The most expensive time of the year
OPINION: It’s no secret that life is more expensive these days. It’s also no secret that Christmas is just around the corner. So how do you reconcile ‘‘the most wonderful time of the year’’ (also known as ‘‘the most expensive time of the year’’) with the everincreasing cost of living?
A few recent chats with close friends have told me many people are downsizing and downgrading their Christmases this year. What used to be a big event with tonnes of food and squillions of gifts (and subsequent high levels of stress) is going to be low-key and relaxed, with less consumerism, this year.
When it comes to gift-buying, Secret Santa seems to be a really common choice. So too is only buying for children. My husband’s family is doing a bit of both: Secret Santa to the value of $50 for the adults plus buying for the three grandkids (and books between cousins).
Christmas kai is likely to be pretty low-key this year too. For one family group we’re having a picnic instead of a full-on sitdown dinner, which by its very nature means less food and organisation (who’s lugging a Christmas ham and all the trimmings to the nearby park? Not me). For another family group, it’ll be a potluck latelunch/early-dinner so one big meal can essentially feed us for two.
With Black Friday sales all around us at the moment, now’s a great time to get Christmas shopping out of the way. Before you start, write a list and know exactly what you’re going to buy so you don’t get distracted by all the things on sale you really don’t need to buy.
While sales can save money, they can also encourage us to spend more than we would have otherwise. Once you’ve done your Christmas shopping, unsubscribe from as many emails as you can, because the less temptation you have in your inbox, the less likely you’ll be to overspend (or worse, spend what you don’t have).
‘‘Supporting local’’ is a term that’s been used a lot over the last few years. This year, as we make more conscious decisions about where we want to spend our money and what we want to spend it on, supporting local Kiwi businesses rather than big chains is a great way to help other mums and dads, parents of your kids’ friends, people who live on your street – all business owners who are also normal people.
Being generous is important any Christmas, but this year it will be even more so. If you’re able, please donate food (don’t forget Christmas treats) to your local food banks or church groups to distribute to families who might otherwise go without this year.
Finally, stress less. Whether you have lots of gifts and food or you only have people’s company, Christmas is what you make of it. This year, let’s make sure ‘‘the most expensive time of the year’’ actually is ‘‘the most wonderful time of the year’’.