UNITED STATES—September is officially over, and we are now in the month of October. What does that mean America? It is time to start to prepare for the plethora of holidays that are about to come our way. Yes, there are many, and with that comes more spending of money, more time being spent with people and plenty of stress as well.
The first one up is Halloween. There are a lot of people who love the holiday and there are those who hate it. I for one, love the holiday, it is the one time you get to be someone else besides yourself and it can be exciting. If you don’t like Halloween, then you should keep it to yourself and not attempt to spoil it for everyone else.
There is a lot of money spent on Halloween, much more than people understand. As kids, my mom decorated the house to the nines. Inside and out. You would think on the outside it was a haunted house, once inside, it really was like a haunted house, especially on the first floor. Spider-webs, pumpkins, dark lights, odd creatures, skeletons and so much more.
As a kid we didn’t really trick-or-treat that much, my parents were keener on us staying inside and having Halloween parties that were indeed fun and exciting, bobbing for apples, eating donuts off a string and having loads of candy at the same time. Plenty of friends and family attended the festivities as well and we always dressed in costumes. Yes, costumes, they might be the most expensive element to Halloween for some, but I disagree. You can craft a unique costume for under $20 bucks, you just have to be smart about it. Costumes are more for adults than for kids. You’re more likely spending more on candy.
Yeah, that sugary sweet is not something you need for the body, but c’mon can you actually resist a piece here and there? Nope, but the cost now is more expensive than it was like 20 years ago. I mean you’re spending $15 to $20 on a small bag of candy that contains 100 pieces or less. Yes, I don’t think it’s just inflation, it’s that companies know that they can get away with charging more and the consumers will still spend the money.
You of course have to carve the pumpkin, because it allows you do be creative and it allows the kids time to do something fun at the same time. I think that is the one thing that hasn’t changed much is the price for a pumpkin, you can still get one under $5 at most locations, some places you might spend a bit more.
After spooks and scares, you have Thanksgiving, which is all about food. Yes, there are some decorations some people purchase, but it’s more about crafting the big dinner for family, friends and the extended family. Yes, it can be expensive with the turkey, ham, chicken, lamb or whatever staple protein that is going to be the star of the show. However, it is the side dishes that matter. You have the veggies, the carbs and the sweets. I think the sweets get a lot of people in trouble because we overindulge in the apple pies, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, cobblers, cakes and everything else.
The dressing/stuffing, depending on what region of the country you live in, isn’t always good for the body, but damn it’s tasty. I think the thing about Thanksgiving is that so many of us overdue the big feast sometimes. We cook way more food than we actually need. So sometimes we need to find a way to control what we spend and manage the budget effectively, so we’re not left with a lot of food we NEVER eat, and we toss away.
The spending culminates with December that actually has two big holidays, perhaps the biggest spending one of the entire year is Christmas, followed by the biggest celebratory one with New Year’s Eve. Christmas is a stressful one because even I’m guilty of it. I overspend a lot of the time. Buying and buying when I actually don’t need to do it, I just want to ensure all have a good time. However, I am learning as I get older, simplicity is key.
I don’t have to buy gifts for everyone and it’s okay to stick to a budget. Once that budget is hit that is it, don’t spend anymore. Purchase gifts for those who are on your list and forget about the others. “Sorry, we just don’t have the budget for everyone this year.” People just have to understand that, and it is what it is. Look for deals and it’s okay to start your Christmas shopping a bit early if you can. You don’t have to wait till the month of December to get things going. You’re likely to spend more during that time frame than if you start a bit earlier if your budget permits it.
It’s not just the gift spending, you have the decorations and food as well. Christmas can easily be hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in a single month. Don’t go in debt trying to make it happen because you’ll go into the New Year trying to pay off that debt that seems never-ending. For the New Year keep the celebration light. If you’re hosting, you don’t have to have the most expensive champagne and tasty treats and food. If the budget allows it, so do it, if not then there isn’t much you can do there.
Don’t allow the stress of the holidays to get you so wound up you feel like you’re drowning and unsure of a way out. The holidays are supposed to be fun and exciting and a time to build memories, not go into debt and stress about money which so many of us allow time and time again.
Written By Jason Jones
