Have you cut back this year?
Feels kinda good, eh?
December 24, 2008
Does the Christmas season seem different this year without all the crass consumerism, commercialism and overconsumption?
Have you cut back this year?
Feels kinda good, eh?
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Not been able to cut back much at all. In Northern Virginia it feels like being ass raped every time you go shopping, even for essentials. Prices seem higher than a month ago, sales aren't really sales. Is it just me or is anyone else seeing that?
I spent about 10 bucks on some gift cards.I cut way back.I have been finding other hings to do besides shop.I banged the old lady a lot this week.she is to sore to shop now.I am broker than broke.I pawned my shotgun this week for 75 cash.Put food on the table this week.
I've been overconsuming.
Last night I was at two major malls on Long Island (Walt Whitman and Smithhaven) and I saw no shortage of slack-jawed primates mulling zombie-like through row after row of Chinese goods at 50% off. The food court in Smithaven was overflowing with Joe Sickpacks, Jane Zinfandels, and their idiot children overloading on Sbarro's pizza and soft drinks. No, people have not changed yet. Given a decade of real hardship, they might, but at this point it seems that most of them aren't even aware that there's a problem. Crass consumerism, commercialism, and overconsumption are still fundamental to American psychology, and it is going to take a long time for us to reform.
My guess is that people won't really be concerned until the dollar crashes and their cost of living skyrockets. For now, they're enjoying the benefits of lower prices across the board, and don't seem to be making any changes to their lifestyle.
Spent nothing again this year. Family thinks I'm a cheap-a$$. I bought some ammo and a new water pump for my truck.
I have always hated the whole gift giving thing at Christmas. I will make things for special people or do something nice for them. But I've always thought this whole bit about an office gift exchange and giving a gift to the Mailman was over the top. My wife on the otherhand expects us to give gifts to all of the nieces and nephews and their spouses and their spouses kids. I've gotten used to being called Scrooge and Grinch over the years.
A lot less so this year though!
Yeah, get used to it, everyone. We gonna get slim pickins from now on. We all got so drunk on credit and crazy money, we will need a big-time rehab dry-out. It's gonna hurt!
But Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Merry Festivus anyway!!
"casey said...
I banged the old lady a lot this week.she is to sore to shop now.I am broker than broke."
Profile of average American Family.
Fuck America. This shithole is doomed.
Round up Bushco and Cheneyurton and put them in cattle pens until the trials begin.
Have another large fried dough and a extra extra extra large Coke on the way to a massive dinner for me you fat, ugly diabetic shlub.
and to all: DIE U PIGS
"Anonymous said...
Not been able to cut back much at all. In Northern Virginia it feels like being ass raped every time you go shopping, even for essentials."
Could you be a little more specific? Are you an ex-con? Maybe a GOP member? That would explain it. Your experience will be valuable to all those about to come into the dock...
Not much different this year. However, Christmas of 2009 will be much, much different. America will be like Who-Ville after the Grinch stole all the gifts and decorations.However, I doubt my fellow Americans will react by holding hands and singing happy songs of togetherness.
My poor, pitiful fellow Americans think that we're in for a rough patch lasting only a few more months. This shows their ignorance of history. Most have only a vague notion of what the Great Depression was. "How bad could it have been if they call it Great?"
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....feels like being ass raped!
Definitely a Democrat!
.
Are you kidding? The malls, K-Mart, you name it, have all been jam-packed since Thanksgiving. We're talking Vegas here. Guess we have been working on keeping that number one credit card debt in the nation! And I have not found a way to keep from having to spend for trips and gifts either.
Its like last year ( when the camel's back snapped ). I'm not shopping at all. Made a family pact not to shop and we all save some money. Use to spend more in the first half of the 00s.
Main difference this year is most of the stores, even before Christmas, have 40-60% off signs. Everywhere in the mall -- on every other store.
I'll just have a nice dinner and be with family. Enjoy the time off.
BTW, there is no inflation.
Yes on both. There was no choice, but I was thinking of opting out of most of the usual madness anyways, so tightgening finances just constrained my choice more decisively.
