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Fast facts
(431 words)
LITTLE ROCK – A moment of comfort shopping to relieve holiday stress can create more problems than it solves, said Laura Connerly, assistant professor for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Comfort shopping is just one of the pitfalls consumers face during December’s gift-giving holidays.
“Pressure to overspend can increase during the holidays as consumers sometimes focus on buying gifts as a way to build special holiday memories,” she said.
And there will be spending. The National Retail Federation forecast consumer spending during the holidays to reach $616.9 billion in 2014.
The pressure may lead some “to feel a little blue at times during the holidays,” Connerly said. “Shopping can be a distraction, bring a sense of action, and make the consumer feel better for a moment.”
However, that short bit of relief could leave the comfort shopper “with clutter and the financial distress,” she said.
Instead, she urges consumers to “look for other sources of holiday cheer. Bake cookies for a neighbor, have coffee with a friend, or play board games with your family.”
To help curb the spending urge, Connerly offers these tips to help consumers control holiday spending:
For more information about managing your finances, contact your county extension office or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
By Mary HightowerThe Cooperative Extension ServiceU of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Mary HightowerDir. of Communication ServicesU of A Division of AgricultureCooperative Extension Service(501) 671-2126mhightower@uada.edu
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