Tag: alternative gift

The holidays are upon us, bringing all those personal and family images and sensations we cherish. But for many of us, there are a few not-so-joyous holiday sights (a purse overflowing with credit card receipts) and sounds (the ca-ching! of cash registers marking our escalating debt). These negatives can easily outweigh all that we love about the holiday season, especially during this less-than-prosperous economic period.

Overall, the Great Recession brought about a renewed dedication to saving. Before the recession, our national personal savings rate was close to zero, and now it’s around 6 percent.