The difference so far this year isn't less people going to the malls, they're still packed, but they are spending less at them. However, if 2009 turns out as bad as many predict, Christmas next year will see a big drop in the number of shoppers.
At a get-together with two other couples a few weeks ago, we made plans for a Christmas dinner at one couple’s house.
We all agreed that this year we would not exchange gifts; instead everybody would just bring a home-prepared dish for dinner.
A few days later I found my wife putting together some gift bags for the other couples. When I asked her why she was doing this, since everyone agreed not to exchange gifts, she told me that one of the other women in the group said that she was going to hand out presents anyway, so why shouldn't we?
BTW, this other woman is the wife of the recently laid-off WAMU manager – about whom I have written posts here. This A-hole thinks nothing about pouring money into his stupid boat, and then complains that his stepson drinks too much milk, running up the grocery bill.
These people have no savings and are compulsive spenders; the ‘consumerism’ disease definitely has a chokehold grip on these two.
So unfortunately, all the crass consumerism, commercialism and over-consumption are still with us, just like in Christmases past.
Nothing has changed...yet.
-Mammoth
No gifts for the family this year but I did get the wife (Mrs. Hunt) an $800 sewing machine for Christmas. We are also getting some furniture for our condo (some custom stuff) that will cost about $1700. Outside that nothing else.
Doesn't even feel like Christmas. Been working all week trying to keep the company afloat. Consumer electronics manufacturing is a terrible place to be right now.
Merry Xmas S&A'ers!!!
-Mike
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The Party is Over!
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I cut back last year, didn't buy a single present. Same this year. I give people presents throughout the year whenever I feel like it.
Feels awesome.
F*ck Christmas.
Been cutting back since 2005. I've been saving 50% of my income ever since, because I have the same job security as an illegal alien (and I work directly with a top figure of an european state).
Cut back a little this year and I'm debt free:).
casey said...
I banged the old lady a lot this week.she is to sore to shop now.I am broker than broke.
-----------------
Listening to Bob & Tom this morning on Radio from Hell. Bob says that every time the economy goes to hell and he gets laid off, his wife gets pregnant because he is too depressed to do anything but screw and drink all day.
Baby Boom 2 in the making?
Actually I'm spending more. There are some REALLY good prices / sales out there. During the boom years I cut back, prices went sky high. No during the bust, they are all most giving some stuff away.
I'll be a contrarian to the end.
We have cut back severely over the past few years. For us, Christmas is not about mountains of gifts, it is about friendship and personal relationships.
The current reduction in consumerism is solely due to lack of cash, not a fundamental change in thinking. Hopefully the current economic climate will show people the err in the American way.
Basing an economy on consumerism, and demanding year over year growth of 4+% is clearly not sustainable.
It is the population, not the government or the corporations that need to change the way things are done.
Happy Holidays to all.
It doesn't seem different to me.
I have not cut back. I live modestly and have always given gifts that aren't extravagant. I give to my family and every so often my boss.
I feel the same. This whole world-is-ending-so-I-better-cut-back is something I just can't relate to.
Malls are packed still in Canada. There is a time delay on the crash here. We're about a year behind. Denial still the norm.
The Yankee's are not cutting back :
http://www.cnbc.com/id/28378914
of course, they'll still be big losers even tho they once again are trying to buy a championship for 2009.
For 430 biggies, they Yankees probably would have been better served paying off the huge debt NYC is about to generate in 2009.
DIE YANKEE SCUM, DIE!!!!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shoreline Village, downtown LongBeach, is usually a very festive time around this time of year.
This year however, it was a ghost-town - very few people out.
This is just the start though, it will be getting worse and worse for sometime to come.
No presents, no tree, no dinero. We might have a good meal though.
After reading all the above comments, I'm developing an aversion to malls and restaurants.
Are there any alternatives?
We cut back a bit and scrounged to buy the kids gifts. Mine are too young to understand economic hardships and lucky enough I am employed and earn enough cash to buy for them.
