Nov. 23, 2023 "Thrifting, regifting and bargain hunting: The etiquette of gift-giving on a budget": Today I found this article by Christopher Reynolds on BNN Bloomberg:
Five years ago, Julie Blais Comeau received a present. Then she learned the Christmas-themed apron and dish towel weren’t for her — originally.
“I got a gift from somebody that was intended for someone else,” she said, laughing. The gift tag hadn’t even been swapped for one with her name.
Regifting remains one of many fraught areas of trading presents with family, friends and colleagues, a holiday dance as delicate as a Christmas ornament. And as consumers grapple with higher interest rates and inflation, questions about how to juggle second-hand items, bargain hunting and personal expectations loom larger than ever.
An Equifax survey found that some 68 per cent of respondents plan to budget for holiday shopping this year, up from 57 per cent in 2022.
One starting point is simply talking frankly with loved ones or co-workers to lay out ground rules — guardrails, hard or soft, that aim to accommodate everyone’s financial situation.
“Have that family meeting,” said Blais Comeau, an etiquette consultant and author. And do it a few weeks ahead of time, in person or digitally.
“Make the decisions about what traditions will be honored, what may be altered, to ensure that everyone can participate inclusively.”
The guidelines can establish that all presents must be within a certain price range, or handmade, or from a thrift store.
“A family I know ‘pooled’ all their gifts and auctioned them off at the family gathering on Christmas Day,” said Louise Fox, who runs The Etiquette Ladies coaching company. Money from the bids went to charity.
A direct discussion can also head off worries beforehand and awkward scenarios on the day of.
“Gifting can cause anxiety, even conflict” — including between partners that harbour lopsided notions of giving — Blais Comeau said.
“There's a lot of dreams and expectations associated with gifting.”
Thrift giving is a growing trend, consumer experts say, especially for clothes and accessories. If a jacket or handbag looks tailor-made for your friend, grab it. “You know your people best,” Blais Comeau said.
On the thorny subject of regifting, the first rule is to make sure it’s something the receiver will like, rather than simply passed along for convenience.
In general, the item should be effectively unused and in its original packaging.
And of course, no wrong names or price tags.
You could even let the initial giver know their present found a new home. “You tell them you appreciated the gift but you already owned one, and instead of the hassle of returning it, you have given it to someone who really needed it — and loves it!” Fox said.
Of course, treasured possessions or heirlooms — “Grandma’s bracelet or the quilt Aunt Helen made” — need not come in their original, mothballed chest.
A final rule of thumb for subtle regifting is to keep your spheres separate.
“If it's something that you got at work and you're going to hand it off to your sister-in-law, that could be fine,” said Blais Comeau.
“If, for example, you got it from work and your child saw it, and then your child sees you regifting to Auntie Sue, your worlds have just collided.” So think it through.
Home crafts and cards can also offer more value than a pricey product from a chic boutique.
“If I'm giving something to my mom and dad for Christmas, I might work hard to create a collage of their pictures over the 40 years since they have been married. That's the effort,” said Vivek Astvansh, a marketing professor at McGill University.
If you’re struggling to find the words, there’s an app for that. Using AI chatbot ChatGPT to help write a card isn’t necessarily cheating.
“It's not new that people go online and type, ‘Birthday wishes for my brother,’” Blais Comeau said. But chatbots can inject a fun element if fed suggestions moulded for the recipient.
“If one of my friends is very much a fashionista, I'm going to say, ‘Write holiday wishes in the form of 'Sex and the City's' Carrie.’” And just like that, a thoughtful card is born.
One sensitive area is gag gifts. “If you feel you have to say, ‘It’s just a joke,’ that means … stay away,” said Blais Comeau. “You may belittle them, you may offend them." Cultural sensitivity is another consideration, she added.
To keep your wallet flush, Astvansh suggests bargain hunting — and remembering that Black Friday sales aren’t always a steal. Reading the fine print and avoiding buy now, pay later plans are also key.
For online purchases, including via Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, return policies can vary by product.
For example, items sold by a third party on Walmart.ca can't be returned in store if they're more than $250 or oversized or overweight, such as mattresses and large appliances.
