An Alternative To Pre-Christmas Hysteria In The Malls

If you are at all interested in keeping your sanity while the world around you seems to go mad in a shopping frenzy, do your Christmas shopping in August. One advantage aside from the obvious -lack of hordes who are all away on summer vacation- is that the sales are genuinely sales. End of August is the time when everything needs to be removed from store shelves to make way for the transition (through merchandise) from summer to fall. The markdowns guarantee that the leftover stock will clear with ease and you reap the true benefits in your wallet. The pre- Christmas sales are simply someone's clever idea of selling a mirage. In November the prices are generally higher then they need to be which allows those savy big corporations to offer us 50% off if you opt for door # 1 or the ever popular "buy one get one free" should you go for door #2. All their brilliant sublimimal messaging lulls you into a completely unrealistic state where you are certain you are actually saving! During the month of August you also have a good chance of being able to walk the entire mall without being plowed down by a runaway pram or toddler. You have no reason to duck as no one will be walking too closely beside you thus removing the threat of bodily harm which is inevitable during the pre Xmas season when the throngs juggle their oversize packages, boxes and unruly children. The other plus to the August shop is the parking lot which is easy to enter and/or exit and where you can actually find a spot. It is clear that during the Nov.-Dec. season the only one who can navigate those lots is Santa, because he doesn't drive, he flies!!