Retail store orders are down 50 percent

Originally posted by Alethea
If you really want to do something to help the less fortunate....DO IT YOURSELF!!!

Go out among the homeless. You can find them waiting in the food give-out lines at various places. Take some wrapped goodies with you. Stop and talk to these people in line. If they have children...give a nice new box of crayons and drawing paper or notebooks and pens, reading material, etc.

I agree whole-heartedly with the entirety of your post. Your donated time, goods, gifts, and money would go much further if you took a personal interest in helping those in need personally rather than using a charity to do such.

And, it would be nice if everyone did this...but realistically, there are those who still have psychological barriers that prevent them from doing such, and feel as if they have to be distanced (and protected) by using a Charitable Organization to do such...just as realistically there are some people who are so greedy and self-absorbed that the thought of helping others will never even cross their mind.

I think that those that give to Charity to help those less fortunate it is improvement over not giving or helping the less fortunate at all.

However, I agree that ultimately the way you suggested is better still for those who are truly wanting to give a helping hand and spread some true holiday spirit.

(I wish I could give you a flag, and not just a star)

reply to post by liveandletlive

Normally I would say buy, but there are additional expenses that you dont have when you rent, lawn equipment, repairs, taxes, ect. You dont have those problems when you rent. Maybe save if you can.

We were saving...but having the baby put a huge dent in the money we saved...which was our tax returns which we use as an emergency fund. That only lasts so long. I will get a tax credit for having a kid though which will help next tax season...Hopefully the dollar is still worth something then! One of the few good things Clinton did IMO.

NAFTA and his catering to mega corporations however is a whole other story....

Kids are expensive and it's not getting any easier out there....

reply to post by warrenb


Over 15 Million people unemployed.
Ross Perot -
"People who don't make anything can't buy anything."
Don't worry.
The main stream media will come up with a clever positive
spin on this economic disaster.
Let them eat cake.

Originally posted by severdsoul
Sadly i say GOOD!.

get back to what hollidays are about, not all the new and fancy crap, but time with family, enjoying the little things.

In my family we decided to stop giving each other lots of expensive Christmas presents many years ago because we all buy what we need and want anyway and whatever we receive on Christmas is usually something that we already have or don't need. And Christmas is so much better since then.

I don't celebrate Christmas usually anyway.

I don't have a job this year, so it'll be even worse than usual.

A lot of people are going to be without basics this year.