How has the downturn in the economy affected your holiday plans?

16 years ago

I recently was interviewed by a national magazine about how the current economic situation will affect this Christmas season for me.

Apparently they were surfing Facebook sites and came across an article I had written about a tough Christmas we had back in 1964.

Well, we have never overspent on Christmas,or resorted to credit cards,so I'm use to living frugally even during the holidays.

For example,last Christmas my gifts to my grown-up kids were home made breads,cookies and preserves.I had picked up baskets at yard sales over the summer,and with cellophane and ribbons from the dollar store,I must say they were very well received.

We are both retired this year,and living far away from our kids,so a small gift certificate from their favorite store in a card with a hand written letter to each one reminding them of how much they are loved and missed will be the extent of my Christmas shopping.

Living on a small pension and limited savings we are feeling the pinch.

My kids and grandkids are also cutting back due to the current economic situation,and I'm betting that other than missing each other very much...Christmas will still be a happy occasion,and since they will all be gathering together at my daughter's home to celebrate....it will be all about family,love for each other and the true meaning of the season.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is...Have your holiday plans changed due to tough economic times?

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Comments (35)

azzalea
16 years ago
Depends upon your definition of 'tough economic times'.

The economy in general hasn't affected us (other than in a good way). If that were the only issue, my Christmas plans would remain unchanged.

However, due to the economy, we were able to pick up a second home at a good price, and get a mortgage when the rates were rock bottom. This home will be our retirment home in a few years. But for the moment, we're supporting 2 homes. Doable, but not if we're extravagant. So for that very selfish reason, yes--we are cutting back a little on gifts.

Normally, I give each extended family member a gift in the $25 range--often a gc to a new, interesting restaurant. This year, I've already warned my siblings I'm doing all homemade gifts. I found some lovely glass platters (serving platter size, with embossed snowmen) that I'd picked up years ago at the dollar store and stashed away for future use. They'll be the 'baskets' for my gifts. I've made patchwork checkerboards and backgammon boards for some, handknitted scarves for others (all made from bits and pieces in my scrap fabric/scrap yarn bins). I'll add some homemade candies and bread, wrap beautifully in cellophane and ribbon I have around the house, and there you go. So far, I've gotten about a dozen gifts made, and have only spent, out of pocket, 3.98. Not bad!

Of course, we'll give our daughter a nice gift (she's already asked Santa for new tires for her car--practical and necessary).
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sjarz
16 years ago
I guess if anything good can come out of this downturn in the economy it might be that people truly do get back to the meaning of Christmas instead of the present count - enjoying the season for the fellowship it brings rather than the amount of gifts received and dollars spent....
personally, I don't have a big family, only two that I buy anything significant for. One is almost finished, the other I have a couple of things for. As an apartment manager, I am somewhat insulated from the downturn as people have to live somewhere - my 4 buildings are in the cheaper area of town and the rents are quite a bit lower than the rest of the town, so I am able to keep my units filled most of the time, thus granting me some job security (hopefully).
I have quite a number of businesses and service people that I do business with on a regular basis that I like to give a little something to at Christmas. Last year I baked and baked until my arms couldn't hold a spatula and divided it all up on to platters and delivered it to all those mentioned above.
This year I am going to cheap out on that part of Christmas - a dozen donuts from Tim Horton's is about $6 here and is A LOT less work - can't beat that price in my books. Plus my order of about a dozen boxes of a dozen donuts will help their sales for the day as well....
Going to travel 3 hours away for the holidays, but my van is quite good on gas so I don't stress out over that. I don't use credit at all, so no big bills to worry about come the new year.
I would imagine everyone will be cutting back in their own way - the stores will be in 'worst case scenario' mode if things continue to slide which means there should be some awesome bargains out there come December.
Suzan J
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Adella, that is the way I think my parents would've ended up, had they just stuck that bad year out. I know that I would've been better off for it. I really missed getting to see my grandparents, aunts & uncles and cousins as often as we did. All our family was there in KS. We'd drive the 200 miles to see my grandparents every couple of weeks, but Dad smoked in the car and I would always get car sick so it was an ordeal for me. My family was not very understanding. Even living there in town (it was a small town), they were frugal and managed to save money so they could pay cash for their cars. But they would never haggle with the salesman, they would pay the sticker price. I didn't know that for years. When I found out, I said to Mom, "Oh my gosh, that sticker price is just your starting place! They expect you to haggle!" And she said, "I watched my Dad do that till he practically got things for free, and I won't stoop to that." (her Dad, my gramps, was a horse-trader of sorts. 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western_pa_luann
16 years ago
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is...Have your holiday plans changed due to tough economic times?"

