Managing the Holidays in a Period of Economic Uncertainty

Shop Smart

There are more ways to save and stay within your budget. One option is to look for outlet malls, reports The Post's Annie Groer in "Outlet Bound: Look, Ma, No Tax!" (Nov. 28)

For even more holiday and shopping help, check out washingtonpost.com's new Shopping Blog: Shop To It and the 2007 Holiday Guide

Is Regifting Crass or Chic?

Where do you stand on regifting?

Me, I'm for it. It saves money and is a good way to recycle. In fact, that's exactly what Money Management International found when it surveyed people about regifting.

As I write in my column today, many people have changed their minds about regifting now that the economy is having some major issues.

What do you think? Send me an e-mail to colorofmoney@washpost.com and put "regifting" in the subject line.

Safely Paying For it All

One treat this holiday season comes from all three of the major credit bureaus, which are now offering consumers nationwide the ability to freeze their credit reports, something once only available in states that had passed specific laws.

While this option will help prevent thieves from gaining access to your accounts, Security Fix blogger Brian Krebs provides these five tips for safe online shopping to help protect your wallet.

There's also a new service called "Bill Me Later" that offers online shoppers to pay offline after receiving a statement in the mail, according to a report by The Post's Catherine Rampell. Read more about this option in "An Old-Time Touch for the Modern Shopper" (Nov. 28).