We did not go nutzo this year as we had in the past. We pretty much told the family no gifts for us but the kids are OK and not to expect anything from us.
I'd say we spent about $800 this year when $2K would be the insane thing we were doing.
I figure next year we will be doing even less but if a miracle happens and the economy recovers (har-har).......maybe we can maintain.
Oh, $400 of the money came from selling crap I had laying around.
Yes, it seems different because I'm keeping my money with me.
I'm real cheap this year and so is everyone else so we're happy-happy.
Even the main meal is going to be on the cheap.
I'm just sick of spending my money and not going to take it anymore.
Anon...yes, I'm seeing that too.
"Aw-comeon", is how I feel looking at "sale" prices.
Retailers are going for the throat this holiday season - the last breath before the beast dies.
My money is staying with me.
We have fully down sized our lifestyle for now, and are not buying a DAMN thing this holiday season....(Dont have kids, so we can get away with that)--
When you downsize your life, you truly do realize how much SHYTTT you can do without.
SAVE YOUR MONEY, PHUCK THE BANKERS and the fiancial system until they are giving houses away!!!!!
Close your wallets-- Show your power.
Agreed. The more we hold back on spending, the more these greedy f#@$ing bankers and stores will drop prices and rates.
Dont buy a house until rates are below 3% and prices come down another 25-30%.
Trust me, we will get there soon--Dont catch a falling knife.
Stop spending money-- Stop the mindless materialism and consumerism!!
Buy canned goods, rice, guns and ammo.
Stock market advice: Go long on Hookers and Blow
2009 is about to get RUFFFFFFF
Skipped the usual fancy dinner with my wife. I bought a small cheesecake from the local cakeshop and a small bottle of bubbly. Took her to the waterfront and just enjoyed ourselves. Less than 20$ spent and it was far more memorable than any other Christmas we had together.
Cheap doesnt necessarily have to be bad. Expensive doesnt necessarily mean its good either. A shame most Americans cant realize that.
that cool website rideyourbike.com fellow convinced me about 10 years ago to give up the whole Christmas scene. Check him out, he is right on. The stress just vanishes when you quit. The guilt only lasts a year or two. Then you can enjoy life, your friends and the bright lights and food excesses don't even bother you much. He also closes his store on Buy Nothing Day, the day after Thanksgiving. Here's to another post consumerism year in 2009!
I just got done working at 3 pm on Christmas Eve, after working 15 hour days the last 2. I'm a contractor and would have said up-yours IF times were different. Ebineezer A-hole knows I need work and he is one of the few who have it to offer right now, & taking max advantage of that fact.
So yeah, this Christmas is different. It sucks.
Bonus? Sure, got one of those - but it was the Rear-end kind as opposed to the more desirable Year-end kind.
Hey Eb, you're too stupid to be reading this blog, but if - May your stocking be filled to the brim with steaming dog crap!! and your bitch wife's too! Oh, and good luck on your 3 investment properties that are in foreclosure - BwaaaHaaaaHaaaa!
Now that puts a smile on my face :)! Merry Christmas all.
There doesn't seem to be any letup to the shopping madness this year in NoVa. I think that the layoffs here have been minimal and with the bulk of the jobs being government related and the government spending money like a drunken whore, there will only be more wasted money here.
I haven't done Xmas for at least 15 years, after being in retail for a decade.
Today went to a dollar type store and people were there but the items purchased were things like scrub pads, coffee filters. plastic bowls, toothbrushes etc not xmas items... can't tell you what this means.
"Feels like being ass raped"--A Democrat?? NOOOO--Definitely a REPUBICON!!
Larry Craig & Ted Haggard would agree....right up their alley 4 sure.
BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HUMBUGGGGGGG
Don't join the mindless sheep in spending your money on Chinese made crapp that you don't need anyway.
Start saving now, or wish you did in the next several years. The tsunami is coming, and you need to get yourself and your family prepared NOWWWWW.
So many retail stores are going to close in the coming months it isnt even funny.
Entire cities are predicted to go completely BK.
