The annual Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is here. With the economic crisis still with us, should the extravagant presents be scaled back?

I'm thinking it's really going to be up to each person's/family's personal finances. I mean, I hear everyone telling me there's an economic crisis, but I'm blessed in that financially, this is the best I've ever done. For freelancing like I do, the layoffs boomed my business, and others I know who freelance, and it seems while one side of the coin is down, the other flips up.

I'm lucky to be on the up side this year. So because I'm doing well financially right now, I figure as long as I can afford it and it's responsible spending, there's no reason not to be as extravagant or frugal as necessary. I do think that money isn't what the holidays are about though, and neither are gifts, and would love to see more families work toward more 'traditional' things, like memories, stories, family meals, etc.That said, I've never purchased a single thing from Neiman Marcus.

I'm not even sure I've seen their catalogue! I might need to just flip through it. I loooove going through the Sharper Image Catalogue, but I never buy anything from there either...LOL If, however, someone wants to send me that Jaguar in the catalogue in my stocking, I won't refuse it!

If people can afford those gifts they should still buy them. I don't think the economy can get better if everyone completely stops spending, especially people that have the money. That's part of life, the haves and have nots.

The people that can...do. The only difference now is I think the people that can afford those gifts are made to feel guilty about it with "the economy is so bad..." statements. I don't think I'm doing any worse than before...maybe even better.

If I had the money for expensive gifts from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, hell yeah I'd be shopping.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.