This Week In Your Wallet: November 15, 2011
The Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree has arrived. It’s not lit yet, but it’s here. And I have to say, I’m not sure I’m quite ready for the holiday season to begin. Sure, it snowed a few weeks ago and, yes, I’ve ordered the turkey, but I still have Halloween candy in my house! A quick look at some of the news circulating the Internet reveals I’m not the only one whose inner Santa is still in hibernation. A survey released in September noted that 82 percent of Americans plan to spend as much or less than they did last holiday season, and more than half of those surveyed said they expect the economy to continue slowing down before it recovers.
Retailers are very much aware of this gloom, which is why you’ve seen more early bird decorations than ever before. To put you in the holly-jolly spending mood, retailers are working overtime to remind you that the holidays are still on the way. (A friend of mine works for supermarket chain Giant’s corporate division. She confessed to me that she wishes there could have been Thanksgiving displays in her stores before the Christmas stuff was rolled out, but this year, it just wasn’t possible.)
So, I figure, if you can’t beat ‘em…well, you know. As the calendar keeps inching towards Black Friday (and beyond), I figure you and I should start thinking about creative ways to save this season. To get you started, I wanted to share a new list from Card Hub. They’ve found the best credit cards to apply for this holiday season, many of which can save you significant amounts of money. Here are two of their choices:
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: It provides 50,000 points as an initial bonus reward, which can then be redeemed for a $500 check. This will cover more than half of the $831 American Express expects consumers to spend this holiday season.
- Citi Dividend World MasterCard: Remains interest-free for 15 months, offers an initial $100 bonus and 5% cash back on department, clothing, electronics and toy store purchases until the end of the year, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
You can see the full list of cards and holiday credit rewards here. Just remember: to qualify for many of these cards, you will need to be in good credit standing. And, just because you get a new card doesn’t mean you should load up on revolving credit card debt. Paying it off in full every month is the only way to make these rewards worthwhile.
And now here’s the other money news of the week…
Grab your mascara, ladies
A few weeks ago, a study from Harvard University revealed that wearing makeup (or not wearing makeup) can affect your coworkers’ perceptions of your capableness, reliability and amiability.
Then, just last week, the University of British Columbia found that not only do people have a tendency to attribute positive qualities to attractive people, but they also tend to listen to and observe attractive people more closely than they do with less attractive people.
This doesn’t mean that you have to look like a Victoria’s Secret angel. You just have to look put-together. Research shows there’s an assumption that a woman who is fastidious about her appearance will be equally exacting about her work. A decent amount of “primping,” so to speak, can even boost your earning potential. However, don’t overdo it! As I’m sure you’ve heard, heavy makeup is not welcome in an office setting. This Women’s Health article sheds more light on the study and tells you how to wear the right amount of makeup in the workplace.
And men: The general theme of this advice still applies: look put-together and smart, and you’ll receive more respect in the workplace.
A little something to get in the Thanksgiving mood
As I said earlier, Thanksgiving is less than ten days away, and a recent Slate article reminded me that, despite the economic troubles we may have had this year, it’s time to start appreciating the positives.
Slate asked its readers to share their recession stories and the ways they’ve coped, and what struck me was the optimism amid the financial ruin. “No matter how grim life may have become, almost all of the people who wrote me refuse to see it as a Dickensian slog,” the reporter says. “The paralegal whose lawyer husband’s salary has been reduced by almost 90 percent described discovering that ‘packing a picnic lunch and going to the beach is more fun than going shopping at the mall.’” Another woman spoke of finding a fun alternative to dinner parties: “We’ve found with several of our friends that dropping by for a glass of wine at the end of the afternoon or stopping in for coffee and dessert after dinner is just as good.”
And the line that I loved the most? It came from a woman whose family might lose their house: “We gave it a good struggle, but it’s just a house. I have a healthy family, a strong marriage, and a good college kid. I’m tired but there are people worse off than me. So what if I have to shop at thrift stores and clearance racks at Wal-Mart?”
I have a very good feeling about her future.
Have a great week!
–Jean
