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Is the economy changing your holiday traditions? Tell us how you're coping with holidays Star wants to know how you're handling holiday spending Tell us how you're handling hard times during holidays Tell us how you're handling hard times during holidays

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Everywhere, news stories lament that consumer spending is dropping, which, in turn, is causing problems in almost every retail sector.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says he's trying to boost consumers' access to credit, including car loans.

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman advised President-elect Barack Obama to tell the American public to "go shopping."

But isn't it the free-wheeling spending and the credit-card debt that helped get us in this mess? Aren't we supposed to cut back and conserve our cash for the hard times ahead?

As we head into the holidays, what will you do to reconcile the need to be cautious and the urge to do your part to keep the economy moving?

Will you black out Black Friday, the big shopping day after Thanksgiving?

Will necessities be the only gifts under the tree?

Are you drawing names for gift-giving for the first time?

Or planning new traditions that steer away from store-bought gifts?

Tell us how you're handling the holidays during this economic recession by sending an e-mail to metro@azstarnet.com

Please put Holiday Spending in the subject line and provide a daytime phone number (it won't be published) so we can call with any follow-up questions.

We'll be sharing Southern Arizonans' strategies and stories during December.