Christmas spend is too much.

tayto lover

Spoke to a few people recently who said that they would borrow money from Credit Union, Money Lenders etc to pay for Christmas presents.

Why do people put themselves in hock to buy presents they can't afford?
I find this to be a form of madness. People should buy only what they can afford surely. Alternatively they should just buy smaller and cheaper presents. It's the thought that counts.

ScumLord

Coal is cost effective and one bag should cover even the largest families.

andekwarhola

Don't forget 'Consumerism' for the full student union bingo card.

Ficheall

ScumLord wrote: »

Coal is cost effective and one bag should cover even the largest families.

I was lugging briquettes home from the shop the other day and wishing someone would get me some coal for Christmas. Then I sadly realised I hadn't done anything naughty this year to warrant it

Fleawuss

tayto lover wrote: »

People should buy only what they can afford surely. Alternatively they should just buy smaller and cheaper

Now wouldn't this be a great policy for the govt to accept.

evlgmaojr27ypu

tayto lover wrote: »

Spoke to a few people recently who said that they would borrow money from Credit Union, Money Lenders etc to pay for Christmas presents.

Why do people put themselves in hock to buy presents they can't afford?
I find this to be a form of madness. People should buy only what they can afford surely. Alternatively they should just buy smaller and cheaper presents. It's the thought that counts.

And for one to end up giving all the credit to Santa for the gifts and your kids think you got them nothing :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

ScumLord

Ficheall wrote: »

I was lugging briquettes home from the shop the other day and wishing someone would get me some coal for Christmas. Then I sadly realised I hadn't done anything naughty this year to warrant it

There's still time.

The Rape of Lucretia

tayto lover wrote: »

Spoke to a few people recently who said that they would borrow money from Credit Union, Money Lenders etc to pay for Christmas presents.

Why do people put themselves in hock to buy presents they can't afford?

The Irish are very poor at managing their money, individually, and as a country through their expectation of their politicians and labour unions. Childish and even rather simpleminded about it. Spend now, worry about paying for it some other day. Concerned about their image with others, and unable to accept how poor they are when they are indeed poor. At its root is a history of never really being rich as a nation, and the skills of good management lack as a result - throw in cheap credit, and Paddy cant control himself.

The flying mouse

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

The Irish are very poor at managing their money, individually, and as a country through their expectation of their politicians and labour unions. Childish and even rather simpleminded about it. Spend now, worry about paying for it some other day. Concerned about their image with others, and unable to accept how poor they are when they are indeed poor. At its root is a history of never really being rich as a nation, and the skills of good management lack as a result - throw in cheap credit, and Paddy cant control himself.

And don't forget the drink, ya cant have a good rant about the Irish without mentioning the drink.

CFlat

We have a limit of 20 euro on all presents that we buy for each other at Christmas.

tayto lover

CFlat wrote: »

We have a limit of 20 euro on all presents that we buy for each other at Christmas.

That makes sense. People who are prepared to borrow excessively in order to buy presents are giving their children bad lessons for life. They should stay within their budget.

kirving

tayto lover wrote: »

That makes sense. People who are prepared to borrow excessively in order to buy presents are giving their children bad lessons for life. They should stay within their budget.

Agree to an extent, but there's nothing wrong with credit as long as you can genuinely afford to pay it back.

Fluffy Cat 88

Some of my friends borrow money every year for Christmas from the Credit Union.

Buying the kids the latest iphones/bikes/whatever costs big money. They haven't recovered from the cost of sending them all back to school in September. I'm talking about families who buy 2 huge trolley loads in the supermarket every week (1 for food 1 for junk food), then spend €60 in the chipper on the way home. The cost of running 3 cars (one each for the parents, one for the 17 year old still in school). Not all families are that splashy with cash but some are!

I don't pass comment, as a childfree person its not my place to comment on their lifestyle.

Wheeliebin30

tayto lover wrote: »

Spoke to a few people recently who said that they would borrow money from Credit Union, Money Lenders etc to pay for Christmas presents.

Why do people put themselves in hock to buy presents they can't afford?
I find this to be a form of madness. People should buy only what they can afford surely. Alternatively they should just buy smaller and cheaper presents. It's the thought that counts.

And then they will blame the government when they can't pay it back.

Now where did I see this before?

suicide_circus

It's what jesus would have wanted

The_Valeyard

suicide_circus wrote: »

It's what jesus would have wanted

A PS4?

Fluffy Cat 88

The_Valeyard wrote: »

A PS4?

And a Hatchimal

Temptamperu

Fluffy Cat 88 wrote: »

And a Hatchimal

thats a scary toy

Avatar MIA

Really, 18 posts in... Only one valid response.

Bah, Humbug!

:pac:

Ficheall

ScumLord wrote: »

There's still time.

You volunteering?



*whets knife*

Goya

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

And then they will blame the government when they can't pay it back.

Now where did I see this before?

