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With Christmas music playing on the radio and department store window displays already all aglow, it's hard to ignore the fact that the holidays are soon approaching.
Before thawing out that fruitcake, here are a few friendly tips on how to save a bit of cash at the holidays during these difficult economic times - at least during work hours.
1. Replace fancy gingerbread lattes with good old-fashioned regular coffee. Inexpensive coffee carts are the way to go (there are loads in Manhattan); you'll probably even be greeted with a smile.
Or better yet, you can even brew a cup yourself at the office (gasp!).
2. Instead of dining out or indulging in pricey takeaways, try brown-bagging your lunch a couple of times a week. After Thanksgiving, there's sure to be a lot of turkey leftovers you can eat. Throw in a bag of crisps and you're all set.
3. Worried about the hefty cost of throwing a holiday party? To save
money on venues, try having it in-house. Leave everything to the
take-out menus and delivery guys. Flip on the radio, put up a "Season's
Greetings" sign and you're good to go. It may not be posh but hey, it
gets people away from their desks and they come away well-fed.
4. Dreading mailing out the annual Christmas cards? Why not opt for eCards instead? They're free (in most cases) and you'll even save money on stamps. Should you decide to go the electronic route, Hallmark eCards usually offer a nice array to choose from. And just think what a refreshing change of pace your cards will be from the usual email clutter that people receive.
5. Forego the Secret Santa this year. Chances are you usually don't like the person whose name you wind up picking anyway.
What kind of American would I be if I didn't say a few words about last night's historic victory by President-elect Barack Obama? In a word, it was simply inspiring.
America is ready for change and last night proved it. For the first time in a long time, we all felt a stirring sense of pride and more importantly, hope. We finally have a leader to help us rise up from the political and economic mess we've been mired in.
Racial barriers that have existed in this country have been knocked down; it was truly great to see people of different races and nationalities coming together to support our new President - from the crowd in Grant Park to the revelers in Times Square.
Online, friends and strangers alike celebrated on Facebook as tears flowed and champagne was popped. Emails and text messages were abundant on my BlackBerry; not even the thought of my dreaded Verizon bill could stop my fingers from moving.
It was a moment that everyone wanted to share and there is now a shining light at the end of the George W. Bush tunnel.
Youth and charisma will now fill the White House; how exciting it will be to have children living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue again. The Obamas even have a puppy.
Today was the New York City Marathon - one of my favorite days in this city. To see runners all over the world come together to embark on a 26-mile race is inspiring to say the least. Complete strangers high-fiving, cheering in different languages, waving to each other - that's something you just don't see every day.
During these tough economic times, while people frown and stress over where their next paycheck will come from or ramble on about McCain vs. Obama, it was a lovely change of pace to simply get caught up in the spirit of the race.
As Bay Ridge residents watched from their porches striking cowbells and other noisemakers, I yelled "formidable" to the French racers, "bongiorno" to the Italian runners and "G'day" to the Australian ones.
There was even a lighthouse "lighting" their path.