“You need to contact the seller — which may be located in any random country — exchange emails with them and then return the product,” Astvansh said. “It becomes an extreme mess.”
As for buy now, pay later, he warned: “You should not spend more money than your payment capacity. That’s a huge alert.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2023.
Dec. 13, 2022 "'Pre-loved doesn't mean second-best': Young Canadians thrift holiday gifts": Today I found this article by Caitlin Yardley on BNN Bloomberg:
Marissa Myers has been shopping almost exclusively at second-hand stores for the past three years.
The 24-year-old sales associate at a non-profit consignment store in Calgary grew up shopping second-hand and is a self-proclaimed "avid thrifter."
"There's absolutely no way that I can justify shopping new and retail when there's already so many clothes in existence," she said.
Myers is not alone.
While many Canadians rely on thrift stores every day, the rising cost of living, as well as ethical concerns, is leading younger generations to make more second-hand purchases.
According to a report published by thrift-store chain Value Village, 80 per cent of generation Z in Canada and the U.S. have purchased clothing at a second-hand store in the last year.
And some are turning to used items this gift-giving season.
But the stigma of purchasing second-hand items still lingers, especially when it comes to gifts.
Myers said items may be perceived as dirty, less desirable or not fitting within social norms, holding some people back from thrifting.
This holiday season, however, Jeff Smail, vice president of business development at Value Village, said thrift stores are seeing more people purchase second-hand gifts, given the current economic climate.
To help reduce the stigma, Natacha Blanchard, a spokeswoman for reselling online platform Vinted, said people can start by requesting second-hand items for the holidays.
"If you want to help promote more second-hand gifts, why not make your wish list just with second-hand?" said Blanchard.
She said that in addition to being more ethical and price-conscious, gifting a used item can make for a unique and sentimental gift.
"I received a [second-hand gift] that had a little note that explained where the product comes from and what its past life was," she said. "Something you cannot really get new."
Throughout his 33 years working at Value Village, Smail said he has noticed that thrift shopping has always been popular with younger generations.
"I was the most popular dad around because I worked for Value Village and so it has always been the upcoming generations that have been interested in thrift," he said. "I think part of it is the uniqueness of the offering."
But this time around, Smail believes the trend among generation Z looks like it's here to stay, as younger Canadians are more concerned with the environmental impact of their actions compared with older generations.
Experts say that the clothing industry of today has many young people worried about how their shopping habits might be contributing to climate change.
Around 30 years ago, apparel companies offered two to three collections per year. Now, the average fast fashion company will offer up to 24 collections every year, said Javad Nasiry, associate professor of Operations Management at McGill University.
One way that fashion retailers have adapted to the growing demand is by reducing the quality of materials used for a garment, reducing its lifespan, said Nasiry.
In addition to the high concentration of resources like water used to create clothes, the textile industry contributes to mass amounts of landfill waste.
According to Value Village, 95 per cent of clothing and textiles thrown away in landfills could have been re-worn or repurposed.
While Nasiry recommends reducing overall consumption habits by
repairing or renting clothing items,
he said that thrifting is also a great way to reduce waste.
While the holiday season can create a lot of financial stress and waste,
thrift stores
and reselling platforms
can offer a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly alternative to wish-list items.
Gifting used does not only apply to
clothing,
as second-hand jewelry,
electronics,
children's toys
and books
also make great gifts, said Blanchard.
"We need to understand that pre-loved doesn't mean second-best."
'Pre-loved doesn't mean second-best': Young Canadians thrift holiday gifts - BNN Bloomberg
This is from my Dec. 2022 blog post:
"The gig economy is here- and we aren't ready"/ The Simpsons/ Precarious Professor documentary
That's why some environmentally minded families have embraced Thriftmas, where you source everything you want for the season second-hand, from presents and clothing to decor.
"I know that I can find what I'm looking for, nine times out of 10, if I just put in the effort," said Sinclair Strand, 26, of Surrey, B.C.
