Traveling anytime between Thanksgiving and Christmas and even through New Year Day can be a double sided coin. It is great time reconnect with family members. On the other hand holiday travel can be worst than exploring the Brazilian rain forest with a three legged mule.

Statistics show more people travel in the time period around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do you remember seeing on TV, every year during this time of year all those people sleeping in airport terminals? What about delayed or cancelled planes, trains, buses, and cars? Most all of those problems were caused by weather. In the United States some of the busiest travel time is while we are having some of the harshest weather of the entire year.

Traveling during these holidays is not always grim and bleak. If you must travel you may be able to side step a lot of the horrors of holiday travel and save a little money in the process. All you have to do is a few simple things.

Halloween is still a couple of weeks away. We have over six weeks until Thanksgiving. Why am I writing about Christmas? It is bad enough for store to put out their stuff earlier and earlier each year. The traditionalist don’t want to see any Christmas decoration in stores until the day after Thanksgiving.

I am part of those traditionalist who don’t want to see Christmas ads until after Thanksgiving Day. However, I am planning and maybe some Christmas well before the holiday season. This makes it easier to give what you want when you want it.

I remember some of the best Christmas gifts that our family was given when growing up. We looked forward to those boxes of mixed nuts, canned jams and jellies. They were canned the old fashion way in Mason jar at the end of summer. Breads and cakes were other treats that made the holidays even more special.

As time passed we all got busier. There was less time to make fruit cakes, knitted caps. Christmas gifts went from the homemade artsy crafty to store bought.

It is October. That means Halloween is just days away. The specialty Halloween stores have been open for some time. I have been getting emails announcing sales from Halloween costumes, candy, along with various ghoulish accessories.

My spies have been telling me the cost of getting a Halloween costume at one of those specialty stores is not a good deal. A decent costume will cost a $100′s or more. This includes all the accessories like make up and bloody knife. In my way of thinking this is one way to waste lot of money for a costume that is only going to be worn for couple of hours.

The fashion experts are telling me that Captain America is going to be big this Halloween. Well, super heroes are always big when it comes to Halloween costumes. A particular costume is big when a recent movie has been in the theaters for the past few months.

Today’s post can have several titles. It could be call Price Comparison. It could be called Good Better Best. Or it could even be titled Finding the Best Possible Quality at the Best Possible Price. However, I have title it Website for Finding What You Want. All the titles summing up what I have written.

On the internet there is a lot of websites offering the best deal for almost everything you can think of buying. If you believe what you read, you may just be losing quality and money. Why?

Everyone who puts up any kind of website wants to sell you something. They can make it look good. They can make it look like you are getting a real deal, by quoting a suggested retail price and their discount of 50% or more. They tell you it is high quality and you should buy it now.

There are two things about this mere statement “Discount of 50%” that is misleading. First, it is a foolish waste of money to pay suggested retail price, or even manufacture’s list price for anything. That number is what suckers pay. Second, the 50% discount is telling me there is some other place where I can possibly get the very same item for less money. So what do I use for a frame of reference for when pricing any goods or services?

I know gas prices are starting to go down. This is no reason to start using more gas. The money saved from driving is not just the cost of gasoline. It is the cost of oil, as well as wear and tear on the vehicle.

In the month of June we bought one used 24″ bicycle for our daughter. Then we bought one new 26″ bicycle for my wife. Bikes, helmets, and locks came in for just under $320. Now every family member got a bicycle.

We have not been using our bikes just as weekend recreation. They have become our chef mode of transportation. We still use our mini van for trips to the grocery store and other trips that are just to far to take on a quick trip with a bicycle. Still the saving is very, very substantial.

Since we are surrounded by technology, I want to ask you, “How much technology do you need?” “What kind of technology do you need?”

It wasn’t to long ago when all this technology was not available to us. When we do not have our favorite technology we start to act like a drug addict who is deprived of her drugs.

Fifty years ago computers were the size of building. Microwave ovens were not in our homes. If we wanted some information we had to go to the library. There was no Google.

Forty years ago businesses just start explore the use of computers in their business. The idea of watching movies the television on demand through a VHS and Beta cartages were becoming popular.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. In fact it is less than on week away. In this week I will start to panic as to what to get the Mother of my daughter.

In years past, I have gotten myself in trouble over some of the Mother’s Day presents I have given. Practical things like the microwave oven did not over very well. Then there was the time we went out to dinner. It ended in disaster when she got sick and I had to take her to the hospital.

This year like most every year, I start to shake and get all nervous trying to find the best possible Mother’s Day gift. When in the back of my mind I see myself getting it all wrong.

Flowers, cards, and candy are the traditional Mother’s Day gift. I don’t like giving the traditional gifts. I personally see them as saying, “I don’t care or have the imagination to find what you really like so I am just going to give you flowers and candy”. 

In my younger years, I thought to have a good time on a Friday or Saturday night, I had to spend $100 to $200. I soon learned that other people were having fun at my expense.

Then I went through a period of my life where I tried not to spend any money when I went out. It did not matter if it was with my family or friends. I abruptly saw a large number of my supposed friends spending time with other people who were willing to spend money on them.

Today, I can have a good time for a whole lot less, and not be considered cheep.

Like so many other families across the United States and around the world, it is a constant struggle to find ways for the whole family to have fun. It is easy to break the budget and spend over $100 have dinner and a movie. Taking the approach of going out like grocery shopping can save a lot of money.

Call them pots and pans, or cookware both terms mean the same thing. Either way buying new cookware is not something you do every month or even every year. The last set of cookware we bought has lasted us about 15 years.

I still have the old cast iron set of cookware my mother brought out from Arkansas when she married my dad. About once or twice a year, I will pull down that old cast iron deep dish fry pan. Then I bake a pineapple upside down cake. Afterwards it goes back on display.

I don’t know what criteria goes into your considerations for new cookware. Is it price? For some people that is a big one. Some people must have their cookware the right color, to match the rest of the kitchen. Some are attracted to a particular style. What ever type of cookware excites you it must be functional and last more than just a year or two.

This is Christmas Day 2010. Shopping mania is over for this year.

I was privileged to help quite a few people save money and gain value in the purchases they have made.

This year I would like to share with you a eBook that was written several years ago. The title is “Safe Computer Habits“. It outlines some basic that we need to have to protect ourselves from identity theft.

You can view and download your very own copy by clicking on the following link: Safe Computer Habits.

You can download it as a PDF save it and/or print it up to study. It is my understanding. Next year there is going to be an updated version. If you think you might be interested in getting advance copy of the new expanded version email me and I will get your put on the notification list.

I am going to take a break from writing on the blog until after the first of the year. I will be taking this time to get some rest. We will also be doing some much need maintenance on The Shopping Nazi website along with our computers.

So until January 3rd Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.