Halting holiday debt | Living

Laveta Brigham

In a holiday season that many of us spent apart from loved ones, gift-giving might have felt even more important than usual. After all, if you couldn’t travel to see family, at least you could see them unwrap gifts over a video call, right? And just as many families used […]

Holiday returns causing headaches for consumers

Laveta Brigham

It is the season for returns, and COVID-19 has had its impact causing some retailers to impose restrictions, while others have expanded their policies. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A study by the firm CBRE, in partnership with Optoro, a company that works with retailers in processing returns, forecast shoppers are expected […]

U.S. holiday shoppers with money to burn covet secondhand luxury

Laveta Brigham

The secondhand market includes online resale and traditional thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, which are primarily offline. Collectively, the market is poised to reach $80 billion by 2029, according to online reseller ThredUp. When the pandemic shuttered brick-and-mortar stores, consumers found more options and better deals on resale marketplaces. […]

BBB offers safe online holiday shopping tips for parents

Laveta Brigham

(KVOA) – With Christmas around the corner, some people have gotten their holiday shopping out of the way while others may be turning to last-minute online gifts. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has offered parents tips for getting their online holiday shopping done safely and efficiently. Guard your privacy. Proceed […]

Local toy store hoping for successful holiday season

Laveta Brigham

LUDLOW, Mass. (WWLP) – The Christmas shopping season can often make or break new businesses gaining a foothold in the marketplace for the first time. Earlier this year, Ray and Noreen Vigneault of Belchertown opened two PLAYNOW! toy stores in busy shopping areas of Westfield and Ludlow. When he wasn’t […]

How Holiday Shopping Promotions Work

Laveta Brigham

Editorial Independence We want to help you make more informed decisions. Some links on this page — clearly marked — may take you to a partner website and may result in us earning a referral commission. For more information, see How We Make Money. Shopping for sales can feel like […]

Happiness Advice for Holiday Haters

Laveta Brigham

Indirect questions yield a somewhat different story, however. A 2015 Healthline survey revealed that more than 18 percent of people say they are very stressed during the holidays, and another nearly 44 percent say they are somewhat stressed. Similarly, a 2006 survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a polling firm, […]

How To Have a Holiday Dinner on a Budget

Laveta Brigham

Traditional Christmas Duck Holiday Dinner with Oranges, Pomegranate, Potatoes and Brussels Sprout. The holidays can bring a much-needed sense of joy and sparkle to challenging times. However the pressure to make the season special, with all the gifts, activities and food that go into that, adds a lot of stress […]