Ever wonder why we decorate a tree for Christmas? What is the significance of the actual decorations? And further more – why do we exchange gifts on 25 December? PriceCheck has done some research and found out some interesting facts about the origins of Christmas, the fancy decorations and those gifts we wait for Santa to bring us. Lets start with the big green tree. There are many stories pointing out its beginnings so let’s explore one or two in more detail. The Christmas tree, according to legend, finds its origins with St. Boniface and the German town of Geismar. St. Boniface is said to have...

As Christmas rolls around this year, PriceCheck has reached deep down into our musical archives and compiled our five favourite albums for this holiday season. However, we also had to take into account some new offerings and thus included two recently released CD’s for 2011! First up we have Mariah Carey with the 1994 released titled ‘Merry Christmas’. The 41 year-old mother of twins gave the music world this gem right off the heels of her multi-platinum selling ‘Music Box’ album. This festive CD spawned what the The New Yorker considers “one of the few worthy modern additions to the...

It’s official! Christmas is here. TV commercials, radio ads, decorations and the ever present sounds of bells and chimes. You are probably hearing different versions of “Jingle Bell Rock” and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You” on constant rotation at your local mall and stores. So…let’s take a moment and think beyond Christmas and into the New Year and segue to the ‘New Year’s Resolution’. Let’s talk about the definition of a new year’s resolution. It is a commitment you make to a project, personal goal or mending those vices. Is your definition the same? Have...

This time of the year can be a bit stressful. The stress occurs when you cannot find that killer present for a loved one and /or co-worker. Time is running out and you feel like a spy being pursued by James Bond. You are aware that you don’t want to disappoint anyone and not have any gifts. So gifts ideas for the festive season might just save the day. The Apple iPad The iPad is arguably the gadget of the year. Be able to peruse email anywhere, experience your music from iTunes and consume all kinds of media on your iPad. The most powerful characteristic of the iPad is the apps that will provide you...

Last minute Christmas shopping…chaotic, expensive, and stressful! Too much to remember, never ending lists of gifts to buy and the prices, THE PRICES! I am tired just thinking about it. Online shopping on the other hand, gives you the ability to research your potential purchases for the best deals, saving you money and time! Retail therapy at its best. Losing money to a scam that we cannot trace is a helluva scary thought. However we can report any types of fraud to the South African Authorities. We have a scam team appointed to investigate crime and help you get your money back. Before we anticipate...