December 26, 2025
This has been the week of Christmas. We’ve discussed various parts of Christmas Day in past columns.
Following Christmas Day will be two events. January first will be New Years Day. And then there’s December 26th.
That is the annual National Day of Exchange and Returns.
Some years back this writer was in a hardware store December 27th. A customer came in with a Christmas gift to return saying he already had one.
We promptly told him he came the wrong Day - Exchange and Refund Day was yesterday. We all got a good laugh.
Reader’s Digest had a good story last year on store returns and exhange policies. They range from no returns to return anything anytime.
They gave a few examples of how it has been taken. One high school girl needed a dress for prom. She bought six, checked them all, and then returned five.
Some people would have returned all six including the one worn. Some stores would not have accepted the obviously worn one.
The same goes for customers who buy things for an event or single need and then return them. This can include home repair tools and even furniture-Along with deluxe clothes.
Some places will accept the returns while others decided to charge a restocking fee usually 10 or 15 per cent to discourage such returns. Some need repairs.
In our case when Sears and Montgomery Ward still had their catalogues we most frequently shopped the Surplus stores.
There were last year’s models, Scratch & Dent, customer returns and usually a special section for Surplus only items. More than once we got our Christmas gifts there.
Our main TV came from one store. Manufacturer’s defect (discolored cabinet). Still new and normal with complete warranty. Worked just fine.
We hope you had a good Christmas and look forward to the end of this year and the start of a new one.
January 2, 2026
This has been the last week of year 2025. Our work this week has been to get the things done which needed doing before the end of the year.
We can remember many years the last few days of the year were spent in town getting the bills paid.
That’s what this writer has done too. And in addition to the bills being paid we’ve also made some charity donations too. Each year has had its memories. And stories. The important thing was to get the checks made out and either delivered or mailed so the post mark showed December.
Then get ready for the new year.
Don’t forget to change your calendars too.
Our weekly email from Burpees always asks for an order - seeds of course, but place an order for started plants which will arrive when warm weather does.
We have omitted New Year’s Eve and New Years Day festivities.
We hope you concluded 2025 to your satisfaction and have now begun 2026.
In recent years this has included watching the parade in California, sometimes the football game and, of course, the New Years Day dinner and events.
Be sure to water your house plants too. Until next week.
