Do you worry about money this time of year?
Every year, I wonder how many of us go around feeling just a slight bit of dread over how much commercialism is going to be taking over the holidays yet again. Do you feel the fiscal and time pressures of the holidays building up as soon as your neighborhood starts bringing out the lights?
To be honest, I enjoy the festivities, since I originally come from a country steeped in major festivals and outright, unabashed celebration with money being less of a concern during this time of year, that even the poorest villages get in on the act and have something big to show during Christmas. So yes, I am accustomed to this sort of thing and understand where it’s coming from.
Nevertheless, despite those influences, when it comes to my own matters, I try to keep an eye on the funds. For years, ours was the only house on the street without Christmas lights nor Santa nor bobbing deer embellishing the yard, while my neighbors across the street had their air-filled, gigantic ghouls and goblins up from the beginning of October onwards, to be enhanced by massive snowmen and elves after Thanksgiving. So two years ago, I relented and got us some string lights.
|
|
|
|
Similarly, my gift budget had always been of the lean and mean variety for quite some time, since I always felt gift giving was meant to be simple but meaningful, and was really for kids anyway. Well that didn’t fly with my extended circle, and I knew it whenever I caught their faces after they opened my humble presents (and we’re not talking about the kids here either!).
So the pressure of the holidays will be upon us, and I anticipate my budget to be screaming uncle and my wallet, weeping…again. And that is what the whole retail industry is banking on. That there are many people like me who, though hoping (make that strongly wishing) to avoid the grip of happy holiday consumption, will not be able to resist some of the wiles and wishes of family and society.
How much do you pay to look the part for the holidays? Let’s see this snapshot from my neck of the woods:
October
| Halloween Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Autumnal Wreathe | $20 |
| Indoor Halloween Decor | $50 |
| Outdoor Halloween Decor | $150 |
| 4 Pumpkins (to carve) | $10/each |
| Halloween Costumes | $30/each |
| Tons of Candy | $20 |
November
| Thanksgiving Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Seasonal Thanksgiving Tabletop (tablecover, plates, cups, flatware with the likeness of turkeys and pumpkins or witches on them) | $50 |
| That Big Turkey Dinner with all the fixings for 25 people | $250 |
December
| Christmas Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Indoor Christmas Decor | $200 |
| Outdoor Christmas Decor | $600 |
| Seasonal Christmas Tabletop (tablecover, plates, glasses, flatware with Xmas trees or Santa on them) | $150 |
| Gifts for extended family and friends, with accompanying wrappers and ribbons | $1,300 |
| Christmas cards for everyone else | $20 |
| Tips for everyone who provides you service | $50 |
| Live Christmas Tree, Tree Skirt and Ornaments | $300 |
| Big Christmas Party, your treat | $300 |
| Winter Wreathe and Garland | $120 |
| Donations to various causes | $500 |
| School fundraising and auctions | $1,000 |
Well, you get the idea. These are just some estimates I made from doing the rounds of store hopping, catalog gawking and story exchanges among friends and neighbors. Even if you amortize the things you reuse each year (say with a useful life of 5 years), they still add up. The first step to reigning in the holiday spending is to recognize how much of your resources it’s going to take to celebrate, go with the flow and “look the part”.
Why so much consumption?
It’s what our culture today expects. When it’s time for the merry-making, people are expected to fork it over, and if not, they could be crowned the [family, school, office, church, community] cheapskate. Well then, here’s what I’ll say about that cheapskate designation — let’s be okay with it! The holidays is all about how to deal with expectations: that’s why sometimes, for people who’ve won the lottery, it isn’t all that it’s cut out to be (since everyone knows when someone has money and they line up at the doorstep), and sometimes, there could actually be less pressure in being of more modest means. Remind me though that holiday envy (why do they have a bigger tree? brighter lights? nicer gifts?) could be a whole nother story altogether.
<Thanks to Christmas Street for the great pics!>
- Stock trades: Free stock trades from Zecco, Cheap stock trades from TradeKing, Stock news and Investment info at INO TV Free, No cost Trend Analysis for stocks
- Earn top returns: FNBO Direct [1.90%], HSBC Direct [1.65%], WTDirect [1.76%], E*Trade Bank [0.95%], ING Direct [.25% to 1.65%]
- Cash bonus: Discover More [$50], American Express [$25], Lending Club [$25]
If you enjoyed this post, you can get free regular updates through our RSS Feed, or you can have our latest posts delivered to your email inbox by supplying your address here. Your address will only be used for this purpose, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have already been called “cheap” once this year and boy did it hurt, but oh well. I wont go into MORE debt this year to avoid that term. If all CHEAPSKATES unite and remember the true meaning of Christmas, the retailers would go out of business!
It’s all so overwhelming!
Let ‘em call you whatever they want. People in my practice seem to agree that those who don’t get caught up in the madness are enviable and admired.