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Barry Lewis

Wrapping up the holiday season

Barry Lewis
Posted 1/6/23

There's an odd satisfaction in knowing that there's one thing that I will never need to buy again.  

Something that I can forever check off life's perennial need-to-get list.  

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Barry Lewis

Wrapping up the holiday season

Posted

There's an odd satisfaction in knowing that there's one thing that I will never need to buy again. 

Something that I can forever check off life's perennial need-to-get list. 

Unfortunately, it's just holiday wrapping paper. 

Thanks to the ever-enticing post-Christmas sales that hypnotize us with "Everything Must GO!" and "70 percent off" and "Buy two get a third one free" we have filled whatever need there might ever be to reach for wrapping paper. 

January also marks a time for making more “sensible” purchases—purchases that we waited on during the expensive holiday shopping season. More people search for “washing machine” and other terms related to large household electronics in January than in December, according to the marking publication The Drum. 

Advertising data reveals that a significant chunk of shoppers treat themselves to combat the month that’s often billed as the most depressing in the calendar. For instance, women made more than 2,400 searches per day for “diamond ring” during the first week of January last year. Others start to dream of foreign shores and start to make purchases for their travels later in the year. There was a 72 percent hike in searches for “beach towel” and a 49 percent increase for “bikini” days into the new year. 

I’d like to see less seasonal sales so I can stock up. Like for toilet paper. Now that would be a truly life-altering accomplishment. 

"Hey, you want me to pick you up some toilet paper?" 

"Thanks — but no — I'm good." 

"You sure? Everyone needs a backup roll?" 

"No — I'm set for life." 

I have to be content with the knowledge that I'll always have Christmas gift-wrapping paper. And bows. Lots of bows. Which is kinda cheating, because while we buy new wrapping paper, we reuse old bows. 

Hope I'm not revealing some deep Lewis family secret, but by using tape on the back of the bow, you can extend its holiday shelf life by years. A carefully handled bow could survive decades. And yet we still buy bows. And even more wrapping paper. Why? At 70 percent off — how can you not? 

Everyone makes a big deal about "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday." But what most of us really wait for are the "Stuff That You Didn't Buy for Christmas, but You'd Be Crazy to Pass Up Now" sales. 

Remember those "Towers of Toffee” and "Pyramids of Peanuts" that you refused to buy at $19.99? Even with the fancy wrapping, it seemed a bit much. Or the multipack "Keep You Warm" set for $15, which was a holiday mug, packet of hot chocolate mix and some chocolates. 

Even up to the afternoon of Dec. 24 you held your ground. But on Dec. 26 those marked-down items filled your shopping cart. 

Do you suddenly need that special holiday gift set of Old Spice Antiperspirant/Deodorant, Body Wash and Body Spray? 

We buy these things because we're getting a great deal. Or more importantly, we think we're getting a great deal. 

This brings into question the markup on these things. 

It kills me to think how much I paid for fancy chocolates with names I can't even pronounce. On the flip side, I consider it a bargain when I give them for Valentine's Day.  

That's the beauty of these don't-need but got-to get gifts. They don't go out of style. 

Years from now that Old Spice will smell just as bad as it does now. Those vacuum-packed nuts will outlive us all. 

As for the decorative wrapping paper with Santa, Frosty and Rudolph, it never gets old. Never outdated. And best of all — it's on sale now. 

Barrylewisscdemocrat@gmail.com 

 

Barry Lewis is a longtime journalist and author who lives with his wife Bonnie in the Town of Neversink. He can be reached at      barrylewisscdemocrat@gmail.com.

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