Holiday Shopping Notebook: Holiday gimmicks As you rush into the holiday shopping season, you may catch a whiff of cookies baking at the mall or find a note from a roving elf on your iPhone or get a coupon by text message.Smart Spending: Online help for holiday shopping Shoppers face a dizzying array of offers of help in the form of new Web sites, services and mobile phone applications as they set out for their holiday shopping this year.Owner of famed NYC bagel biz hit with tax charges NEW YORK Prosecutors say the owner of a storied New York City bagel business shortchanged the state out of a lot of dough by cheating on taxes.Auto repair shops win $15 million from insurer STAMFORD, Conn. A Connecticut jury has awarded $15 million to automobile repair shop owners in their lawsuit accusing an affiliate of The Hartford Financial Services Group of unfair trade practices.
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Worried about holiday spending? Layaway may be an option The recession has brought back many shopping strategies that had been largely discarded in the more free-wheeling spending days of the 1990s.Itchin' to do something out of town? Nearby big cities offer a boatload of possibilities The Miami Valley has thousands of enticing shopping and entertainment options, but another benefit of living here is the easy access to larger metro hubs that are brimming with additional things to do.2009 Holiday Bazaars & Craft Shows Holiday Craft Show: Gifts, decorations, and floral arrangements by local crafters and bake sale. Lunch will also be available. Supports Sacred Heart Mission Commission. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Sunday, Oct. 4, at Sacred Heart Church, Fairfield, 400 Nilles Road, Fairfield. (513) 858-4210. www.sacredheart-fairfield.org.Top five money-saving tips from five area businesses Sometimes, the best way to find out how to get the best discounts and deals on goods or services is to go directly to the source.