According ‘the media’, this was supposed to be a booming upsurge in the economy from Black Friday projections.
The reason is did so well is because people were forced to fight that madness or just settle for lesser presents. In other words, they aren’t cushioned as much to just go to regular sales.
Considering my kids’ gifts consisted of Flea Market (and cleaned up/repaired) bikes and dollar tree (school supplies, make up, art supplies, etc...) I’m sure I’m not the only one that went WAY down on spending this year.
My spending was way down and my Christmas surprise was finding some old silver dollars in the basement in pristine condition I had no idea was there.
My family chose not to exchange gifts with one another but instead to support the needy with cash and food donations. It’s the best Christmas I personally have ever had! It is so satisfying to see to someone in need, rather than to give material gifts to those who don’t need anything. And being anonymouse makes it fun too.
My family chose not to exchange gifts with one another but instead to support the needy with cash and food donations. It’s the best Christmas I personally have ever had! It is so satisfying to see to someone in need, rather than to give material gifts to those who don’t need anything. And being anonymouse makes it fun too.
Same here. Way, way down on spending this year and it was the smallest haul of presents we've ever had. Everything I gave was homemade from materials I already had so my cost was $0. Mr. B did buy son a drill but that was the extent of the cash outflow. The extended family also made homemade gifts, did more regifting and admitted to having scrounged the clearance bins all year which is something they'd never have admitted to in the past. One works at Walmart and they said they haven't been overly buzy and that Christmas Eve day was not buzy at all. I'm not so sure that companies will tell the truth about their bottom line holiday profits fearing their stocks would take a hit.
Our spending styles have changed so much.
When our children ask for things during the year I found myself saying repeatedly, “Maybe you’ll get that for Christmas.” I don’t buy them things in June like I could in the past. I put off spending on things that aren’t necessary for months and months.
When Christmas came, my children got “targeted Christmas gifts”. They didn’t get that really cool, expensive fun item that blew them away. There weren’t any extravagant surprises this year.
Those can’t be found at a Flea Market, Big Lots, etc. And Santa can’t afford them.
My children are so trained to this new mindset that when Santa asked them what they wanted they said, “Bring me what you think I’ll like.”
I think they are smart enough not to ask for things Mom and Dad can’t afford, because they don’t want to be greedy. And, they didn’t want to be disappointed on Christmas morning if they asked for something expensive and it wasn’t under the tree.
In a way, my children have lost that “blown away surprised” Christmas experience, because there mother spent less money on Christmas this year than in other years. I feel like they’ve been robbed of a unique experience. No, it won’t kill them... yes, there are children who get much less in this world. But I wanted my children to hold onto that Christmas magic for a little longer than they did. It evaporated when I wasn’t looking.
I blame Obama-economics.
This has little to do with the economy. This has to do with the fact that Sears (and K-Mart) suck. Been to one lately? I haven’t. They’ve been supplanted by Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, and Amazon.
Sometimes the old retailers just don’t hold on. See Woolworth’s and Gimbels.