Bombarded by Promotions

I know everybody thinks the same way about the Christmas season - it arrives earlier and earlier every year. I'm also sure that your emails, in terms of number of emails per day, have at least doubled like mine. It's probably a result of being signed up on these sites for alerts when they have sales, but the last few days have bordered on ridiculous for emails from these sites. I counted 22 emails just yesterday from stores and sites that I have on my contacts list. At this rate I will be spending a half day going through emails before Thanksgiving arrives.

One advantage though is you just might discover a deal that you have to evaluate. Specifically, I saw a special sale on the computer I have configured on the HP site that is $400 less than HP's price - at Costco. They have almost the identical configuration that I priced on the HP site and I am evaluating to see if there isn't something I'm missing in some fine print for the sale. I'm still debating whether to take the plunge and go to Windows 8, or look more at another solution, like Windows 7 on a different system. Most of what I've read and heard about the new Windows is positive, but I hate being among the pioneers for any new software.

The rest of these emails are alerts to special prices that are sure to kick-off your shopping adventures for this year. Some of them are from stores we haven't shopped in years and others are stores that, even with their sales prices, are beyond what we would spend for similar items somewhere else. All of this has created curiosity for the new Outlet Mall in Glendale which is opening today. Josie is anxious to go and check it out but, if we go, it will be a challenge to keep the hands away from the pockets. We should know tomorrow if we have been successful...