Not one bit.
The economy is not 'tough' out my way, and I save all year in a Christmas club.

We have always been frugal, always lived within our means, debt-free.

So... no need to change that now!
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monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
Not at all.
We're both retired, this area has not been impacted that much at all. This morning's paper stated that this area has basically escaped the housing and foreclosure problems...houses have devalued much less than the average, are still selling, and foreclosure rate is very low.

So...we don't see anything except a number of chain stores and gas stations closing....but we are overbuilt here as far as shopping centers and chain stores, so that is no surprise.

Christmas will be the same.
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casey_nfld
16 years ago
No, our plans have not changed. In fact Joe got a (very small) raise this year and we have never carried a balance on our credit cards so Christmas is the same as always for us this year. That being said, we are not giving each other big gifts for Christmas. I recently bought a treadmill and Joe bought a tv for the bedroom and we don't really need anything, so our gifts to each other will be small things (books, Christmas ornament, etc). We will give our nieces and nephews and siblings the same sorts of gifts we have always given them.
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jannie
16 years ago
I'm so glad for two things. We own our home, we got it paid off. No more mortgage checks to the bank. And we are both retired and have pensions coming in every month. Things could be better. Christmas will be scaled down. No more gifts to nieces and nephews. They are all grown. DH and I gift to each other will be a GPS for our car. Gifts to Mom, our siblings, our two dear daughters. That's it.
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brody_miasmom
16 years ago
My Christmas will not be particularly different, but since we don't have children, it was never to extravagant to begin with!

Our big splurge is on our Department 56 Christmas Village and we supported the local economy by making the usual number of purchases.

The gifts we exchange with family have always been modest, so that won't change.

I've always given small gifts to the support staff at work, but I'll spend more this year, since I'm now a supervisor and I see how much work they do for my group!
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lydia1959
16 years ago
Like Luann, we save all year in a Christmas club. I've been spending more time looking for good deals for the things I wanted to buy also this year.. so the Christmas Club money is going even further than it usually does.

So the answer for me is no.
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OklaMoni
16 years ago
"I guess what I'm trying to ask is...Have your holiday plans changed due to tough economic times?"

No, not for us. We never go in dept because of Christmas. If we can not afford it, we don't buy it. (Well, except for this move, and the extra house we have right now, but the move was a must do thing)

Our girls get hand knitted presents, with yarn bought at Hobby Lobby using the 40% off coupon. It meant I had to go to both HL in town several times, as the coupon can only be used for one item at the time. But I used my bicycle, thus no gas used, and I got to ride :).

Last year both girls got sewed items, and the son in law as well. Not sure yet what he will get. Maybe a pair of socks?

No extended family gifts are bought, made, nor shipped. My friends get a loaf of banana nut bread.

Moni
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Nita__AZ
16 years ago
The economy hasn't effected our Christmas. We only buy for my folks who are getting a very nice digital picture frame which was very expensive to start with but with discounts and rewards I managed to get it for less than $40. We are raising one of our grandsons so he gets most of our Christmas spending money. The other 2 grandkids will get the usual checks which is what they like. Those are the only gifts we give.

This year we have decided to fly to Florida to spend Christmas with my folks. We haven't had Christmas together in 20 years and my Dad will turn 88 in February. We will rent a car and visit other relatives while there also. We have already paid for everything so no bills after Christmas.

For our friends and the doctors we use and other people we do business with over the year they will get pralines which I make. Everyone waits anxiously for these every year.

We have spent more for Christmas because of the trip and have also helped the economy with our purchases.
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heather_on
16 years ago
Not really, our family is so small that it really isn't a problem. None of us live extravagantly and we usually buy each other things that we need and would be buying anyway. We don't go all out at Christmas by any means. Our Christmas joy is just getting together for a nice meal and chit chat. We go exploring in the car and looking at the decorated houses.

The economy is really not good in our city as it is a tourist town. There are the business people that are really rich but a lot more families that are really poor. Those that live on minimum wage and only get work during the tourist season and get laid off once September comes.

