This Summer, Nesting Is Cool

Are you settling in for a summer of nesting? There's been a lot of buzz about people opting to stay home instead of traveling to exotic locations because of high gas prices. According to one Kmart television ad, "This summer, there's no place like home," and the company's website is promoting patio furniture and camping equipment. I recently received an E-mail offering an interview with a Comcast executive to discuss the cable company's growing entertainment options, including over 10,000 on-demand programs and thousands of movies a month, designed to cater to consumers who are planning to spend a lot of time on the couch.

Many of us seem to be embracing that idea: In May, Merrill Lynch reports, the share of consumers who said they would buy a new television in the next six months shot up to just over 12 percent. And a survey by Better Homes and Gardens found that 80 percent of respondents liked the idea of a "staycation," or spending more vacation time close to home.

I know that I'm looking forward to exploring several local water holes this summer, as well as making healthy use of my Netflix subscription. What about you? Are the gas prices keeping you home? If so, what activities are you looking forward to?