For those who are worried about the economy...

A number of readers, noting that articles by my husband, Warren Boroson, appeared in our recent financial section, have asked me where to find more. Warren, a former columnist for The Record in Bergen County and for Gannett (as well as the author of 20 books), has taken to blogging. His blogs on personal finance can be found at http://blogs.consumerreports.org/money/ (search for his name) and at http://www.gurufocus.com/news.php?id=38681.

Meanwhile, the day after Thanksgiving tends to be a heavy shopping day, as people try to get a head start on the gift-giving season. For retailers’ sakes, I hope that’s the case, but I know that many people are viewing the prospect – both of shopping among crowds and of digging into slim wallets – with alarm.

Many families have a tradition of “eight nights, eight gifts” for Chanukah. That may be hard to fulfill this year. Why not one big gift per child (if that’s manageable) and the rest homemade – although that may be hard to manage, too. I well remember the year I knitted mittens and scarves for everyone, except that some mittens lacked thumbs…. (And it’s a rare child who wants mittens, with or without thumbs, for Chanukah.)

Some families set aside one night for tzedakah – encouraging the children (and adults) to choose a worthy cause and donate to it. That’s a good custom, and a good habit to inculcate. Unfortunately, the ranks of the needy are growing, and many charities’ coffers are bare. Even small donations can help.

At any rate, Thanksgiving comes first – and I, for one, am grateful for a day with family, friends, and good food. Aren’t you?

RKB

For those who are worried about the economy…

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