Strand, who has a three-year-old son, estimates that 80 per cent of what she brings into her home is thrifted. That includes the Christmas presents she's found for her son so far: a toy leaf blower that she knows he'll be thrilled with and a bag of Little People farm accessories.
Strand posts her finds — and tips — on TikTok, where she tries to normalize second-hand gift-giving (and where #thriftmas is a popular topic).
"Why does it matter where you bought it or how you found it?" Strand said. "Overconsumption in general is just crazy, but especially around the holidays … so many people are just buying things for the sake of buying things."
The problem with all that stuff? We don't use it. Or we do, for a little while, but then it goes out of style, or we get bored with it, and it piles up and we feel the urge to purge. Household waste can increase by as much as 25 per cent during the holiday season, according to Zero Waste Canada.
Here are a few gift ideas from our Thriftmasers:
Unique stemware, glasses, teacups or mugs. You can add a bag of fair trade coffee that supports a local business.
Decor, such as retro hand towels, vases or candlesticks.
Flower pots and used house plants. A lot of people purge plants online.
Baskets or canisters. You can add consumables like local chocolates.
A book you own that you loved and know a friend would love, too. Add a handmade bookmark.
Brand-name winter jackets or boots. (Some people sell or donate new items they can't be bothered to return.)
Gently used sports equipment, like skates, for kids. Their feet will grow out of them by next year, anyway.
Board games and puzzles. (Just check that all the pieces are there.)
Later in life we in my family have stumbled naturally into thriftmas, for no other reason that the fact we have everything we need, and no-one spends a lot of money of gifts anymore.
Christmas presents are usually consumables in my house, like fancy chocolates or cookies the wife bakes herself, and she is truly good at it.
It's family that has meaning for us now, not things.
Quickbooks/ How to make decisions/ Tracy giving away her magazine clippings (Work from Home Part 1)
"The money conversations that will set you and your partner up for financial harmony"/ "Why couples should consider co-mingling their finances"
"How to have successful money conversations with your partner, and red flags to watch for"/ "With financial discussions more taboo than sex these days, it's time to have 'the talk'"
You've been tracking your online shopping haul for days. It's finally the day your package is set to arrive at your doorstep. But when you get home in the evening, the package is not there.
A recent FedEx survey shows porch thefts have risen over the last two years, with 28 per cent of respondents reporting they've had packages stolen by so-called porch pirates in the past. That compares to 24 per cent of respondents in 2022 and 20 per cent in 2021.
Seventy per cent of surveyed respondents expressed worries about their unattended packages being stolen after delivery.
"It's a natural concern," said James Anderson, a spokesperson with FedEx Express Canada.
"It's always in the back of your mind — 'What happens with my package (when I'm not home)?'"
Despite the increase in thefts, the survey found only seven per cent of respondents reported it to police.
"Look — you're a victim of a crime. Contact the police," he said.
She also suggested shoppers ask the retailer or shipping service to deliver items to a more discrete location, such as the back porch or an alternative address where someone can accept the package promptly.
Canada Post said its app allows customers to pick a safe location outside their home, such as the garage or a side door, or allow the parcel to be delivered to a nearby post office.
Harder's shopping philosophy falls in line with the so-called "lipstick index."
The term, popularized by former Estée Lauder CEO Leonard Lauder, suggests cosmetics sales stay strong amid tough economic times as shoppers substitute lipsticks and other small indulgences for higher-ticket items like clothing and handbags.
Some have disputed the idea, but economists at California State University demonstrated evidence in support of the concept after crunching the numbers from the 2008 recession.
'Beauty is an outlier'
As the economy teeters on the verge of a possible recession, Canadian beauty sales have gone up 18 per cent this year, according to the analytics firm Circana. In comparison, apparel sales grew by four per cent while footwear sales declined by two per cent.
"Beauty is really an outlier," said analyst Alecsandra Hancas with Circana.
"Even though [shoppers] may be pulling back on those bigger commodities, they're definitely still treating themselves to those little luxuries and beauty plays a nice part in that."
Cosmetics have also become a reliable driver of business for pharmacy and drugstore retailers.
