SHAPING HOLIDAY SHOPPING AS WE MOVE FROM STORES TO COMPUTERS. PEOPLE MAY BE SHOPPING LOCAL BUT MAY BE SPENDING MORE ON OPENING THE DOOR TO SCAMS. LOCAL FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL FRED CREUTZER IS JOINING US NOW TO SHARE SOME MONEY SAVING TIPS FOR THE SEASON. SO NICE TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD MORNING, JEN. THIS IS THAT TIME OF YEAR, OF COURSE, WE REALLY TRY TO EMPHASIZE MAKING SURE WE HAVE A PLAN. THE PLAN IS WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO SPEND? EVERY FAMILY IN THI PANDEMIC HAS A DIFFERENT SITUATION. WE'VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, WHETHER IT BE YOUR MOM OR DAD OR YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER. WE'RE ALL IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THIS YEAR PROBABL MORE THAN EVER. BUT HAVIE A SPENDING PLAN. I THINK IN THIS TIME, PEOPLE WILL BE UNDERSTANDABLE THAT IF WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO DO MAYBE THINGS WE'VE DONE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THAT WE OPEN UP DOORS TO MAYBE SOME ALTERNATE THINGS. ONE OF THE FIRST ALTERNATE THINGS I THINK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMEBODY MAKING A BATCH OF COOKIES AND JUST BEING AS APPRECIATIVE AS YOU WOULD IF IT WAS A WONDERFUL GIFT. BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT TIMES. WE'VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY FAMILY IS IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION. AND BE PLEASED WITH WHATEVER WE ARE ABLE TO DO FOR EACH OTHER. >> IT'S SO TRUE TO TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIALLY SCALING BACK ON WHAT MAY BE YOUR TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IF EVER THERE WAS A YEAR TO DO THAT. THIS CERTAINLY IS THAT YEAR. SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN SO IMPACTED, THEY'VE BEEN HOLDING ON FOR ANOTHER RELIEF PACKAGE. WE'VE JUST SEEN ANOTHER REPORTER TALK ABOUT HOW YOU C SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES BY GIVING A GIFT CARD TO A SMALL BUSINESS AS A GIFT AS WELL. >> YEAH, TODAY IT'S THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE WORKERS THAT A IN SMALL BUSINESSES. SOME PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN AFFECTED AT ALL FINANCIALLY. OTHER PEOPLE COME IN OUR OFFICE, JEN, AND THEY'RE FINANCIALLY SMASHED. AND WE ARE HOPING FOR ANOTHE STIMULUS PACKAGE, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IF NOT BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. WE DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR FOLKS OUT THERE, BECAUSE THEY FEEL CHRISTMAS, THEY FEEL THE PRESSURE, IS TO PUT THEMSELVES IN DEEPER DEBT IF THEY'RE IN THAT STRUGGLING POSITION. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THAT. IF IT'S YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER, MAYBE INSTEAD OF GIVING THE NORMAL GIFTS AS YOU GIVE, MAYBE YOU HELP TOWARDS YOUR KID'S 529 PLAN. WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AND HELP CLIENTS BE CREATIVE IN A TIME LIKE THIS MAYBE EVERY YEAR, PUT MONEY IN THE GRANDCHILD'S 529 PLAN FOR COLLEGE. THEY CAN'T DO IT THIS YEAR. THIS IS A TIME TO HELP THEM OUT. THIS IS DEFINITELY THE YEAR, I BELIEVE IN ALTERNATE GIFTS. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TRADITIONAL GIFTS. BUT WE'VE GOT TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX OF WHAT WILL BE MORE IMPACTFUL FOR MY FAMILY AT THIS TIME. JENNIFER: ALSO MAYBE THINKING TOO ABOUT AVOIDING SOME OF THESE SCAMS AS MORE PEOPLE ARE SHOPPING ONLINE. CLICK BAIT IS VERY DANGEROUS. >> IT'S 60% OF ALL BUYS THIS YEAR WILL BE ONLINE, AND THESE SCAMS ARE REALLYCREATIVE. AND THEY COME FROM FACEBOOK. IT COULD COME FROM MANY THINGS. AND THEY HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE. THEY MAY LEAD YOU TO IT, BUT WHAT IT MIGHT BE IS A TRUE SCAM. THESE SCAMMERS ARE AMAZING, TALENTED TO CREATE THIS AMBIENCE OF THIS WONDERFUL THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUY AND YOU CAN'T WAIT TO BUY IT. STAY AWAY. RELIABILITY OF THE COMPANY, BE VERY CAUTIOUS BUYING ONLINE JENNIFER: I WAS SMILING AT ONE OF YOUR TIPS. AVOID EMOTIONAL BUYING. IT'S SO EASY TO DO WHEN YOU'RE FEELING GOOD AND FEELING BAD. RETAIL THERAPY IS A REAL THING, FRED. >> IT IS. PEOPLE SAY, I DIDN'T NEED TO BUY IT, BUT I BOUGHT IT. OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE END UP SHOPPING FOR THEMSELVES. THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GET THAT SHOVEL OUT AGAIN, DIG OURSELVES OUT OF A BIG DEBT SITUATION BECAUSE WE BOUGHT THINGS EMOTIONALLY. I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE ME FEE GOOD, BUT REALLY IT DIDN'T. I COULDN'T AFFORD TO DO TO BEGIN WITH. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. JENNIFER: THANKS FOR JOINING US. THE PICTURE BEHIND YOU IS HAVING ME THINK ABOUT THE BEACH RIGHT