The media keeps telling us that the economy is getting better, that the unemployment rate is decreasing and that there are brighter days ahead. In my parents' circle, this is not the case. Because from what I can see, 2011 has been the most difficult for small business owners, especially immigrant groups who rely on dry cleaners, nail salons, delis, and grocery stores — previously some of the most stable small businesses — for their livelihood. My mother tells me that in the 20+ years she's been in the dry cleaning business, she has never seen it this bad. Two of her close friends are in default on their mortgages. My aunt's family recently had her home foreclosed. Everyone else is dipping into, and depleting...
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I couldn't have said it better myself. Wishing you all the best in 2012!...
Continue readingWe weren't going to do a Christmas card this year because we kept missing the opportunity to take a family portrait...
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I have decided to take a holiday break from blogging. :-) So barring unforeseen circumstances, this will be my last entry until 2012. I won't be completely offline though. You can still find me sporadically posting stuff on my Facebook Page, Pinterest, and Twitter. But because I didn't want to keep you guys completely hanging for over a week...
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We've all seen the commercials. A doting spouse surprises his or her significant other with a brand new car for Christmas, complete with a big red bow on top. A screenshot from this year's "A December to Remember Sales Event" commercial And if you're anything like me, you're probably thinking, "Does anyone actually do that?" Apparently, yes — there is even a warehouse in California that stockpiles the iconic oversized red bows because the demand for them is so high! Granted, the article referenced is a bit old, but as Lexus's annual "December to Remember Sales Event" is ongoing, I highly doubt that this tradition of the financially privileged has expired in recent years. I always told J that I would be pretty angry with...
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