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Tip Tuesday – Plan Now for Serious Supply Shortages
Pandemic problems are still plaguing us, so NOW is the time to start planning for your holiday celebrations and gift-giving. Today marks 95 days till Christmas 2021 and Hanukkah starts on Nov. 28th, only 70 days away!
The New York Times reports that serious supply chain issues will be with us for quite a while more. Shipping times worldwide have doubled to 90 days on average. Plastics, cardboard, metals, and computer chips are high-priced and in limited supply. In addition, there is a dearth of short-term workers. So FedEx, UPS, and USPS will all experience delays getting goods from one place to another.
The Washington Post reports that food manufacturers are also experiencing 8 to 12 weeks of delays getting key ingredients for many holiday staples.
So what to do? PLAN now for your meals, baking needs, and gift-giving so that you and your family are not disappointed. ANYthing that is shelf-stable, and that you have room to store, should be purchased soon. Do not wait for “bargains” if it’s an essential item. Many retailers are short on inventory and will not be doing “doorbuster” deals this season, since they don’t have to.
Take a look at last year’s very popular CLUTTER-FREE GIFT GUIDE based on great suggestions from my fun FB community. If you send holiday cards, then aim to get them out in early December. Shop now for larger items like furniture as the shipping times will be much longer. Smaller things that can travel inexpensively via air, like jewelry, will be easier to come by.
In short, don’t come up short when it comes to planning for any of your essential tangible needs in the next few months! You have been warned!