I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year, but it seems to me that a happy Valentine's Day or Happy Easter is just as appropriate, given the news I received from a co-worker today.

I haven't seen it myself, but I've been told that Valentine's Day merchandise has been appearing on store shelves already, and I believe it.

It seems that retailers, manufacturers, or both, can't wait to clear out the old stuff and bring in the new. If it's Thanksgiving, they put out Christmas stuff. If it's Valentine's Day, all you see are Easter items. If it's summer, they break out scarecrows and pumpkins. Yuck.

I understand shoppers who want to buy well in advance of the holiday, especially when it comes to Christmas, but who buys Valentine's Day candy and keeps it under their bed for six weeks? It's not a pretty picture.

So why do retailers do what they do? Maybe they figure that if the manufacturers send them the items, they may as well put them on the store shelves to sell.

Or perhaps they don't have room in the storeroom to keep the items until the holiday gets closer. Whatever their reasoning, I'm not buying it. They'll get their money when I'm good and ready to give it.

The retailers have mastered the ability to know what we consumers want, to the point that they tell us what we want. Some of us are better at resisting than others. But most seem not, judging by the proliferation of credit card offers and the number of Americans buried under a mountain of debt.

Since I'm on the topic of retailers, I really have a problem with the discount cards that some of them force us to get. Yes, I said force. No one in their right mind would buy a box of cookies for $3.50 when they can sign up for a discount card and get them for $2.50.

I'm glad for the cashiers who keep a spare card next to the register to use when I forget mine. At least that's one way to buck the system.

It's obvious that the retailers are keeping track of what I, as a consumer, am buying. Not only that, but they know how many of a particular item I buy and when I buy them. Can someone say, "T-M-I?"

Here's another one for you … why do they ask for our zip code or phone number when purchasing items at some stores? Is it so they can sell my information to telemarketers that bug me at dinnertime?

My guess is that it's part of an overall marketing scheme, which gets us, the consumers, to buy more of what they want us to have. So how do we combat this?

I don't know. But I think it starts with just being a smarter shopper.

I'm as guilty as anyone to grab an item because the sign above it reads "sale."

Take the time to do the math and like me, you might discover you're only saving a few cents by buying the item that's marked "sale." You might even be able to get a similar item that is not on sale -- and maybe more of what you really want -- for the same or even lesser price.

Above all, ask yourself, "Do I really need this item and do I need it today?" If you do this, it will help you deal with all the things I mentioned in this article.

That concludes this session of Shopping 101 with your favorite non-expert on staff at the BannerGraphic. Have a happy new year!