Which Irish people though? Because between TRoL and the thankers of their post putting down the Irish, there are no doubt numerous Irish people and I'm sure they don't feel that way about themselves do they?

lisasimpson

Once heard some one say its not poverty just some need a lesson in financial management. I could apply to to some not all of a few cases i know about

Stasi 2.0

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Agree to an extent, but there's nothing wrong with credit as long as you can genuinely afford to pay it back.

One could argue that is someone "needs" to resort to credit in order to buy something they probably cant afford it.

People have 364 days to prepare themselves financially for Christmas. If they still need to borrow they're spending too much.

siblers

Stasi 2.0 wrote: »

One could argue that is someone "needs" to resort to credit in order to buy something they probably cant afford it.

People have 364 days to prepare themselves financially for Christmas. If they still need to borrow they're spending too much.

You can't plan for the unexpected though, I wish I could afford to have a rain day fund put aside but I can't, plenty others in the same boat

Stasi 2.0

siblers wrote: »

You can't plan for the unexpected though

Christmas happens every year on December 25th. It doesn't count as "unexpected" its the exact opposite.

The Rape of Lucretia

siblers wrote: »

You can't plan for the unexpected though, I wish I could afford to have a rain day fund put aside but I can't, plenty others in the same boat

Christmas isnt unexpected though. It happens most years, with the date flagged well in advance.

dobsdave

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

siblers wrote: »

You can't plan for the unexpected though, I wish I could afford to have a rain day fund put aside but I can't, plenty others in the same boat

Christmas isnt unexpected though. It happens most years, with the date flagged well in advance.

I think the poster was referring to the other , you know, unexpected things that happen between christmasses

Going into debt for Christmas is terrible as is thinking credit is fine because you can pay it back.

If you're constantly behind by say a thousand Euro and in the space of a year, can't manage to catch up, you're a fool for repeating the process.

I can't imagine spending even 5% of my savings on Christmas shìt. What a waste of my time that I've spent in work.

Lia_lia

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

The Irish are very poor at managing their money, individually, and as a country through their expectation of their politicians and labour unions. Childish and even rather simpleminded about it. Spend now, worry about paying for it some other day. Concerned about their image with others, and unable to accept how poor they are when they are indeed poor. At its root is a history of never really being rich as a nation, and the skills of good management lack as a result - throw in cheap credit, and Paddy cant control himself.

People in the UK are worse. I deal with many people in the UK through work and they seem to buy everyone on finance.

siblers

dobsdave wrote: »

I think the poster was referring to the other , you know, unexpected things that happen between christmasses

Exactly

siblers

Stasi 2.0 wrote: »

Christmas happens every year on December 25th. It doesn't count as "unexpected" its the exact opposite.

So you've never had something unexpected happen in the 365 days between the Christmas of one year and the next?

ChikiChiki

Just forked out €2700 in deposit and a months rent on a new place, literally everything I have. Christmas 2016 is cancelled as I don't get paid again til early January. Tins of beans for Crimbo day. :-(

newacc2015

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

The Irish are very poor at managing their money, individually, and as a country through their expectation of their politicians and labour unions. Childish and even rather simpleminded about it.

I would say a certain section of the Irish population are very poor at managing their money. It amazes how some people are shocked at how expensive christmas and back to school is every year, despite they having experienced back to school every year for several years and Xmas for 40 years. But it is the Government's fault they cant afford Xmas!

In my experience, if a middle class family cant afford something they dont buy it. If a working class person cant afford to buy it, it is down to the CU for a loan. The CU openly advertise that their loans are for unnecessary spending, such "make your neighbours jealous loan" or them openly advertising loans for the Euros.

IMO it is really immoral that an organisation that was set up to stop working class families turning to loans sharks, now markets its loans to working class people to buy **** they dont need. IMO I think CUs should be banned from advertising, but they will call it an attack from the Government who is trying to stop them self destructing.

El_Duderino 09

It depends in expectations from life. If you can only give. Your children a sh1t life,then it's important to give them expensive gifts at Xmas.

If you're saving for a real gift like putting money aside for something like education, then you will be more likely to see Xmas as a chance to get a small thoughtful gift and not worth blowing a load of money.

Tigger

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

It depends in expectations from life. If you can only give. Your children a sh1t life,then it's important to give them expensive gifts at Xmas.

If you're saving for a real gift like putting money aside for something like education, then you will be more likely to see Xmas as a chance to get a small thoughtful gift and not worth blowing a load of money.

middle class thinking
i thougt it had died out

Goya

Lia_lia wrote: »

People in the UK are worse. I deal with many people in the UK through work and they seem to buy everyone on finance.

I'd say they're no worse.

Being irresponsible with money and having a ludicrous sense of entitlement is unlikely to be something that crops up to the same extent in all cultures - I'd say it's more commonplace in Irish culture than, say, Belgian culture. But it's certainly not just an Irish thing.