Hard to even get the slightest bit excited by Christmas right now--so much stress.
Milo, you are right on with your thinking. It is all about a lack of cash, the american consumer is so well programed they don't know any better. This is a sad situation to say the least. It is almost like crack to a junkie. We are in a world of hurt and the goverment sold this whole crock.God help us all!!!!
Only spent money on esentials.
Here's an idea for 2009.
Pull out every dime of cash advance on all of your cards.
Pull all equity out of your house.
Sell all your home furnishings and vechiles.
Spend 90% of your cash on GOLD bullion and take physical delivery from the COMEX. Find a small town near a farming community far away from all major cities. Rent a small apt/house and stock up on food, guns, and booze.
Relax and enjoy watching the comming city riots on T.V. from the comfort of your livingroom; secure in the knowledge that after the global monitary system reset,[scheduled to transpire before 2013], that you will emerge as part of the top 1%.
own the remaining 10% on a cheap rental prop in a
Trade this cash for 2 cases of Booze
My wife just took a 5% pay cut, so I decided to punish the economy/gov back by not consuming a damn thing. Screw tech companies, screw retailers, screw financial companies, screw GM and automakers...You won't see my money for a long long long time. You guys should also boycott those Hollywood high school dropouts who earn the indecency of $20 million per movie. Whatever they're selling, we aren't interested.
Make sure, for the meal, that you don't buy any wine from France or Australia. No booze from other countries. Let them die.
"No gifts for the family this year but I did get the wife (Mrs. Hunt) an $800 sewing machine for Christmas. We are also getting some furniture for our condo (some custom stuff) that will cost about $1700. Outside that nothing else."
Make sure to call or write your parents to thank them for raising such a selfless guy. Sheesh.
Then again, your family is probably already telling your parents all about it.
Oh, and BTW - condos are for losers. May as well live in an apartment like most of the other losers on this blog. Home owners always win.
It tells you people are buying more essential commodities - for everyday living.
That will be the spending trend from now on for quite sometime.
Jayman said...
I haven't done Xmas for at least 15 years, after being in retail for a decade.
Today went to a dollar type store and people were there but the items purchased were things like scrub pads, coffee filters. plastic bowls, toothbrushes etc not xmas items... can't tell you what this means.
I don't rent, and I don't live in a condo, neither do many others on this blog - but I don't consider myself more of a "winner" then someone else based on where or how I live - that pervasive thinking (about "winners" and "losers") is what's wrong in this country especially.
By the way, here in Huntington Beach, several of the "winners" you refer to have had to turn in the keys to the house they were making monthly payments on - I'm sure they all wish they had been already renting several months ago - especially in these times.
They must be "losers" now in your
minds eye.
Enjoy being a "winner" ... while it lasts.
Anonymous said...
"No gifts for the family this year but I did get the wife (Mrs. Hunt) an $800 sewing machine for Christmas. We are also getting some furniture for our condo (some custom stuff) that will cost about $1700. Outside that nothing else."
Make sure to call or write your parents to thank them for raising such a selfless guy. Sheesh.
Then again, your family is probably already telling your parents all about it.
Oh, and BTW - condos are for losers. May as well live in an apartment like most of the other losers on this blog. Home owners always win.
I tried cutting way back this year but things from the past are haunting me. Seven years ago I cosigned on a mobile home for my mom and dad. Two days before christmas dad calls me up and says he is not gonna be able to make the payments and it is alredy three weeks late.I will now have to come up with $1,300.00 by jan 1. If I do not I risk having my credit being ruined and legal action being taken against me by the bank. The loan balance is 70,000.00 and it does not look like the folks are going to make another payment. They told me it is my bailey wick to deal with now. Their charge cards were shut off on them after taking lavish vacation ,buying plasmas, and dining out at lavish dining establishments four days a week.They plan on filing bankruptcy.
Obama shoppers think that everything will be alright; Black Robbin Hood, Santa Clause will save the day. Most Obama supporters have their feet firmly planted in the clouds. They think things will get better. They are keeping the spending up. Others, I know are buying guns and ammo, and they have reduced their shopping mall purchases.
