Consumerism

If your home is anything like mine, the holidays can be a time to indulge in a little good-natured consumerism. We all know it should be more about memories and less about money. But we also know that togetherness brings heftier grocery bills and spendy-er shopping hauls.

So, if the news that retail sales came in lower than expected for November catches your eye, your concern is a natural reaction. When you see monthly updates on retail sales, remember those reports look at national trends, which can be affected by many factors.

The truth is, as news reports about supply chain issues have circulated, many of us might have gotten our holiday shopping done a bit earlier this year. Less procrastination is always a good thing, right?