DH and I are supporting two families through Project Share for Christmas and that is our gift to each other. DH collects air miles and turned them into food vouchers so we can go food shopping. We collect the Shopper's Drug Store points and have over $300 we can spend there. We save up these points year round to use each year on our families and this adds to the fun. We pickup things like laundry detergent, shampoo for our families throughout the year when they are on sale. Toys we have to wait and see what ages the children are.

We are not wealthy by any means, but our house is paid off and we pay our credit card off each month. We've saved up and lived carefully all of our lives. We don't spend beyond our means and don't have a lot of fancy gadgets aka grown up toys. It's a comfort knowing we aren't in debt.
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User
16 years ago
I'm trying to use the economy as a way to make a point. We don't need any more carp in the house. My kids are young so they still need presents, but they don't need so many that they are hysterically screaming while opening them. Yes, that has hapened in the past when we visited both sides of the family at Christmas.

I bought consumables from a fundraiser and that will go to my side of the family. I also made some dehydrated apple goodies. I'm not sure if I will pass them on or not. My kids have been raiding the stash. I may make some fudge or candy and pass out TicTacs (a family tradition after my youngest brother gave away a package of TicTacs as a gift after he opened and ate some one year.) My kids discovered sugar/cinamon pecans this year so I may make some of those too.

We're going to New Mexico to see Santa next week. Hopefully, my kids will make lists and then the elves can make a few decisions after that.
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gwanny2three
16 years ago
We are cutting back on the gifts this year. Mainly because when I visit the grandkids I see so many toys that are not being played with, broken, lost pieces, etc. At my son's last yardsale I saw toys DIL was selling that I just bought them for last Christmas, and birthdays....kind of like in brand new condition which means to me they either never played with them or they got tired of them before they even got any length of playtime. I decided that day that I would be more selective in my toy buying for any holiday. Ricky and Seth have sooo many toys in their toy room that I know they can't possibly know what they have! And that was after mom cleaned it out for the yardsale. I am getting them things I know they will play with for sure...especially Ricky. He made a list and there are only a few things on it....he's always been that way. I admit it was me that voluntarily went overboard on the toys! I can't do it anymore...DH's overtime that he's had for the last 15 years was cut the first part of this year and it was like a pay cut after having it for so long. We have had to tighten our belts. My decision on the toys didn't come so much from that though...I just saw the waste of money most toys are. They are getting their fare share of gifts but only the ones suggested by mom and dad this time. I shop early so I don't feel it at Christmas and for 25 years we've had a Christmas club account to save for gifts. This time I am using half of it and letting the other half sit in the bank!
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paula_pa
16 years ago
Not really since we weren't extremely extravagant to begin with. Fortunately the baby is too young to know better. He doesn't need anything really but we got him a few things. Nick is just about done. I spread his gifts out over two credit card statements so far. I pay that off every month so I didn't want to get hit with one big bill. I tried to be very selective about what I bought him. I would rather cut back in other areas than hold back on Christmas. Nick actually does play with most of his toys.
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janemarie5
16 years ago
We have cut out some family members to cut back.. and they felt the same way. I will not buy for my brother/his wife but will buy for my nephew. That will save me some $$ but I think we will spend the same for our kids (we have 5 together). Both my DH do a xmas club so we generally have a set amount we spend on each of our kids. Usually DH and I don't buy each other much anyways so we have never been extravgant.

And the added bonus is I paid off my car 2 months ago (yeah!) and they announced at work that we were getting bonuses ($500) so... things are ok for us right now. I am grateful for everything we have (we both have jobs and we can pay our bills, our family is healthy and we have good health insurance plan.... can't ask for much more than that right now). So many people have less.
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Jodi_SoCal
16 years ago
Have out holiday plans changed this year? In a word, yes.

We (me, DH, DD age 23 and DS age 21) have all decided to skip gifts and go out for a very nice dinner and movie on Christmas day. Both kids are far more in favor of the plan than me but it will give us all time to be together, though at today's restaurant and movie prices, I have to question how much money it will actually save (well, at least for DM and DD).

