When I was younger, I would begin celebrating holidays at Halloween, continue through my birthday, then through Thanksgiving and on through New Year and Mardi Gras. Count it on your fingers – that celebration lasted at least three to four months out of every year – from the beginning of November until Lent. I spent the remaining months in the year recovering from those festivities.

While I've outgrown my penchant for wild living and for casting money upon wasteful waters, I still regard winter as “party time,” although my environment played a part in the strength of my feelings when young.

Living along the pre-Katrina Gulf Coast meant that I lived in an environment that agreed with my party philosophy. During one stint as a salesperson, I learned that it was almost impossible to conduct a serious sale to retailers during the months between Halloween and Mardi Gras unless that sale concerned alcohol, food or party merchandise.

This theory was confirmed when I spent five years working at a alcohol and drug treatment center on the coast. At Lent, the staff at this center prepared to go from an empty house to a full deck as repenters signed up in earnest attempts to straighten out their lives.

But that party life – at least as Gulf Coast residents knew it – ended in 2005 with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Those storms had an effect upon the entire nation as they seemed to highlight a new century filled with a war, earthquakes, tsunamis, corporate malfeasance, a dying space program and a rise in unemployment, insurance problems and financial and environmental issues.

While life continues to go up and down, I feel the party has been canceled this year nationwide. The reasons behind my perspective are outlined below, and the list is based upon my lot as a middle-class citizen who uses credit cards, who invests in the stock market and who owns a home:

1. My life as a credit-card user is over as I know it for now. Thanks to banks that have lowered my credit limits and raised my interest rates, my desire to use those cards is dead.
   
   
2. In an effort to finalize paying off remaining credit cards, my input into investments has slowed or stopped altogether. Since I don't want to use those credit cards, I use cash for necessities. This change in spending habits means that I spend far less than I would if I used credit cards (this change is good for me, but not very good for retailers or banks).
   
   
3. In fear of having to replace an aging heating/AC system and a roof, I've had to save cash on the side rather than rely on a loan, because – thanks to #1 – my credit score is much lower than it was one year ago. I can't get a loan to cover a major expense at this point.
   
   
4. My insurance rates have risen, and so has my deductible. Therefore, I also need to set aside more money for health and disaster emergencies.
   
   
5. While I firmly believe in setting aside money for investments on a regular basis, my environment dictates differently. Since I believe in saving for my future more than I do in shopping for the holidays, my holiday shopping is curtailed this year. Simple logic.

According to a recent Consumer Reports poll, sixty-five percent of consumers expect to cut back on holiday spending, so I know I'm not in the minority with my list and its consequences. On the other hand, investors who can spend money during this holiday season may be in the minority, but I know you're out there. I suggest you read my list over again to learn more about your investment opportunities. Here are some hints:

• Retail: You might consider investing only in those companies that offer day-to-day needs such as food, water and other necessities.
  
  
• Energy: Economic recessions and depressions have, in the past, yielded venues for new energy developments. Part of that picture includes government subsidies for development, such as those granted this year to renewable and alternative energy projects. Stay tuned to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), as their renewed interest in environmental issues may dictate how this sector grows over the next few years.
  
  
• Transportation: In concerted efforts across the nation to decrease passenger cars and increase value in delivery services, both economically and environmentally, investors might look at rail services for passengers and for commodities.
  
  
• Electronics: Sales and desires continue to drive this market, which includes computers, game systems, cell and smart phones, MP3 players and GPS systems.
  
  
• Entertainment: Although the party may seem dead this year, alcohol never fails - even during economic downturns.

One thing I have learned over the decades is that – despite an overwhelming sense of negative news – change is a constant and that what goes down usually goes back up. At least, that's how I'm entering the holidays – with a positive attitude buoyed through some time for rest, to rebuild and to count my blessings rather than my setbacks.

By the time Lent arrives, the world may seem new again and I'll definitely be healthier (both physically and financially) for the lack of partying this year.

Until Later,