"Anonymous said...
So many retail stores are going to close in the coming months it isnt even funny.
Entire cities are predicted to go completely BK"
=====================================
There was a big article in the local paper about the municipalities (5 or 6, I forget) here in PA that are facing bankruptcy. Raising property taxes (the parasites favorite form of revenue generation) is just not working like it should anymore. They raise assessments to bring in more money for those soooooo deserved salaries, automatic raises, benefit packages that we in the real world can only dream about, and golden pensions, but continue to bring in less money. Why? Simple! People are no longer holding out to the bitter end to try and save their homes, even if they own them outright! According to other linked articles, local residents, deciding that their family's being able to eat, is more important than the pigs-at-the-greed-trough's benefit packages, are just walking away, abandoning their homes, leaving for other areas, or even better, leaving for taxpayer "respectful" states.
I can see this snowballing downhill viciously once it gets started.
Fortunately, I can afford the taxes where I live, now, but if I get pissed off enough, I just might burn this place down (legally, of course, give the Vol Fire Co a donation, and some training) and walk away just because I can, and I own properties in other states, and these states are all in that "respectful" category.
It’s a real shame. For as un-built-up as my neck of the woods is, out of area home shoppers that I have talked to are appalled at the property tax bite compared to the dollar amounts of the houses.
And they go somewhere else to buy!
I was all about cutting back this year on presents for my wife -- just an AU$85 (about $50 U.S.)bottle of French rose champagne from an obscure producer, a $30 cake plate on a pedestal (she asked for one) and a $29.95 paperback book by a guy who used to manage the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead when they were on tour. Economical compared to what we usually do.
Gifts of candy, home-made food and inexpensive liquor to local friends; donations of animals for poor people via Heifer International made in the name of family back in the U.S. I realise that's insufferable hippie shit, but the people in our families have everything they need. So if some brown person gets a goat and a white person gets an e-mail notification, I say the world's a marginally better place. We were doing the cutting-back thing.
Then my wife goes and blows the new frugality by buying me this 1,600-Swiss franc Longines self-winding wristwatch with diamonds on 11 of the numbers and a Swiss cross in diamonds for the 12. Only available in Switzerland; I admired it when we were there but we dashed back to northern Italy in October before I could buy it. I was prepared to do without it. I have a cheap Timex for work and two old metal watches for dressing up. But the danger of having bankers who can transfer Swiss francs directly into a jeweler's account is that it makes it too easy to spend.
The watch guy, who we had dealt with a few years back, wouldn't budge on the price, but he did insure it and ship it for free, which they don't usually do. They're feeling the pinch a bit. Smart bastard, too -- he sent it as a "repaired item" so there was no Aussie customs tax. Those Swiss -- they know all the tricks to beat the tax man!
The footpaths along the main shopping streets in Melbourne were about as packed as usual. I didn't do much shopping, so I can't attest to the buying levels in the stores. But people seemed as festive as usual. Aussies know there's a problem in the world, but they think they're going to dodge it.
The one new thing I noticed is that advertisers are starting to use "financial crisis" in their ads, as in "This is the perfect thrifty gift during the credit crunch." Fucking ad-hacks -- if there was an asteroid on a trajectory to hit the Earth in three days, they'd be running banners saying "You only have two more days to take advantage of this fantastic bargain!"
Malls are packed still in Canada. There is a time delay on the crash here. We're about a year behind. Denial still the norm
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I'm in Canada, same observation here.
But I'm taking advantage of the falling prices to load up on 3-5 years of stuff. I don't think the selection will be the same in a couple of years. When I had my son in 1999, they were just starting to make cute quality stuff for babies. I think this recession is going to kill the supply. So...
Quality sheets for all beds, 5 different color pairs of pants in in every size, for my son. The list goes on!
Over the next few months we'll be getting all the important house stuff done while contractors start getting hungry and commodity prices are at their lowest.
