Feelin’ Spendy?

(Mr. Spendy found here)

I know that many people are feeling like they shouldn’t spend as much this year on Christmas/Hanukkah, because the economy is bad, people are worried about their jobs, etc.  Certainly gifts will be primarily inexpensive/homemade in our household.  With Ted not working, and the overall economy as it is, it just makes sense to not go out and buy a bunch of things that no one needs anyway.  Besides, making something for someone you love is an investment of time, which is valuable as well, correct?

I’ve heard, though, that some people who have not experienced any change in income, who can easily afford to spend the same amount this year as in previous years, and don’t have any reason to worry about their jobs, are spending less because they feel guilty for buying expensive gifts when others cannot afford to do so.  Not because they worry about money, because they feel guilty.

I found this to be somewhat surprising.  I mean, don’t we live in an “I got mine, Jack” culture?  And if you can afford to buy expensive gifts for those you love, why shouldn’t you do so?  To be honest, I don’t resent someone who can afford to give their friends and family expensive things, just because I cannot.  Perhaps that’s because I grew up somewhat poor, and I’ve never had any delusions of being able to keep up with the Joneses.  There will always be people out there with a lot more money than we have, and there will always be people out there with a lot less money than we have.  I’ve never let the vision of poor people get in the way of my spending decisions, so why would this year be different?

Is it all of the talk of recession, the comparisons to the Great Depression, the overall malaise that’s hit our consumer culture?  Is it suddenly bad form, somehow gauche to be seen as flaunting your wealth, when there are so many people with less?  Somehow, I think that’s it.  I think that it’s one thing to always know that there are those out there with less than you, and it’s something else entirely to watch the news and read the papers and see our economy in such dire straits.   I think that the sheer number of people affected by this economy is making people pause and think about what their doing much more so than in our recent past.

How about you?  Have your spending plans changed for this holiday season, vs. previous years?  If so, is it because of a change in income, or is it just a general feeling that spending a lot right now somehow isn’t polite?  I’m curious to know.

13 Comments

  • Cherry

    I’d say it’s a combo, but not so much the whole polite thing. We’ve had a slight change in our income plus an overall awakening to the priority of our spending habits and financial situation.

    I’ve always made homemade gifts even though some people don’t look at them as gifts worthy of calling them gifts. They have become expected and even though they cost more in time and money (and shipping) then a gift wrapped under the tree or sent from Amazon.com, for some they don’t “mean” as much. Sigh.

  • Shelliza

    There’s a HUGE chnge in income around here so I’m not shopping much this year. Usually, I just get presents for immediate family (my parents and Connor)but this year it won’t be as extravagant as in previous years.

    I started giving baked goods about 7 years ago and relatives and friends look forward to receiving them. It used to be an assortment of tea cookies but then it got expensive so in recent years I’ve done an Old Fashion Pound Cake and packaged it up with a nice handmade tag. I love handmade/home baked gifts and would prefer that over another dust collector that I’d have to clean:) What are you planning to make?

    P.S. This reminds me that I have something for you that’s been sitting in my car for months. Will email later.

  • Starshine

    It would be so interesting if we, as a culture, are becoming more compassionate as a result of the dire economic straights we are in. I wonder if those who are feeling guilty about indulging their loved ones will also make charitable contributions this holiday season. I also wonder if it isn’t so much a sense of guilt as it is compassion for those with less. Sometimes hard times can really bring out the best in people.

  • (un)relaxeddad

    Changed. Though mostly because we’ve realised the amount of money we dotingly wasted on a four year old last year when he would have been just as happy with the packaging. This year we’ll be strict with ourselves. He’ll get all the Christmas he wants but that doesn’t have to mean presents!

    With other people, we’re seriously considering homemade gifts – two kids means we really have to re-assess our lacksidasical spending habits

  • Nance

    We’ve had an income change here, so we’ll be streamlining and thinking hard about expenditures. Also, our retirement/investment accounts took major hits, so we’re worried about our future money, too! Why toss it around now when we might need it later?

  • ~Sheryl

    I only wish it was because it wouldn’t be polite. But with my husband working (for now) at an America autoworker and me working in a community that relies on an American automaker for much of its taxbase; we aren’t spending because of a change in income and a distinct fear that the changes aren’t over.

  • Donna

    I don’t have a problem with people spending money they have…it’s the people that spend what they don’t have that’s worrying – but that’s their issue, not mine.

