Whatever you do. Don't buy a bunch of stuff for you family for the new year. Don't buy gadgets for your mom or sweaters for your dad. Don't buy piles of clothes and toys and books for your kids. Don't buy a gazillion batteries. Don't buy enough food to feed an army. Forget the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberrry sauce, rice, veggies, pie, or ice cream. Forget the the rum for the eggnog and the vodka for Uncle Joe.

Don't max out your credit cards. Don't go into debt just to keep your loved ones in warm clothing and filling food. Don't buy a bunch of stuff for your kids to use and enjoy for the following year.

Just don't do it. Because you see if EVERYONE buys a bunch of stuff they wouldn't normally buy - all at once, in a short amount of time - then that could cause inflation.

That would be HOARDING!!!! You don't want to be a "hoarder" do you? Good. I'm glad I could talk some sense into you. Don't buy a bunch of stuff and everything will be fine.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), July 29, 1999

Answers

And how about a boycot of xmas shopping.

Now that would get them going!

-- justme (justme@justme.net), July 29, 1999.

thanks for the humor

-- Woodpile (whynot@zog.net), July 29, 1999.

I boycotted Xmas shopping years ago. You cannot imagine how pleasant my life has been since then.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), July 29, 1999.

Gilda--you and me both! I have even gone one step further, I have boycotted Thanksgiving! I am thankful that I no longer have to fight the crowds at the grocery store, spend $500 to feed all the sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews. I am thankful that I don't have to stand on my feet for 12 hours slaving in the kitchen. I am thankful that I don't have to step in to mediate family rifts. And, I am thankful that Denny's is open on Thanksgiving.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), July 29, 1999.

Great Idea, Boycott X-mass shopping.. I normally spend around 2 thousand every December for presents and food for the holidays.. Large family circle, the obvious reason why.. I never consider this hoarding. From my recollection most business depends highly on Decembers purchases. So why all of a sudden would this be considered hoarding!! Something fishing is brewing..and it ain't fish stew..

-- Cassandra (american_storm@usa.net), July 29, 1999.

Gilda and bardou:

I can relate completely. Gone are the days when I do more than give my kids some money and my mom a dress for Christmas. Thanksgiving turned into a nightmare two years ago when I invited both families. I sent written invitations and asked for responses so I'd know how much to buy. My little family responded and came. Barely a response from the other side, so purchased accordingly. About an hour after the dinner time presented on the invitations, my mate's brother, his wife, their three teenage daughters and two uninvited friends of theirs came trooping in. Of course the food was nearly gone. His brother spouted off at the mouth...what? No extra ham or anything? Last year, his son and family were coming to Texas for Thanksgiving. I quickly called some friends in Chicago and made a reservation to visit. [grin] I have a bit of money set aside to get out of Dodge THIS Thanksgiving also.

-- Anita (spoonera@msn.com), July 29, 1999.

I was having a discussion with a DWGI friend when he started spouting off about how all those "hoarders" were gonna cause inflation by buying a bunch of stuff all at once - like batteries. I said "yeah 'round where I come from we call that "Christmas."

It shut him up nicely and got me to thinking about it. What if - instead of maxing out the credit cards for Christmas, everyone just maxxed them out for Y2k instead. Spend the same amount of money you normally would. Buy food, clothes, toys and tools just like you normally would. By batteries just like you normally would. Wrap 'em up and put 'em under the tree (or stack 'em up by the Menorah or Yule log)just like you normally would!!!!

You might buy slightly different things and you might do things like stock up on extra water and bleach (always a good idea during the winter)but your basic spending dollar will go the same way. You might buy less electronics (forget the VCR for grandma) but most of that money leaves the country anyway and so if Americans buy less electronics and more food that will BOOST the American economy.

It is such a simple solution really. Christmas in July. Think about how much you would normally spend per person. Then buy preps with it. They could well be the best holiday gifts your loved ones ever receive.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), July 29, 1999.

Does anyone expect rationing at the end of the year?

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), July 29, 1999.

when we get rationing may be unknown, but I doon't doubt that thew books have been printed and are in some vault somewhere. I do one large grocery shopping the first of the month- every month, buying all but fresh items. Does that mmake me a 'hoarder' for the first two weeks of the month? Gosh- I thought I was just managing my resources well. Wheree I lived before9 Mountains) everyone had their winters supply of food in by mid September. What naughty folk we were. How many people does the whitehouse have food for, for how long?

-- rachel windsong (windstar@nnorthcoast.com), July 29, 1999.

R, here's a good chuckle for you...and it came from a reliable source. I have developed an e-mail friendship with a really nice Mormon woman in Utah from whom I will soon order food supplies. She has four new neighbor families who moved there just for Y2K, and they order from another larger firm. This is the story they told her: about a month ago they could not get through to place an order for two hours! When they finally did, they asked the firm what was happening. The firm said they had just taken a huge order...from the White House! Keep on preparing, friends!!!

-- Anyother Time (Notthis@time.com), July 29, 1999.

R.: Excellent observation. Next time I hear someone talk about those "hoarders" I'm going to say: "yeah, sounds just like Christmas shopping every year doesn't it? Oh and by the way, did you know that American wheat farmers had to let tons of wheat rot in the field this year because they couldn't get buyers? That's a lot of food insurance rotting in the field".

-- S. David Bays (sdbays@intplus.com), July 30, 1999.

I think that it's a great idea to spend what you anticipate using for Xmas, on Y2k supplies. Might be a life saver, and it won't cost you much more than merely Xmas spending.

On a personal note, I found that I couldn't in good conscience, particiapte in Xmas. A holiday by the merchants, for the merchants, and screw the real meaning of the holiday. My life has beem immensely easier in December, and that's a real plus. :)

Funny, how people will go out and spend $2000 on a stupid consumer trash for a stupid holiday, and no one thinks twice about it, but spend the same amount on survival supplies, and you are a "hoarder", or "freak".

I hope they all get theirs.

-- Bill (billclo@msgbox.com), July 30, 1999.