I suppose that sounds better than fewer jobs and less disposable income (after four years of recovery being ´just around the corner´). The fiscal cliff thing has more drama.

I held way back, a fleet of Hot Wheel Cars bought online for $19 and a NYC Taxi for 6.99 for the little boy toddler. For the little girl who wanted costumes, I found a dress out of tule at 60% off, a sequined purple hat, a tule skirt with sequins, another skirt that looks like its for a flamenco dancer and an old silk skarf of mine with purple flowers. We skipped the parents this year and spent under $100. Business can´t live on people like me. The joy is in watching the boy open his gifts and line up his fleet and in the little girl modeling her new costumes and pretending she is a glamor puss.

The high priced schlock, to make hookers blush,is symptomatic of the dreck our culture values at risk to the things of true worth .., bah humbug to glittering folly ..Christmas is not a shopping season ..it is an eternal rebirth for the soul...

Lets not blame it all on the Fiscal Cliff. We should give significant credit to Half the country being sicken to death by Obama´s reelection. I hear D.C. hotels rooms are going at a discount for the Inauguration. The Republicans will be hammered these next few months when things go south, but the wheel will turn on Obama when we enter the Second GREAT Depression.

All the media hype about the consumer roaring back for holiday shopping was nothing but Baker Sugar and anyone with half a brain knew it.

Big layoffs are in the air, the remaining employed people are going to be paying thousands more in taxes and the unemployed (seasonally adjusted at 7.4% on U-3 or 14.4% on the U-6, take yer pick--it will be adjusted upwards later!)have their extended benefits past the state 26 weeks (EUC) cut off--over 2 million alone. The only ´confident´ people are those living in the D.C. bubble. And Barry Zero, who burns $180K per flight hour on AF1 and laughs at all of us in his New Kenya.

I think 0bamas relection had a lot to do with the fear of where this country is going and hence not spending on discretionary gifts.

Also think the Sandy Hook massacre dampened peoples spirits.

The results on November 6th sealed the fate of this year´s retail sales.

No adult gifts again this year, handmade and homemade woodcrafts and cookies were exchanged instead of store bought gifts.

We made plaster hand prints of the grandchildren as gifts to their parents and I wrote a personal poem to go with each of them.

I got childrens stories and songs on CD´s for the little ones...and the first 6 Hardy Boys books for my 6 year old and new reader. He read chapters 1 and 2 to me today and is excited to continue tomorrow.

I was able to put the fact that my mind is constantly calculating paycheck vs. expenses out of my mind for a few hours and really enjoyed Christmas...AND...I have NO BILLS coming in January to spoil the mood.

Low and behold we survived and we were happy..."God Bless us everyone."

For the first time in many years, we went day after Christmas shopping. We didn´t need a thing, just wanted out of the house. You know, we went to an elegant large mall. Traffic light at noon. The mall atmosphere so devoid of any joy or excitement. Depressed looking store managers cuz there were big sales and no buyers. Foot traffic very light. The only store full of folks was The Apple Store. The stupid Abercrombie´s had two 15 yr old boys in low, low riding jeans and bare chests to entice shoppers. Pathetic. THEY even looked sheepish. I do not like Obama but what I picked up today was not my imagination. I sensed great apprehension, the emptiness of people trying to celebrate generic, PC "holidays" while leaving out Christmas. I wanted to cry for the feeling of hopelessness and emptiness I saw today. Even all these Obama voters in WA state know enough to be nervous. They will never admit it but they are scared and know tough times are just ahead.

Rah, rah, sis boom bah!
We´ve got another fours years
of Barack Obama!
Yeah for us. Eventually the cheerleading is going to become tedious even for his adoring fans in the media.

They blamed W for years and now they are blaming congress. When do they start blaming Obomination?

The hard truths of the sad state of our economy its what´s at fault. Add to that, some people like myself are in hyper frugal mode (aka gone Galt). I´ve mentioned here before that I quit my high-paying job because I refuse to pay any more taxes to this socialist government. I could probably afford a few nick-nacks for xmas, I cannot justify the expense nor do I want to do anything to help the Obamaconomy to its feet. Every penny I earn or spend or pay in taxes is a penny that assists Obama in his evil plan. I am trying to do my part not to allow the economy to recover as long as we´re under a Marxist regime.

Obama and the MSM ran a campaign of fear. They made people fear Gov. Romney so much (he was rich and out of touch) that many voters felt they had no choice but to vote for Obama. They didn´t like him but they voted for him. So, there is no hope or pride or optimism. There is only fear and more fear. There won´t be happy Christmases for four years and maybe longer. Until most of the electorate can get past the MSM and Democrat message that capitalism and freedom are scary, this country will never know happiness and prosperity again.

I bought a gun...

Like another poster said, Christmas is not shopping and spending - it it the time to celebrate the rebirth of Christ and his message.A time for us to be in love with our family, friends, and the dispossessed. A time to reflect on our values. The displays of the season with holy and sweet music,lights,trees and making things for others are done in appreciation of Christ´s love for us. These are the ways we truly say thank you. Yes, people are nervous about the future; we will all be a lot poorer financially because of this wastrel in the White House. I am thankful to have no post Christmas debt, and to have had our house painted this past year while we could still afford it. Not a good time to be shopkeepers, they are taking the direct hit.

I think the reason is because the real unemployment rate is between 20-25% of the working population. The tax cliff will drive it up to the 30-40% range or maybe higher. Working people aren´t stupid. The grifters merely used their free EBT cards or maybe applied and received that $50,000 reparations money advertised on the WH website. Parasites know all the ins and outs for free money.

Obama is paralyzed with fear on tough decisions. I don´t think he even makes any until there´s a consensus among the senior staff aka.Valerie Jarrett.Then it has to be flushed through a left wing focus group because he´s only worried about offending his base.

Obama hasn´t got a clue on the fiscal cliff and he´s waiting on a magical silver bullet master plan.

The left says Obama is cool and thoughtful about decisions to cover up his indecisiveness.

I think it´ll come out one day that someone else pulled the trigger on BInLaden because they were tired of the decision being put off and there were people in the arena at risk of discovery.

I gave yard sale and 50% off items. They didn´t know the difference.

#8 About those always full Apple stores: Many, if not most of those people are in the store for tutorials. Apple schedules "classes"´ all day long. They have one on one, group and the Genius Bar tutorials. The stores are filled with people but most aren´t shoppers. I found that out at my first group class. It´s another clever Apple marketing strategy.

I was in the mall yesterday and noticed the Game Stop and Game Stop for Kids stores were crowded. The other stores, not so much. Lots of people but not many sales except for Christmas items. Our newspaper didn´t even have any advertising flyers over the weekend.

I knew they were going to say this!

hese journalists always have to twist the story to support their politics. Lying swine.

Socialism makes everyone poor with little optimism for the future. Get used to it for fourmore years. This guy is Darth Vader to the economy.

#18, you are right of course!