This Summer, Nesting Is Cool

June 25, 2008 RSS Feed Print
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Are you settling in for a summer of nesting? There's been a lot of buzz about people opting to stay home instead of traveling to exotic locations because of high gas prices. According to one Kmart television ad, "This summer, there's no place like home," and the company's website is promoting patio furniture and camping equipment. I recently received an E-mail offering an interview with a Comcast executive to discuss the cable company's growing entertainment options, including over 10,000 on-demand programs and thousands of movies a month, designed to cater to consumers who are planning to spend a lot of time on the couch.

Many of us seem to be embracing that idea: In May, Merrill Lynch reports, the share of consumers who said they would buy a new television in the next six months shot up to just over 12 percent. And a survey by Better Homes and Gardens found that 80 percent of respondents liked the idea of a "staycation," or spending more vacation time close to home.

I know that I'm looking forward to exploring several local water holes this summer, as well as making healthy use of my Netflix subscription. What about you? Are the gas prices keeping you home? If so, what activities are you looking forward to?

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We live in Northern California and usually take a roadtrip, but this year we are going to Lake Tahoe only. It is close for us to drive to and we are out of the heat! We plan to stay at Northstar because of their family lodging options and endless, included, activities.

Jenny of CA 4:50PM July 03, 2008

Oh yes I forgot about weddings! Then you really have no choice but to travel...

Kimberly Palmer of 3:01PM June 25, 2008

Thank god I only have one wedding this summer, but all the events surrounding the wedding are my vacation. Day trip to NJ for the shower, possibly a night in NYC for the bachelorette party, and the actual wedding itself.

Originally I was despising going on a weeklong trip to the NJ shore with my extended family, but now that I can't afford to go anywhere I want to go, I might go down for a weekend. My boyfriend and I are considering a day at Fire Island through a deal the Long Island Railroad offers, a train ticket and cab fare from the train to the ferry.

Veronica of NY 2:39PM June 25, 2008

Alpha Consumer

Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about making smarter financial decisions. She’s the author of Generation Earn: The Young Professional's Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back.

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