Consumers should take the time to prepare themselves by researching prices and quality before they hit the stores or Internet this holiday shopping season, according to University of babyÖ±²¥app Boulder Professor Donald Lichtenstein. Being prepared can save consumers money, steer them away from overspending and even change their way of thinking about purchasing gifts during the holidays, said Lichtenstein, chair of the marketing department at CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business.