The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What are your favorite stores for holiday shopping?

On Sunday, I went to the outlet mall with my daughter and her teenage son to buy his Christmas presents. Now that he’s a teen, he wants clothes for Christmas – and he wants to pick them out.

We went to Adidas. He bought a pair of sweats and we picked out a t-shirt for him also because the Black Friday deal was 25 percent off on the second, less costly item.

Next, we went to Nike. He picked out a pair of running shoes and a sweatshirt. My daughter was excited to find a rain jacket she could wear when running. And, she found a sweatshirt she liked. The deals were better Adidas. Thirty percent off on everything.

The third stop was at the store for my grandson’s sports team. He bought a coral-colored hoodie there.

It was a boring shopping trip. The shops were filled mostly with gray, black, and navy blue clothes. I looked longingly at the pretty patterns and bright colors when we passed by the women’s stores. Later, my daughter said.

My favorite stores for holiday shopping are:

The holidays begin for baby boomers

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty hates Thanksgiving. Not a football fan, Sightings says all you do is sit around, overeat, and watch football. Often you have to withstand the perils and pitfalls of traveling on some of the busiest days of the year, fighting traffic, airport lines, and surly crowds, he says. In addition, Sightings doesn’t like shopping.

But the Thanksgiving curmudgeon loves Christmas.

Sightings offers a report on how his boomer blogger buddies are getting ready for the holidays. They’re writing about:

Tips to help consumers protect themselves on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

As millions of holiday shoppers head out for Black Friday shopping and take to their computers for Cyber Monday, it’s important to remember that just because items are supposedly on sale, all may not be what it seems.  

“When purchasing gifts for family and friends, we encourage consumers to use our tips to protect themselves against fraudsters and scams,” said New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood  

Underwood offers the following tips for consumers shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

REI skips Black Friday and encourages others to enjoy the indoors instead of shopping

For the fourth year this Black Friday, REI Co-op will close its 153 stores, process no online payments, and pay more than 12,000 employees to #OptOutside with friends and family. Since 2015, 15 million people and more than 700 organizations have joined the #OptOutside movement.

This year, REI is also pledging $1 million to support the launch of a center at the University of Washington that will study the link between human health and time spent outdoors.
 
“The best data we have says that, in any given year, 150 million Americans don’t spend any time outside,” said REI CEO Jerry Stritzke. “That’s half the country. Day in, day out, we’re looking down instead of up, looking at our phones instead of the world around us. We’re asking people this year to reevaluate that picture of themselves. To see technology as the starting point to a journey outside, not the destination. And to go explore the world with someone they love – on Black Friday and every day.”

Happy Thanksgiving

Best wishes to you and your loved ones on Thanksgiving.

I’m fortunate that I’m able to spend time with my daughter and her family this year.

What are Americas up to on Thanksgiving?

Ninety-six percent of Americas are expected to gather for a Thanksgiving celebration, according to Nationwide. Nearly 88 percent of Americans eat turkey as part of their Thanksgiving dinner. That’s 46 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving Day.

Top 10 stores for Cyber Monday shopping

Cyber Monday isn't just for Black Friday leftovers. Some of the year's best sales will take place on Monday, Nov. 26. So, you may want to save part of your holiday shopping budget for Cyber Monday deals.

Which stores will be offering the best savings? DealNews.com offers 10 suggestions, based on the best sales last year from Cyber Monday and the Sunday before.

1. Amazon

Best for: Gaming, toys, home, and almost anything else you can buy online

While plenty of other retailers offer Cyber Monday sales, none of them match Amazon's. Last year, DealNews.com saw three times as many Cyber Monday deals at Amazon as the next highest retailer.

Tips for Black Friday shopping

When I went to the mall the other day, I saw Macy's had some pre-Black Friday sales. Unfortunately, the jacket I'd seen there about a week earlier wasn't there anymore. I have some Macy's bucks to spent because the sales associate charged me for a pair of pants that I told her I didn't want. The store manager said she couldn't refund my money because there wasn't an item to return. Strange. If I didn't get the item, I should have received a refund.

I'm not a big Black Friday fan since I went shopping once with my daughter in Sacramento, and we didn't find any deals.

Top 10 tips for buying gift cards for the holidays

Thirty percent of consumers say they want to give gift cards this holiday season.

But not all gift cards deliver. Nearly $1 billion in gift cards purchased went unused in 2015, despite gift cards being among the most popular gift.

To help gift card shoppers, WalletHub, a personal finance website, offers these top 10 tips for buying gift cards:

How to buy a used car on Labor Day weekend

The Labor Day holiday weekend can be one of the best times of the year to shop for a new vehicle.

While you may be tempted by holiday incentives offered, you still need to do research so you make a well-informed decision.

“A used car might test-drive like a dream, only to be a clunker a few weeks later,” said Michelle Corey, Better Business Bureau president and CEO. “It’s important to know the vehicles history and your rights under a warranty.”

What are the best buys at the Labor Day sales this year?

Summer’s coming to an end and parents and kids are busy with back-to-school shopping.

What are the best deals for the Labor Day sales?

WalletHub, a personal finance website, offers a report “Best Labor Day Deals and Sales” to help shoppers save money.

Best deals and sales

Treadmills are the best items to buy in September, compared to the rest of the year. Specific deals include: