PUMPING UP RETAIL

摘要

Freelance writer Lisa Trusiani usually spends about $500 on holiday gifts such as L.L. Bean maple syrup for her 20 clients. This year, she's sending them greeting cards. And instead of store-bought presents, some relatives will receive original panels from comic books, such as Marvel's Beavis And Butt-Head, drawn by her husband, freelance artist Rick Parker. As it is for many Americans, money is tighter this year for the Maplewood, N.J., couple. The aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks added to the couple's concerns, since Trusiani lost her job as a freelance copywriter for American Express Co., a position she'd held for 10 years. "We have good intentions instead of a budget this holiday season," she says.