Jodi-
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Eliza_ann_ca
Original Author
16 years ago
I agree with Gwanny2three...my younger grandchildren have so many toys,they have no idea what they actually have....last year I bought new PJ's for each of them and a board game they could all play...they were very happy with what I got them.
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jahalaro
16 years ago
This Christmas will be much the same for us. Three of my 4 grandchildren have birthdays within 3 weeks of Christmas so I have to budget for them as well. I only buy for my son, his wife and 3 kids plus my 10yr old grandson. This is our 4th Christmas since his daddy died and his mum and her very nice new partner will probably get something like biscuits or chocolate that they can share or maybe something for their new garden. I will give my daughter-in-law some money soon to help with the Christmas meal and then cook whatever she asks me to contribute. I won't be doing any entertaining as I now live too far from old friends so although I have splurged a bit on the kids, it won't be too costly. The economic problems are starting to affect a lot of people here, but not to the extent of the US yet. Beth
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roseluver
16 years ago
Mine has changed. My husband and I lost so much money when the market crashed and went down several more times. We will be spending half of what we usually spend. The food won't change though, big Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Our love for our family definitely is the same!
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cbtexas
16 years ago
I won't say that we are cutting back but doing something totally different. Me,wife, daughter and parents decided we would not do gifts this year because none of us really NEED anything. We instead decided to take a vacation Christmas week to NYC. So we are not doing gifts but it is going to cost out the wazoo because everything in NYC is expensive compared to where we live. Thank goodness the travel and hotel is already paid for. We are still going to go even though the economy has really worsened since we made the reservations. To top it all off my dad found out Friday he is going to be laid off at the end of the year. I am so glad that my house is paid for and we have no debt or I would be really more worried than I am. This next 6 months is going to be really interesting. So no it hasn't changed our holiday plans, but it inspired me to donate to charites more because they will really need the help this year. We took cases of food to a food bank Friday and plan to do more before the end of the year.
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kittiemom
16 years ago
No, because we've never done extravagant gifts to begin with - just small gifts for immediate family plus some baked goodies for the neighbors. We do get something a little nicer for my dad - he's helped us out with quite a few things over the years, but we still only spend maybe $50 on him. We spent part of our Christmas money yesterday. We bought snacks, toiletries, etc. & spent part of the day filling boxes to send overseas to the soldiers. We usually do something like that. We won't be getting gifts for each other. We want to have some things done to our house & that will be our combined anniversary & Christmas gifts to each other.
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gwanny2three
16 years ago
We also have cut out most outside family members for Christmas and birthdays. My sisters and I exchange birthday gifts but not Christmas anymore as we all live within shipping distance and the shipping is so much that it's not worth it. We stopped that about 10 years ago, we do exchange ormaments though. We buy for the kids in the family though, DH's nephews and neices, there are only a few of them.....they still need gifts! It had to stop with the adults though, just seemed to be a burden on most of us anyway trying to decide what to get them. We all agreed to stop and it has been so nice not worrying about them!
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intherain
16 years ago
We've never been extravagant at Christmas, and we won't this year, either. My kids really aren't into gifts at Christmas, and I am thankful for that. What they love is the season itself. The traditional things we do.

Sheryl
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rosemaryt
16 years ago
Gosh, I'm surprised by the responses here. Heck ya, it's affected my holiday plans. Shoot, we were going to buy a new Prius in Spring and we've canceled that plan, too.

Our home's value has gone down by 20% or more. Our stocks (like everyone elses) are off 40% from a year ago. The hubby's job is still intact but I'm watching people around us lose their jobs and we're scrambling to save a little more money each month than usual. And no, our Christmases never were that extravagant.

As far as the economy goes, this isn't the bottom of the dip and we're trying to plan accordingly.
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western_pa_luann
16 years ago
The responses do not surprise me, as not everyone is in the same boat as reported in the media.

"Our home's value has gone down by 20% or more."
Well, that is not the case here. Home values remain strong. and - Two friends just listed their homes... one sold in a week and the other in three days, for the listing price. And my home's values would not affect my holiday, anyways, as I am not selling.