Idbatterim

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Just forked out €2700 in deposit and a months rent on a new place, literally everything I have. Christmas 2016 is cancelled as I don't get paid again til early January. Tins of beans for Crimbo day. :-(

count yourself lucky. A roof over your head and home is priority number one. Christmas stuff is money blown on frivolous ****e. Let's call a spade a spade... Just re-read the last bit. Surely you can afford fifteen to twenty euro for some junk food turkey and beg etc in Aldi or lidl. If you are that hard up. Try the svdp....

Stasi 2.0

newacc2015 wrote: »

In my experience, if a middle class family cant afford something they dont buy it. If a working class person cant afford to buy it, it is down to the CU for a loan..

My experience would be the exact opposite. When I was growing up we didn't have a pot to p1$$ in and it taught me that If I wanted nice things I had to either save up or do without but when people grow up with everything handed to them its far more likely to breed a sense of entitlement.

Lia_lia wrote: »

People in the UK are worse. I deal with many people in the UK through work and they seem to buy everyone on finance.

While its a cop out to blame the government for ones own appalling money management skills the UK tax/welfare system and low interest rate/easy credit policies do serve to penalise saving and incentivises getting into debt

Turpentine

dobsdave wrote: »

I think the poster was referring to the other , you know, unexpected things that happen between christmasses

I know, feckin Easter. Sometimes it's March, sometimes it's April. Make up your mind Jesus.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Spending very little on Xmas this year. Just buying for my close family, my ex, his parents and my god children. Pretty much all my friends have kids now and some of them are on their second kid so you can't spend 50 on one and 10 on another. That was grand when there was only a few kids.

siblers

siblers wrote: »

So you've never had something unexpected happen in the 365 days between the Christmas of one year and the next?

The idea is that people should be saving for those times instead of paying off the previous year's Christmas.

D0NNELLY

tayto lover wrote: »

Spoke to a few people recently who said that they would borrow money from Credit Union, Money Lenders etc to pay for Christmas presents.

Why do people put themselves in hock to buy presents they can't afford?.

You tell us, you were the one having the conversations

D0NNELLY

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

The Irish are very poor at managing their money, individually, and as a country through their expectation of their politicians and labour unions. Childish and even rather simpleminded about it. Spend now, worry about paying for it some other day. Concerned about their image with others, and unable to accept how poor they are when they are indeed poor. At its root is a history of never really being rich as a nation, and the skills of good management lack as a result - throw in cheap credit, and Paddy cant control himself.

I hear you're a racist now father, I wouldn't be able to devote myself full time to the old racism

Stasi 2.0

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Just buying for my close family, my ex,

You buy presents for your ex ????

Atari Jaguar

Ficheall wrote: »

I was lugging briquettes home from the shop the other day and wishing someone would get me some coal for Christmas. Then I sadly realised I hadn't done anything naughty this year to warrant it

Take a shíte in the till. That'll get you some coal. Or at least barred from the shop so you'll have to get other people to buy coal for you. Win win.

Atari Jaguar

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Spending very little on Xmas this year. Just buying for my close family, my ex, his parents and my god children.

Ye what? Your ex and his parents? Jaysus

Flippyfloppy

Fluffy Cat 88 wrote: »

Some of my friends borrow money every year for Christmas from the Credit Union.

Buying the kids the latest iphones/bikes/whatever costs big money. They haven't recovered from the cost of sending them all back to school in September. I'm talking about families who buy 2 huge trolley loads in the supermarket every week (1 for food 1 for junk food), then spend €60 in the chipper on the way home. The cost of running 3 cars (one each for the parents, one for the 17 year old still in school). Not all families are that splashy with cash but some are!

I don't pass comment, as a childfree person its not my place to comment on their lifestyle.

No, you just monitor your 'friends' on a weekly basis then report on their apparent weekly activities on the internet.

Atari Jaguar

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

No, you just monitor your 'friends' on a weekly basis then report on their apparent weekly activities on the internet.

I imagine the point of the post was why can they afford to buy 2 trollies of shopping, 3 cars and €60 takeaways and need a credit union loan. Sounds like they need to learn how to budget. :rolleyes:

jonon9

Christmas is for children..at best, what the **** are adults taking part in a childish event is ridiculous. Not only that but your only making a joke of yourself by lining the pockets of people commercially and religiously.

Atari Jaguar

jonon9 wrote: »

Christmas is for children..at best, what the **** are adults taking part in a childish event is ridiculous. Not only that but your only making a joke of yourself by lining the pockets of people commercially and religiously.

:rolleyes: Christmas is not a child's event. Giving gifts is a tradition of the holiday long before Santa.


BAH HUMBUG .....oul grinch

_Jamie_

CFlat wrote: »

We have a limit of 20 euro on all presents that we buy for each other at Christmas.

Same here for us, the family got together and agreed on token gifts this year. You can get really thoughtful and/or useful stuff for €20! My sister is making food gifts this year. She's a good cook so I know they'll be lovely. I'll spend a bit more on my husband though.