U.S. consumers optimistic ahead of holidays: survey

Source: Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruised U.S. retailers might find some solace in Deloitte's most recent survey that showed American consumers were more optimistic about the economy as the holiday shopping season kicks off.

The annual holiday survey released on Wednesday showed fears about the recession slowly subsiding, with about 54 percent of the participants expecting the economy to improve in 2010. This compared with just 28 percent responding favorably last year.

The optimism is also trickling into Americans' shopping plans for the holiday.

More than half of consumers -- about 51 percent of those surveyed -- hope to spend more or the same on the holidays, an improvement from last-year's 41 percent, Deloitte said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE59R1ZS20091028

Instead I will re-use and/or use up paper, wrapping, etc from other years, re-gift, finally give gifts I bought previously and never gave, etc.

And consider the implications for global warming.

not that it won't be a 'good' or even a 'great' Christmas, but we're not going to be spending much this year AT ALL. We're going to focus on the 'true' meaning of Christmas. It's probably about time.

We're planning on visiting friends/relatives that we haven't actually visited in a long time. Maybe take them a little homemade gift - bread or cookies or something. Seeing where we can help out at a PADS (public action to deliver shelter) or someplace similar. I'm sure that their will be plenty of opportunity this year.

We're not even going to buy a Christmas tree this year. Usually we have two trees, a live one and a fake one. It's just going to be the fake one from the attic this year. I'm just planning on making homemade gifts for the family (with a sentimental touch). I'm not going to elaborate further here, as they sometimes read my posts....

Nope, we're not gonna be stimulatin' the economy this year at Christmas, cause the economy sure ain't stimulatin' this family. Good thing Christmas IS about more than money.

They had an article yesterday showing that consumer confidence fell yesterday.

Will Congress leave me a nice, shiny, new HCR under the tree?

consume.
obey.
conform.

a global audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, and tax services firm would never LIE or be biased, right?