Ho ho ho, or no?
Posted
Nov 21 2007, 12:06 PM
by
Donna Freedman
The biggest newspaper of the year hits the doorstep tomorrow, crammed with Black Friday ads. Some people couldn't care less.
A Smart Spending message board reader posting as "whyspend" has done away with Christmas presents -- and, subsequently, with lots of hassles.
"No tension. No fake happiness when we open a gift we never asked for and never would have bought ourselves. No wasting time shopping online or in the shops," whyspend writes.
"It's bliss."
Another reader, "tazzmann," has also had enough. Dropping Christmas presents is a sure-fire way to get a Scrooge sobriquet, but tazzmann says a gift-free holiday has its advantages, such as "money still in your pocket."
What you won't have: "Piles of wrapping paper strewn all over your house, bags full of old items and trash to take out, (or) gifts to return or go get batteries for."
Different ways to give
Other readers suggested dial-it-down gift strategies, such as buying only for kids, drawing one relative's name or donating to charities in lieu of presents.
Gifts can be limited with regard to price or even genre, such as homemade presents. One reader, "old Karen," says that for several years her family gave presents only from yard sales or thrift stores.
Another reader, "personal santa," says each family member buys his own gift. "That way we get exactly what we want, need and like, and we don't have to overspend."
However, those gifts get tagged with someone else's name, and that family member has to open it and try to guess who actually bought it for himself. "Plenty of family fun," according to the reader, but also "an opportunity to indulge and not feel guilty."
What's the real cost?
Although I'm no shopaholic, I happen to love giving presents. Most are acquired throughout the year from clearance tables, yard sales, dollar stores or reward programs. There's usually at least one screamin' deal in the Black Friday ads, too.
But news footage of day-after-Thanksgiving shoppers trampling one another in search of this year's Hot New Toy or Must-Have Gadget makes me a little queasy. So does the sight of all those overflowing shopping carts.
How much stuff do we need, and are we going into debt to get it?
What do the holidays really cost us?
I'd be interested in readers' thoughts on this subject. Please leave a message at the end of this blog or join the conversation on the existing Smart Spending message board thread.
