WHAT: Gold To Go machines

WHY: Shopping malls provide plenty of opportunities for upscale shopping, but a Boca Raton, Fla., venue has taken it up a level with an ATM that forks out gold bars. The German company that makes the machines says its product is attractive to serious investors looking to bypass the hassle of pawn shops when trying to purchase gold. The machine comes with 320 pieces of various-sized bars and coins. A 2-gram piece of gold costs $122 and an ounce is $1,442.

THE OUTRAGE: At a time when many Americans are struggling to scrap together pennies to pay bills and purchase Christmas presents, the flashy excess represented by the machines — which debuted in the wealthy United Arab Emirates — is a bit too much.