
It’s true about where you spent your money as well as your time and energy. Looking at how you spent all of those resources can be a great way of making sure that you’ve got your priorities straight and that you’re on the right road for reaching the goals that are important to you.
After all, the time for New Year’s Resolutions is right around the corner.