"Our stocks (like everyone elses) are off 40% from a year ago"
SOME of our stocks are down, but many are continuing to make money. Again, not everyone is experiencing the same thing. And my stock's values would not affect my holiday, anyways, as I am not selling.
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maryanntx
16 years ago
We won 't be spending as much this year, but it's not necessarily because of the economy. We have always had two salaries coming in. I'm not working now and we are having to make it on one salary, which isn't easy. We never buy more than we can pay cash for.
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tami_ohio
16 years ago
Mine are changing in regards to my brothers & thier wives. One doesn't have much income, the other had the heart attack the end of Sept and isn't back to work yet, so is short on $. I tend to shop all year long, especially when we are on vacation. I bought for them when we went to Maine, but will use what I bought (mostly, as one gift is very specific to an interest) for others in a gift basket. I won't embarrass them by giving to them what I have already bought, when they have asked that we only get together and buy for the little ones. I won't even tell them I have already bought it. I'll still give Mom :& Dad something. Otherwise, no it won't change things. Our credit cards are always paid off each month, and I don't carry cash or a purse from now until after New Years, for safety reasons. I put my license, cc, and just a bit of cash in a case in my pocket, to help prevent theft.

Tami
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monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
One thing to remember ... decreases in asset values are not losses until you sell them or use them as borrowing collateral.
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vannie
16 years ago
Monica, you are so right. I haven't sold a thing, but some of the companies have slashed their dividends, and that's what hurts me, b/c that's my "mad money."
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joyfulguy
16 years ago
I haven't been making more than a few gift exchanges for several years, except immediate family, telling several that I am making gifts to charities instead: that's in my name, not theirs - I get the deductible receipt.

Cut back on Christmas cards, as well - same reason ... and quite a few have email. I appreciate the messages, updating what friends and family are doing.

I've said that I plan to write charitable and political cheques throughout the year ... but usually neglect to do so, so there are a bunch at the end of the year: I'm rather embarrassed to admit that a few years ago I had to make a special trip back from Toronto to write several, on Dec. 31: you'd think that would have taught me a losson (sorry - that was to be "lesson"), wouldn't you? Rather hard on my credit union, as they send photocopy of both sides of each cheque with monthly report, which means extra postage at year end (4 pages only within base postal rate - but they use both sides).

Last year transferred stock certificates to community foundation, which supports many of the charities that I do, so I got one receipt and saved gas and postage. I get a deductible receipt from them, as from other charities, but there's an extra benefit: I pay no capital gain tax on stocks given to a charity, so it makes sense to gift long-held stocks, carrying substantial capital gain.

It'll be a cash gift this year - stocks too low: I'm buying periodically, not selling! And getting rather low on cash! Expecting a cash infusion soon ... and am building collAteral on LOC.

My pensions have a small inflation escalator, so have increased somewhat over the 12 - 14 years that I've been
receiving them. I live on less that those amounts.

Dividends from stocks have stayed at about the same level ... but I expect that there'll be fewer reinvested income reports from the mutual fund carriers, this year ... which amounts one can not plan ahead, as they vary widely from year to year and most don't report till near year-end: that's out of my hands.

Son and friend and I have had modest Christmas dinner together for a few years, but it may be different, this year - son has found a lady friend!

I don't own a home and stocks have taken a huge beating in recent months ... but, apart from a few (imaginary) tears being shed, that has little effect on daily living.

Good wishes to each of you for the coming holiday season ... may it bring new, worthwhile visions and insights! Plus the will, courage, time and strength to implement them.

ole joyful
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Kathsgrdn
16 years ago
It hasn't affected me at all, but I wonder what the new administration will do with our funding at work. Rumor has it that that is the reason for the overtime "freeze" right now, which really isn't a freeze, it just has to be preauthorized by a group.

We are getting tons of new businesses in our little town, new super Rite Aid and Little Caesar's Pizza just opened and now we are getting a Taco Bell. Every store seems to be jammed packed too.
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kim_okla
16 years ago
Yes. We're not doing gifts this year.
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susan_on
16 years ago
The economy downturn has not affected my holiday planning, but I might have another issue. Will have to wait and see.
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marlingardener
16 years ago
The only change in our traditionally modest holiday plans is to buy an extra turkey. A friend recently lost his job--he had been with the company for 15 years, but was "downsized." They have two children in college, and are really struggling to stay afloat. We are going to fib and say that we received this turkey as a gift, and don't have room in the freezer. Other friends are going to help out any way they can.
We are so thankful that we have what we have, and don't need a lot of "stuff" to make us happy. If we all stick together, we will make it through these tough times, but it won't be easy.
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grinch_gut
16 years ago
It hasn't changed ours in the least bit....so far we have not been affected by it (knock on wood) I know alot of people have and this year we will get more angels off of the tree then just the usual 3....since we have been blessed we need to share it! STacy
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How has the downturn in the economy affected your holiday plans?

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