I'm buying some holiday gifts for friends and family, Anyone got a problem with that?

[Better Believe It]

Hope to find some gifts at a deep discount at Target.

Anyone got a problem with me and about 90% or more of working class shoppers who have a few bucks and intend to buy presents for our friends and loved ones during the holidays?

[Mojorabbit]

1. I am finding handmade awesome items on etsy.

Ihave no problem with you deciding on Target instead.

[Better Believe It]

2. Thanks. I'm growing tired of attacks on working class shoppers who buy things at discount stores.

I don't shop on Rodeo Drive.

[avaistheone1]

18. Etsy is a great place to shop. It's almost better than buying at the mom and pop stores

because the money goes directly to the artisan or crafter.


Brilliant idea to shop there!

[PeaceNikki]

3. "Anyone got a problem with that?" posts always go well.

:eyes:

[Better Believe It]

4. I explain that comment in my follow-up #2 post.

[Dreamer Tatum]

5. In all fairness, people on DU have been Black Friday Sourpusses for years.

Every year, like clockwork.

[lillypaddle]

6. Wanna make somethin' of it????

There, I finished the op for you. Personally, I have no problem with what anyone wants to do to celebrate, nor where they buy gifts.

[Texasgal]

7. Nope!

None at all! Infact I went shopping on black friday! OH THE HORRORS!

Found some really good deals on some winter clothing and some work boots for my husband. Also found some cute things for my three year old nephew.

No problem here! :)

[Better Believe It]

10. Good for you! Nothing wrong with trying to save some money on gifts and necessities.

[TBF]

8. I've bought a few things on-line -

will stop at Target at some point to finish up the kids' gifts. We are spending much less this year, about half, and using the other $$ to travel to family & do some donating.

I have seen many facebook posts and the like the last few days going on about Walmart but I don't know what folks expect - if you are going to prop up Capitalism you are going to see desperate people. Change the economic system and you might see better behaviors rewarded.

[lunatica]

9. Unrec for pugnacious truculence

[Better Believe It]

11. Thank you for your inspiring words ........................

what the hell did they just write?

A regular smarty pants!

:)

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Privilege has it's advantages.

Unrec, as per usual.

Stupid fucking OP.

[LWolf]

13. I'm information central for the family pool.

We draw names, and buy one gift; each of us gets one gift for the holidays. Plus we buy for the grandkid, and I help the grandkid make gifts for everyone else. We don't have a big family, but the economic disaster has hit all of our budgets hard, and this system reduces financial stress.

We drew names Thursday. I have to buy some supplies for the grandkid; I think we'll make salt scrubs this year. Hopefully the men will use them. :D

I already have a gift for the grandkid; I won it in a drawing in October, and it's cool. I think he'll really like it. I just have one gift to buy. My once a month payday is Wednesday. I can start looking then.

Meanwhile, each person writes their "Santa" a letter, emails it to me, and I forward it. We have a $50 spending limit, which might be one thing or several. We like to have an idea what would be appreciated, so the money isn't wasted; we don't include gift receipts for returns. What's the point? We could have just handed over cash. A person might get one or more of the things on their wish list, or something entirely different that the giver knew they would love. We don't know the giver until xmas day.

I remember the days when I had enough to buy small things for many friends and all of my family. I don't expect to see those days again.

[Better Believe It]

15. You do the best you can with the resources you have. Have a wonderful Holiday season.

[joeglow3]

14. You materialistic son of a bitch.

Don't you know you could just make shit for them?

:sarcasm:

[Better Believe It]

16. That's me!

Just buying crappy stuff all the time for me and loved ones whether we need "stuff" or not!

Believe it or not I bought some roses as a birthday gife for my spouse and they died!

What a waste!

I could have printed out some picture of roses on my computer and gave them as my birthday present!

Of course, that would have turned me into "a cheap son of a bitch"!

:)

[avaistheone1]

22. omg I had to read your post twice.

