How to Have a Merrier Christmas.

There ought to be a book titled Christmas for Dummies. It would be a book on pre-Christmas shopping for big-ticket items. This is the season for paying retail.

Resist the temptation. Follow the lead of the wise men who visited Joseph and Mary: Don't shop two weeks before Christmas.

Why pay retail if you don't have to?

My suggestion: Buy small-ticket items for Christmas, but wait until the week after Christmas to buy anything with a price tag over $100. Then pay $75.

Jewelry, big-screen TVs, sporting goods: Wait until after December 25.

"It's the thought that counts," we tell ourselves. OK, here is my thought: Pay wholesale. Let the retailer take the loss for buying too much inventory.

Retailers don't need your money now. They will need it on December 26. Or in early January, a week before the inventory tax is assessed. Help your local retailers when they really need help: after Christmas.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Buy after December 25. 'Tis the season to be jolly. Paying wholesale makes me jolly.

Subscribe to my free Tip of the Week, and never miss an issue. The subscription box is here: www.garynorth.com