    As a single income family for over 10 years, I’ve always had to watch my spending and have been giving mostly hand crafted gifts to close friends and family for years now. I do buy one small item each for my Mom and Sis and usually for Spencer as well (in addition to the crafted item). In the last few years, Spencer and I have opted for doing more things together instead of buying each other something but we also still make the other an item. We’re all about the art and crafts here in the Chaos, so we might as well use our talents. This Holiday, Honey will be here too and we’ve all agreed to not purchase gifts and those gifts made will be made using things on hand already here. I’ve got enough crafty materials to last for a long time. 🙂 I’d rather save whatever extra money that would have been used on the Holidays to save up for tickets to go see my Mom and Sis out of town after the Holidays when the prices are hopefully lower.

  • Amy Nathan

    My income has not changed…but everything has gotten more expensive, my kids are getting older and are more expensive to raise, so my spending has gone down because it needs to go farther. Make sense? I cut out eating in restaurants a while back. I do it on occasion, but not with abandon like I did before. I don’t buy what I don’t need. What a concept! And I put a strict budget into effect for the holidays – for my kids and everyone else I buy for. Also, when I do spend, I do it very consciously. No impulse purchases at the check out.

    I live in a community where people seem completely unaffected and I’ll admit, it gets to me. I don’t begrudge anyone anything (if I did, I’d never have time for my own life) but hearing out fancy meals and vacations gets old after a while when you’re in cut-back mode. Hey, I never did a lot of that anyway, but when I *could* it wasn’t as hard to hear about it.

    Oh, geez, I sound awful! 🙁

  • Jenny's BFF

    We went from two incomes to one income this year, so we are definitely having ourselves a frugal little Christmas. On the plus side, it has helped to put things in perspective. I don’t think that we will ever spend as much as we once did. We just don’t see the necessity. That’s just what is right for our family though, every family needs to figure that out on a case by case basis.

  • joan

    Compared to others around me, we have always been pretty conservative about giving. At work, we decided to help out another coworker (he doesn’t know) who is having difficulties rather than exchanging gifts.

  • Jimmy

    I was able to pay off my little plot of land and mobile home back in September, so the recession hasn’t really affected me yet. I’m buying things that I was doing without before the payoff like; new computer,Ipod, shotgun,pistol,new glasses,getting some teeth capped, etc.
    No way I can buy this stuff and make that payment at the same time. Hopefully, I’ll settle in and start saving after the first of the year.
    I had plans to buy a new car, but decided against the payment for now.
    I’m the scrooge type when it comes to X-mas. Just money in a card or gift certificates are what I dole out for the holidays. Can’t stand the maddening x-mas crowd long enough to shop for presents. Plus…when I go shopping for presents…..I always see stupid crap that I want but don’t need and end up wasting money on it for me.

  • Megan

    This is so interesting to me. I mean, it all just seems a bit strange. I guess it’s good that people are feeling compassionate toward others instead of just stingy with their money for purely selfish reasons. But then, that makes me wonder what it is that they are doing with that money they are not spending. Are they just hoarding it or are they donating it to help the many who struggling with the economy such as it is? Because, if they aren’t donating instead, then that kind of thinking seems to me to be slightly counterproductive. I mean, if I’ve got the money to spend on gifts then wouldn’t it make more sense, if I’m not donating it, for me to go out and spend it and so maybe help the many people who have jobs that involve making and selling the things that I might buy who could easily find their jobs eliminated if vast amounts of people are not buying stuff out of sympathy for those who can’t buy stuff (combined with the many people who aren’t buying many things because they simply can’t afford them)?

    I’ll be the first to say that I always thought the idea of “consumerism as patriotic/altruistic” is kind of a crock, but then so, I think, would be keeping my money locked away in my bank account out of some misplaced sense of guilt which would probably do strikingly little to help any of those people who I’m supposedly sympathizing with by not “flaunting my wealth.” I’m not doing too terribly this year economically compared to previous years when I’ve been pretty conservative in my gift buying, so I plan to spend at least as much if not more than I usually do, and I hope that other people, if it’s within their means, of course, will think about doing likewise or finding a worthy cause to quietly donate to if their conscience prevents them from buying extravagantly this holiday season.

  • Irish Jewelry

    Our income has not change significantly either, but as Amy says above, everything has gotten more expensive. Fuel increases make have a very large impact on both personal travel, and the cost to acquire real goods such as groceries, etc. For us, I foresee us being smarter with money this season – no huge changes, but ensuring that we get what we want at a good price, etc.

    As far as people feeling guilty, that is an excellent point. I’m sure that many do, particularly if a family member or friend has been affected by the economic downturn.