I at first thought you were mad because the roses you purchased outlasted your spouse.

:spray:

[The Straight Story]

17. My only problem is you said Holiday and not Christmas

War on Christmas!

:rofl:

[Lyric]

19. No problem here. I'll buy something for my son, I'm sure.

But I'm making most of my gifts through needlecraft, if I can find some more yarn.

:hi:

[hack89]

20. Not all all - you do what you need to do. nt

[nini]

21. Well, since you asked.. Target is so anti-union you should look elsewhere

They're as bad as WalMart.

[Better Believe It]

30. I can't find any pro-union department stores! And the labor movement is not organizing a boycott .

of Target, Wal-Mart, etc.,

[nini]

48. You need a 'organized' boycott? Really?

There aren't ANY small businesses you can shop at?


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/18/986491/-Continue-to-Boycott-Target:-Here%E2%80%99s-Why

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/16/1007722/-Target-Fires-NY-Union-Organizer:-Boycott

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20011983-503544.html

there's plenty more. Not only are the actively go against unions they're also anti-gay.



but, if it's too much effort to think creatively for gifts then would you at least try to buy American? (don't think so)

[Better Believe It]

59. The answer is YES! That's because I'm union and you're not. How's your boycott going?

And where is your list of pro-union department stores and other businesses?

Can't find any?

So stop pretending to be a great pro-worker and pro-union person.

And cut the bull shit about boycotts that are opposed by the labor movement and are being promoted by a few self-proclaimed leaders of the working masses!

So your're boycotting Target and others stores without any kind of support from authentic workers organizations.

How's that going for ya?

Didn't seem to have much of an impact on Friday shoppers!

:)

[dkf]

23. Good luck to you but I think the real steals are gone.

[saras]

24. I presume you're asking such a loaded question because you WANT to hear why not...

...and not just to be a jerk.

How much money are you spending? That's how much you are voting for Target's corporate policies - all of them. Do you feel good when you explain to your family and friends exactly what policies you had to support to get them those gifts? Is it more money than you spend on opposing their policies?

Did you consider local businesses? Did you consider gifts that weren't disposable consumer junk? Did you consider putting time, effort, and love into the gifts instead of money?

One of the major presents I'm getting for all the people I'm involved with on the holidays is that I am NOT going to get involved in consumerism just to give them a more fifties materialist Christmas experience. It doesn't mean they aren't going to get gifts that please them and make their lives better.

Is that what you were looking for?

[Better Believe It]

31. Are you trying to run my life and tell me what kinds of gifts I should not buy?

Well, if so, you know what you can do.

And you suggest I'm the one that's being a jerk!

If you don't want to buy gifts for friends or loved ones because you're so much better than the rest of us and above "consumerism" that's your right.

However, don't accuse others of being anti-union because we shop at stores that are non-union when I bet you buy things at such outlets every week!

Can't you name some department stores and other employers that are pro-union?

I can't find any!

And since you're so very, very pro-worker and pro union you should know that the labor movement IS NOT calling for a boycott of Target, Wal-Mart and other non-union stores.

You did know that .... right?

[Bobbie Jo]

38. You put your "life" out there...as it were.

Otherwise....who gives a shit about how and where you shop?

[Bobbie Jo]

35. Most definitely the latter.

I'll take Jerk for $500, Alex.

[Lucky Luciano]

40. There it is. I was wondering when the

...judgmental liberal who always out-liberals other liberals would show up.

[Texasgal]

46. Good GOD!

Are you kidding?

Fer fucks sakes! Some of us cannot afford to go to the all organic market and pick up all organic handmade gifts!

I found work boots for my husband for 16.00. They will last him all year! I also found a few sweaters for me at the cost of 18.00 dollars that will get me through winter. I also purchased a puzzle for my nephew for three bucks. Where? Academy, Target and Big Lots.

I'm glad that you can afford to shop non-corporate. Some of us can't.

