American consumers have a lot of challenges this holiday shopping season, the most important challenge being how to spread holiday cheer and give gifts without overspending on an already tight budget.
Most experts predict the upcoming holiday season for retailers will be the worst since the recession in the early 1980s when the nation was hit by increased bankruptcies, agricultural exports plummeted, crop prices fell, interest rates increased, and the federal budget deficit jumped.
On a budget this holiday season? Jan Brakefield, assistant professor of consumer sciences, offers a tip sheet to follow during the holiday shopping season.
With oil prices hitting record levels in 2008 and the economy plunging, what does the holiday season hold for those wanting to drive to visit family?
A recent University of Alabama study shows the fifth worst day for crashes within the state in 2007 was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
For many, the holiday season is about family and traditions—eggnog, movies, food, caroling or just reminiscing. One of the traditions that carries from year to year might involve past disagreements and sensitive subjects.
The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies prepares graduate students for the practice of librarianship, and one of the responsibilities of some librarians is providing “readers’ advisory services.” SLIS offer the following list of books for holiday reading.
Rebecca Kelly and Molly Grimes from UA's Office of Health Promotion and Wellness discuss how to avoid eating too much during the holidays, safe drinking during the holidays, healthy holiday meal planning, and more.
Caroline Fulmer discusses how holiday spending usually affects a person's budget, how to create a holiday spending budget, common mistakes made by holiday shoppers, inexpensive gift buying, and more.
Dr. Kristy E. Reynolds addresses how the current economic situation affects the holiday season, whether the economy will affect the types of gifts purchased, whether the economy will affect online holiday sales, and more.
Dr. Peter Clark offers opinions on whether gas prices will continue to fall this holiday season, whether more drilling will mean cheaper prices at the pump, how a new President will affect gas prices, and whether falling gas prices will fuel holiday spending.
Dr. Allen Parrish offers a peek at peak travel, advice on the best time to travel and how weather affects holiday travel, whether GPS systems improve driving safety, and more.
Merry Christmas from The University of Alabama! The following conceptual photography is provided for use by media with holiday stories. Please credit all photos to University of Alabama Office of Photography.