He said it begins with an apparent buyer contacting someone selling something on Facebook Marketplace. In addition to the listed item, they ask the seller to send a gift card and offer to pay more than the item and the gift card would cost combined. For example, Kupchyk said someone selling an iPhone for $100 would be asked to also send a $200 gift card and promised $350 in total.
"So the seller thinks, 'wow, that's a great deal.'"
The buyer then initiates a PayPal transaction for the agreed amount, but leaves it as pending. They tell the seller they will release the money once they have confirmed the gift card, and ask for the code from the card.
"Very next day, the PayPal pending transaction is gone," Kupchyk said. "Now, the person is out of their package and money on the gift card."
When Casey McIntyre was planning her own memorial service, she decided she didn't want it to be all doom and gloom.
The 38-year-old New Yorker had stage four ovarian cancer. And as her condition worsened, she knew she'd soon be leaving behind her husband and 18-month daughter.
But she decided to also leave behind a legacy — one that would change the lives of Americans saddled with hospital bills they can't afford to pay.
"Casey is a very joyous person and we wanted there to be an element of joy to the ceremony," her husband, Andrew Rose Gregory, told As It Happens guest host Peter Armstrong. "And we had this idea for, you know: What if we raise money to relieve debt?"
McIntyre died on Nov. 12. Two days later, her husband posted a statement she had prepared ahead of time to her social media accounts, asking people to donate in her honour to RIP Medical Debt, a U.S. charity that buys up health-care debt and destroys it.
As of Wednesday, her online fundraiser had collected more than $800,000 US and counting, which the charity says is enough to wipe out $80 million US — roughly $108 million Cdn — in medical debt across the United States.
"It's pretty incredible," Allison Sesso, CEO of RIP Medical Debt, told CBC. "She'll be helping thousands of people."
How debt-buying works
McIntyre worked as a book publisher for Penguin Random House, and her husband says a robust insurance policy meant that she and her family didn't incur debt from her cancer care
That's not the case for a lot of Americans.
More than 100 million people in the U.S. have medical debt, according to a 2022 nationwide survey by non-profit research group KFF in partnership with NPR. The survey suggests one quarter of adults owe more than $5,000 US ($6,790 Cdn), and one-in-five people with medical debt said they don't expect to ever pay it off.
According to RIP Medical Debt, it's the No. 1 factor leading to bankruptcy in the U.S.
Here's how the charity works.
Debt is a commodity that can be bought and sold. A lot of debt never gets paid off so institutions sell it in bundles, at a discount, to third-party collectors.
Those companies will then work to track down as much of the owed money as possible and turn a profit in the process.
"The way our model works is it mimics the for-profit debt buyer," Sesso said. "Except we don't actually follow up and try to collect money. We instead send letters to individuals that say you're free and clear of the debt."
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/us-medical-debt-charity-1.7043821#content
I found this charger cable wire which is good because the one I have now is fraying.
I then found a stainless gold metal money clip from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. P said his friend Mike gave it to him.
The things you find in your home. When you live with a group of 6 people, you tend to accumulate a lot. I have seen families with 4 or 5 people and they have a lot of things in their house.
Sat. Nov. 25, 2023 The bank: I woke up early and my parents, P, and I went to the bank. We were there for 1.5 hrs.
Haircut: I then walked over and got a haircut at E- Mona. I paid $25. There wasn't a wait. After that, one guy came in.
Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market: I then walked over there. I haven't been to one in years and only go there during the summer. They sold fruits and veggies, with sauces, desserts. I tried some sauces and a piece of a cupcake.
10305 97 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0L9
Nov. 27, 2023 Edmonton Travel Talk Meetup: I went to this online Meetup. You can go in-person too.
Travel Chicks:
Exoticca:
My opinion: This is more of a sales pitch, but they're selling to right customers who are interested in travel.
Dec. 1, 2023 Bonnie Doon mall: I went there today and there are stores there like Artesanal and What's Good market that sells local art: jewelery, bags, clothes, etc.
https://www.bonniedoonshoppingcentre.com/stores/artesanal
Nov. 26, 2023:
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