[Better Believe It]

50. Exactly! We do what we have to do when shopping in order to save money.

If you're loaded with cash you can shop at Whole Foods and other fancy stores.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nini]

27. Personally.. I don't have apple products either

Couldn't stand that guy or the product line.

Some of us are consistent.

[Response]

26. No, not at all. Please consume.

[Skittles]

52. they are easily threatened, aren't they?

:rofl:

[Response]

54. My concern is that we live in a consumer society where the very corporations

that provide us with a great many things want to make a bloodsport out of it.

They're not just happy to reap a profit on cheap Chinese crap, but they also want us to fight for the three $200 dollar TVs that are in the store.

[Skittles]

55. absolutely correct

I'm not upset at people trying to find bargains - it's the corporate-induced shopping hysteria that sickens me

[peacebird]

28. I personally prefer to buy at local stores, or find fun stuff at second hand shops

And make jams,jelly, pickles, and horseradish to give as well. The "big" gift is a family vacation with my mom, brothers family, and us. My brother and I pay for mom and the kids. This year things are kind of tight so we are going to use a cousins beach house for the long weekend.

That said, I do not criticize your choices, except maybe the pugnacious phrasing?

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday filled with love and joy!

[treestar]

29. Not particularly

Why are you feeling insulted for that today?

[JI7]

39. probably because of what he would say if someone else

or obama did the same

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. no...no problem with it

:shrug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

33. buy American

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Do what you need to do

I tried buying dinner, but restaurant in Hawaii is that small.

[tabasco]

36. Capitalist scum!

Brainwashed consumer!!

[a la izquierda]

37. Nope, I sure don't

I try not to tell people what to do, unless I'm driving. :) But then my windows are closed and they can't hear me anyway.

I shopped on Black Friday. I'm such a shitty socialist. Bit it allows me to afford to buy crap for my husband's extremely conservative family (mostly just the kids). One of these days, I'm just gonna make donations and they can suck it.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. I'm buying porn for my 115 yr. old grandfather

then, I'm taking him to IHOP for some cheesecake filled pancakes and a smoke.

[Better Believe It]

43. Bet he would really appreciate a years supply of Viagra!

:)

[Warren DeMontague]

44. He's 115, though

Maybe we'd be better taking it month by month.

[JoePhilly]

42. I think that people should masturbate in private. Anyone got a problem with that?

:rofl:

[varelse]

45. nope, it's all good

Just leave the firearms and the pepper spray at home, and we're cool :P

[NYC_SKP]

47. I hope some of the stuff you get is made in America by American, Union Members, ideally...

I know it's hard but the stuff is there, and the more we chose it the more likely it will STAY available.

Happy Holiday.

:hi:

[Better Believe It]

49. Some is but that's getting harder and harder to find. Some European goods are union made.

[SidDithers]

51. Why would you think any of us would care?...nt

Sid

[Skittles]

53. because

they seem to believe that people sickened by the corporate-induced Black Friday frenzy are anti-shopping in general :o

[Raine]

56. Not me, I'm going to be doing some holiday shopping too

I don't like to shop this early though.

[Prometheus Bound]

57. *shakes fist*

[canetoad]

58. The only problem I have is with the

aggressive subject line of your OP.

But answer this; why are you buying 'holiday' gifts. Do you really mean Christmas presents? Or can't you say that word because you are not religious?

I'm not religious but have no problems with calling the day Christmas because ....that's what it is to millions of people who celebrate. I don't waste time debating the rights or wrongs, the commercialisation or the hypocrisy because it's still all going to be there next year. Not a damn thing I can say or do will change that.

Good luck with convincing yourself that consumerism is noble if you're buying for someone else.

[REP]

61. Is there only one holiday in December in your hemisphere?

There's at least two in this one. Hint: they're within days of eachother this year. HTH HAND.

[snooper2]

60. No, I got a problem with you not releasing that god dammed album you promised