No Sleep 'Til Bethlehem

Hey, Reuben Vollrath of Athens, Georgia. Boy, is your Christmas gonna suck:

To clear space in their S.U.V.'s for more purchases, buyers jettisoned giant cardboard boxes from 27-inch televisions. "I can't believe they'd do that," grumbled one clerk, stacking up the empty boxes. "I think they need these if they want to return them."

Others headed to shops where they could buy a broader range of things. In Athens, Ga., Ruth Vollrath was headed to a Target.

Ms. Vollrath, who has three children and is married to a pastor, said she planned to spend less because the family had had "some financial setbacks" during the year. So she checked out the discount stores' circulars. "I'm excited about the digital cameras there, the Norelco electric shaver for my husband and a luggage set for my 12-year-old son Reuben."