December 26

Well, here we all are on the day after Christmas. Survivors of another holiday with our families, or without them.

Today we face both the need to clean up yesterday’s debris and the temptation to shop. The living room is strewn with boxes and bows. The inbox and the airwaves are overflowing with bargains.

Try to keep the three Rs in mind as you go about your day, whatever you decide to do.

REDUCE: There’s not much you can do about the gifting that’s taken place. But you can keep this “R” in mind if you go about stimulating the economy today.

1. If you always decorate a tree and don’t have LED  Christmas lights, maybe you can pick up a few strings for next year at a post-holiday sale.

2. Perhaps you are planning to snag some bargains for yourself or as late gifts to others. As you shop, the correct question to ask is NOT: Do I or does he/she need this? The answer is most likely “NO.” Ask rather if the item is useful, whether it will last a long time, if it has hidden costs, and if it will it be appreciated.

3. If you have a new gift that needs lots of batteries, consider getting rechargeable ones.

REUSE: As you pick up the mess under the tree, salvage and store those bows and gift bags for next year. Gift bags are one thing you should definitely re-gift. They have a surprisingly long life span, and and you will find the bag in which you gift is quite likely to come your way again.

RECYCLE: Be certain to recycle all those cardboard boxes! And if you have already used up some batteries, make sure they end up in your hazardous waste collection center.

Go out and have some fun. Look for future blog posts on Reducing, but not today. I am in the mood for some bargain hunting.

Nobody’s perfect.