OH and I both have birthdays near Xmas so for a few years we set ourselves a Ā£10 limit for Xmas and that worked well.Ā Ā That went by the board for some reason so I tend to ask forĀ practical stuff for the house or garden which, I am told, is boring but I have enough perfumes to last the rest of my life even if I live to 100 and don't want other smellies and I don't want jokey prezzies I'll never use either.Ā Ā Waste of money.
Possum's birthday is in January so we can and do take advantage of the post Xmas sales.Ā Ā
when we lived "up country" we had a lovely elderly neighbour and she dreaded christmas " every year there seems to be more grandchildren ,and as they get older their presents get more expensive"Ā Ā I'm sure she wasn't alone in feeling pressurised into spending more than she could afford.
But donāt people have to take a degree of personal responsibility for what they do/how much they spend.... whether at Christmas or at other times of the year?Ā
There have already been the annual slew of features in the news media Ā about āwonderful mothersā that start buying Christmas presents in January and spend Ā£1,000 a year on each of her 10 children.Ā
Our response is that they are obviously incontinent on every level and then we take no notice. It doesnāt make me rush out and spend more money.Ā
If people feel pressured by whatās going on around them to spend more than they can afford a lack of advertising isnāt going to stop that.Ā
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
But donāt people have to take a degree of personal responsibility for what they do/how much they spend.... whether at Christmas or at other times of the year?Ā
Indeed so, so how do we explain the exponential rise in personal debt?
Far too many people have no idea how to manage money.Ā There has been talk of putting it in the national curriculum and some primary schools already do it.Ā Ā Things may improve for this latest generation.
Far too many people have no idea how to manage money.Ā There has been talk of putting it in the national curriculum and some primary schools already do it.Ā Ā Things may improve for this latest generation.
Maybe if NOT spending a fortune at xmas, or chocolate at Easter, or overpaid flowers in Valentine's day became more the norm, it'd help? Just a thought.
You're preaching to the converted @Hostafan1.Ā I buy the duck breasts for our Xmas dinner in the early autumn when they're on offer and bung them in the freezer.Ā Never have done Valentine's and eat proper chocolate all year as and when I fancy it but not the fancy Easter confections.
Figures Iāve seen from Step Change and other debt relief agencies, and certainly experience linked to my former work, show that many of those who get into unmanageable credit card debt have been driven to use their credit card to pay for general day to day living expenses, food and utilities coupled with car repairs and white goods replacement, even Council Tax, because earnings just havenāt kept pace with these costs and if someone has an illness and has to take time off work, unpaid except for SSP, that can soon get into debt.Ā
Using a credit card sometimes seems the only option but then they find they canāt keep up with the repayments and are trapped in an escalating spiral of compound interest. Ā
Very few of any of the families I had to help cope with debt problems had used a card extravagantly. š¢Ā
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ā I'm sure she wasn't alone in feeling pressurised into spending more than she could afford.
My missus is one of the worst culprits, although I'm certain she doesn't realise what she's doing.Ā Her sister and her husband aren't well off, in fact they just about scrape by.Ā Some years ago it was suggested, by me, that we all cut back on presents and it seemed that was agreed.Ā That year was fine, but the following year my missus bought loads again but I and the sister-in-law were oblivious to that fact.Ā Come Christmas Day the embarrassment to her and her husband was obvious, to all but my missus.Ā When I raised it with her later I was accused of ruining her Christmas.Ā She wasn't doing it to be flash, she just loved the whole Christmas 'thing', but she is totally unable to comprehend that she is causing other people problems.Ā Her standard reply is "Well they don't have to buy us much if they don't want to"
Figures Iāve seen from Step Change and other debt relief agencies, and certainly experience linked to my former work, show that many of those who get into unmanageable credit card debt have been driven to use their credit card to pay for general day to day living expenses, food and utilities coupled with car repairs and white goods replacement, even Council Tax, because earnings just havenāt kept pace with these costs and if someone has an illness and has to take time off work, unpaid except for SSP, that can soon get into debt.Ā
Using a credit card sometimes seems the only option but then they find they canāt keep up with the repayments and are trapped in an escalating spiral of compound interest. Ā
Very few of any of the families I had to help cope with debt problems had used a card extravagantly. š¢Ā
I totally agree that the reasons for debt are complex and numerous, but the pressure to spend spend spend at christmas certainly doesn't help matter.Ā
Posts
Possum's birthday is in January so we can and do take advantage of the post Xmas sales.Ā Ā
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.