I'm Not The Grinch!

I don't want to come across like the Grinch who stole Christmas, but seriously, have you ever stopped to wonder why Christmas is such an expensive time? Most people get through Christmas by putting stuff on their credit card to deal with next month, but by the time next month comes around there are more expenses that need to be covered, whether that is sorting out the car because something went wrong with it, or maybe you get a huge gas or electricity bill, or whatever. There are these expenses that just pop up, so that Christmas debt can wait till next month (that's February now).

Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier, and cheaper, if you didn't have a Christmas debt to deal with?

So really, where does the money go? Well, there are all those gifts that you just have to buy for the kids - the things that they see advertised and that they just have to have for Christmas. And then there are the gifts you just have to buy for your aunt and uncle, your cousins, your neighbours, your friends, etc, etc. And then there are the Christmas parties that you just have to go to - whether it's the office party, or just going out with your friends.

That's three main areas, and they all have "have to" in them.

This is the Grinchy bit. Do you really "have to"?

Do you really "have to" buy the kids every toy that they say they want? You remember the toys that you got for them last Christmas - the ones that they'd forgotten about by afternoon on Christmas Day. That's going to happen again with most of the stuff that you're putting yourself into debt to buy for them this year. So slow down and consider what you should really get for them. It's not everything that they have expressed a fleeting "Can I have" for.

And then there are the gifts for all those relatives. These are the gifts where you really don't know what to get for Aunt Dilys or your cousin Bob. You really don't know - so you end up getting perfume (because you can't think of anything else) or a tie or some socks (really unimaginitive). Guess what? Dilys and Bob don't know what to get for you either! So all of you are just buying for the sake of buying - you're buying because it's expected of you. So why not make an agreement with your relatives to not buy for each other? It'll save you, and them, a lot of money and debt. It might seem a bit difficult the first year you do it, but that's only because you're acting differently from how you've been conditioned. Next year, and the year after, it will be easier.

And those Christmas parties? Do you really "have to" go to all of them? Do you "have to" consume so much alcohol that you don't even know what you're doing or where you are? Do you "have to" destroy your health as well as your finances? No, you don't "have to". When you say that you're going to give a party a miss, you might get some funny looks, but the next day when everyone else has a massive hangover and no money, you'll feel glad that you didn't go to the party, and you'll still have money in your wallet.

I don't want to be "Grinchy", but you really don't "have to" do all the things that you normally do over Christmas. You really can enjoy yourself without going mad buying gifts and getting drunk. You can enjoy yourself within your budget.

So do you want to try it out this year? Just cut back a bit, consider what you are buying and for who, and don't say "Yes" to every single party.