Holiday Honors for Military Dead; Tech Expert Discusses Holiday Gifts; Financial Advice For Your Holiday Shopping
PAUL: The national retail federation says the average holiday shopper will spend $704. They're very specific in those $4. Earlier financial expert Clyde Anderson told me about ways to save money on gifts without feeling like a scrooge. He says, just like when you go to the grocery store, you have to start with a list.</s>CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: A list is a perfect thing to do and a lot of us don't do that. It's so simple. Make a list and determine how much you want to spend on these gifts. Know exactly what I'm looking to spend and who I'm buying gifts for.</s>PAUL: How beneficial is it to spend online?</s>ANDERSON: It's amazing how much you can save by spending online. There's several companies that if you spend online, they'll do free shipping for you. I bought a book on Amazon for a penny last week. And so --</s>PAUL: But wait, did you get free shipping with that?</s>ANDERSON: No. But it's amazing, give the gift of knowledge. But I think it's too easy for some people. They're used to the hustle and bustle. And so just push a couple of buttons and do all your Christmas shopping seems a little too easy.</s>PAUL: You know, whoever gets a book from you this year will be wondering if they can get it for a penny now. Let's talk about the layaway. That's just making a comeback.</s>ANDERSON: A lot of people don't even know about layaway because it's been gone for so long. Now it's back and Wal-Mart has introduced layaway again. Layaway is a great way to security those items that you want to get but maybe you're looking to save up more money or you want to put it aside until you are ready to make the purchase. It's better than using a credit card because you don't pay any interest. You may pay a fee, but you don't pay interests and you don't get caught up in those holiday cards, save 20 percent. And interest rates are so high on those cards, you really need to stay away from them. And the repeat deals, most people never do the rebate.</s>PAUL: Why are we so lazy we don't do that?</s>ANDERSON: I don't know.</s>PAUL: I don't know. I don't know. You say cut down on accessories. What are you talking about?</s>ANDERSON: When you're talking about shopping for the holiday, everyone spends a lot of money on giftwrap and all these other things. Go to the Dollar Store, get some gift bags, nametags, a little tissue paper. Make it look presentable, but don't go and break the bank on fancy gift wrapping.</s>PAUL: And you're saying the focus should be the kids and they don't care about giftwrap, anyway.</s>ANDERSON: Exactly. Think about it. Call some of your friends, your family members and say, listen, this year we're focusing on the kids and that's what Christmas is about. They're excited about it and some other people may be relieved. Everybody is trying to save money right now.</s>PAUL: What do you mean when you say use your junk mail? Who uses their junk mail?</s>ANDERSON: People don't -- they overlook the junk mail. A lot of times there are great coupons and deals. Set up a different e-mail just for coupons. Set time aside to go through and look in and you will find great savings.</s>PAUL: People might say I just cannot squeeze any more money out of my wallet. It is just not there. I guess giving time is the next best thing?</s>ANDERSON: I think you ought to look at that from the standpoint of what the season is, true reason for the season. Go back to give back. If we have time, time is one of our most valuable assets. If I can give time to help in a homeless shelter, help feed the hungry, help children reading stories, doing something that's different and really kind of stepping outside the box and realize this is what it is about.</s>PAUL: The Newsroom continues at the top of the hour with Fredricka Whitfield.</s>FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We have a lot straight ahead beginning with our legal guys. They are with us every weekend. They're so dedicated. We have an interesting topic, including that of ESPN's Erin Andrews. You know a few years back she was a victim of a peeping tom and the gentleman was convicted. Possibly another case involving her and that peeping tom back in court. She's now suing the Marriott hotel as well as the convicted peeping tom for invasion of privacy and negligence. She's suing for millions. Our legal guys will be along with us to see.</s>PAUL: You could have seen that coming, don't you think? When it all happened, you thought there's a lawsuit in here somewhere.</s>WHITFIELD: I guess, you know, I'm surprised because I thought perhaps she was moving on. But you know, it is unresolved. That's exactly what she is saying. And then a financial fix. I know you talked earlier about someone -- you know, meaning behind your spending this holiday season. OK. Karen Lee, financial expert, will be along and will talk about making extra money, because you are likely to spend a little bit. People are always extending their budgets, exactly. She says, you know, there are a few things you can do. A virtual garage sale might be one way. Really tap into your skills. Maybe you are great at gift wrapping. Maybe that's a side business.</s>PAUL: I bet there are people that would pay for that.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes.</s>PAUL: Good thinking.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes.</s>PAUL: Considering, you know.</s>WHITFIELD: There's a lot of things I probably don't want to do that if somebody does it better than me I will pay them for it. Then reclaiming your career. Valerie Burton joins us every weekend to talk about things you can do to improve your, you know, professional outlook. A lot of folks are out of work or perhaps you have a job and it is time to think about how to maximize what you -- what you have. So negotiating, the art and skill of negotiating, whether it is for a pay raise for better position. She will tackle some of the steps that you need to take, because there really is an art to kind of -- you know, asking for something, sometimes you have to give up something as well. Negotiate when at the table with your boss</s>PAUL: How do you pose it and the verbiage you use.</s>WHITFIELD: Exactly, the right words to use and ones to stay away from. So we've got a lot straight ahead beginning at noon eastern.</s>PAUL: Thank you, Fred, so much.</s>WHITFIELD: Good to see.</s>PAUL: You, too. Of course, a lot of White House visitors know what it is like setting off a metal detector.</s>WHITFIELD: Hopefully not.</s>PAUL: President Obama knows now too.</s>WHITFIELD: He had to try it on for size.</s>PAUL: He was walking back to the White House from the Blair House and stopped -- stopped at security guard apparently and stopped at a gate, walked through it, and it beeped. Apparently it was his cell phone and joked he wanted to see what it was like going through, just going through the checkpoint.</s>WHITFIELD: He enjoyed being like everybody else and then you get into the White House and he's like, you know, I need a reminder of what it is like to be like everyone else.</s>PAUL: Like everybody else.