How to be a smart giver this holiday season

Air Date: December 1, 2014

Guests: Paco Underhill, Andrew Goode, Chris Morran

This time of year, with “Cyber Monday” today and “Giving Tuesday” tomorrow, Americans are more willing than ever to open up their pocketbooks and spend. Between gift buying, year-end finances, and charitable giving, holiday season transactions are so abundant that they are a lynchpin for our country’s economy. For this reason, retailers and con-artists alike seize the opportunity to cash in on the season of buying. There are also many unintentional ways in which the shopping season can become problematic when finding the perfect gift at the right price. Today, we talk about how to be a good, savvy giver. We’re joined by CHRIS MORRAN, deputy editor of Consumerist, and ANDREW P. GOODE, regional Vice President of the Better Business Bureau. But first, we get some tips from PACO UNDERHILL, environmental scientist and author of Why We Buy: The Geography of Shopping, on how to avoid being manipulated by big retailers.

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