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| Uncommon Sense | 7 deadly holiday money sins
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Debt
According to the National Retail Federation, the average couple will spend close to $1,500 this year on gifts, food and holiday decorations. And that doesn't include the new trend in pricey self-gifts, already mentioned.
Here's what I don't understand: Nobody suddenly decides to spend $1,500 in March. Why? Two reasons:
- There are no holidays in March.
- After Thanksgiving, a switch gets flipped in our collective unconscious and people not only feel it's necessary but somehow required to spend more than they have.
Even though my husband and I sat down and worked out how much we could spend on gifts this year, I'm already playing shell games in my mind to get around that teeny hurdle called financial reality.
Of course, I'll stick to the budget . . . I'll just get a few extra things he doesn't need to know about with the money growing on that tree over there. No problem.
Pride
One of the original gang of deadly sins, this one maintains a strong holiday presence, in my own humble opinion. Once considered the highest ranking vice, the sin of pride was also known as vanity.
It's about wanting to look good. Wanting to buy "the best" at any cost. Wanting to buy that 37th light-up plastic lawn elf because your neighbor has 36.
A little pride can be a good thing, but many so-called sins arise from otherwise healthy impulses and instincts that get out of control. And that's when the trouble starts.
I really don't think you have to be Scrooge to scale back on holiday extravagances. There's a collective fear that if we don't go crazy spending and giving and taking and getting -- the holidays will lose their meaning.
Perhaps it's time to redefine holiday spirit in more affordable terms.
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