Parents are cutting back on drinking and eating out to afford holidays during the credit crunch, according to a poll. And 13% of mothers and fathers admit to taking their children out of school to take advantage of cheaper holiday prices, the survey from lastminute.com found.

Elected officials gather in support of Operation Holidays for Heroes (The Woodlands Villager)

Area business women and elected officials gathered Monday in support of a program to provide holiday gift baskets for county servicemen and women that will spend the holidays far from home.

CONSUMER ADVICE: Make your own gifts to save on holidays (Courier-Post)

The closer the holidays get, the easier it is to let the joy of the season cloud judgment, says Mechele Glass, director of education for Atlanta-based Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

Stitches and Stuff: Holidays on the horizon (The Daily News)

Recently a friend reminded me that the Christmas holidays are about two months away. Wow! How time does fly. Here are some ideas to inspire you to get going on your holiday gifts.

Copper, Zinc, Aluminum Fall Limit in Shanghai After Holidays (Bloomberg)

Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Copper, zinc and aluminum plunged by the exchange-imposed daily limit in Shanghai, catching up with losses on international markets in the past week when China's exchanges were closed for holidays.