K.W. in So. Cal,
A shout out to you for your good attitude. I agree that we are all in this together and the labels 'winners' and 'losers' don't help us at all.
Anon 2:37pm- use a name you lazy turd.
Where I live (Thailand), foreigners can't buy landed property, only condos. There are a lot of advantages to condo ownership here- the main thing is convenience and security. If I had a house I'd have to get a gardener (or do this myself) and worry about someone breaking in the house (does happen though infrequently). In a condo there is underground parking that's protected, the grounds are maintained and there is security protecting the premises. Works for me.
The nice thing about owning property (house or condo) in Thailand is that there is no yearly property tax. Property tax is only paid once at the time of buying / selling. Here, consumption is taxed via luxury tax on big ticket items like cars / jewelery and through VAT (7%). There is an income tax (max bracket 37%- higher than the US) but the lack of property tax is nice. Although I like California I am quite skeptical of getting milked for the priveledge of owning overpriced shelter - guess I'm spoiled given my current situation.
The place is fully paid for, the condo fees here are about $100 per month or so. So it's a very cheap and comfortable living option. Certainly not a bad place to ride out an economic storm. Me and Mrs Hunt are doing fine.
-Mike
The loan balance is 70,000.00
For a mobile home? Sorry for your problem, but paying that much for a trailer is foolish. Many people in financial dire straights can point to somebody else who put them there. Are you going to evict your parents?
I am going to take a chance on the after Christmas clearance sales. I know that stores around here have tons of inventory, almost all of it untouched before Christmas. Some sales are up to 80% off -- just buying clothing for the family.
TRAILER GUY
The mobile home was a brand new one . The place is 2000 sq ft with two bath rooms and a spa tub.I don't have the ability to kick them out since I am not the owner just the cosigner. Just like the cosigner on a car -you can;t take the car back if you want.
Then my wife goes and blows the new frugality by buying me this 1,600-Swiss franc Longines self-winding wristwatch with diamonds on 11 of the numbers and a Swiss cross in diamonds for the 12.
That looks like a gay watch to us. Diamonds? Bwahahaha Only Aussies to wear that gay stuff. Here Aussie, get these $20 and go buy some good taste.
Obama shoppers think that everything will be alright; Black Robbin Hood, Santa Clause will save the day. Most Obama supporters have their feet firmly planted in the clouds.
Right on. They happen to be the same morons who keep wasting their money on AAPL and GOOG stocks every month. No matter how crappy the future is, they think that everyone will be be able to afford a $4,000 laptop. Geniuses! Oh, and never mind that the CEO isn't even participating at MacWorld anymore...HUGE RED FLAG!
TRAILER GUY
I don't think there is a solution to this problem . Since i have an insurance policy I think I am worth more dead then alive. My folks pension plan is to have me blow my brains out and sell of everything that I have .
"Seven years ago I cosigned on a mobile home for my mom and dad. The loan balance is $70,000."
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Purchasing a mobilehome is one of the WORST "investments" anyone could ever make. The ONLY person that benefits is the owner of the mobilehome park. One of my uber rich clients owns 20 mobilehome parks in Calif, and I am all too familiar with what a financial disaster it is to "invest" in a mobilehome.
You really are in a crappy position. It is a total waste of money to pay on the loan to save your credit, because this is a depreciating asset. You also can't force a sale or move tenants in to pay the mortgage.
My advice: find out what happens to co-signors in this situation, and take the hit.
And for God's sake, never do business with your parents again. They're selfish and irresponsible.
But you already knew that, right?
Thanks mom and dad.
Seven years ago I cosigned on a mobile home for my mom and dad. The loan balance is $70,000.
I had to pay a sh!t load of money when my mother passed away. There was the funeral bill, late property taxes, attorney fees, cemetery plot, etc, etc. Oh, and my mother was earning all along $96k / year in pension and annuities from my late dad + great health insurance.
Since my siblings, who are Baby Boomers, didn't contributed a dime for the huge expenses she left, I had to pay for the entire thing. Not only that, I paid for my own college, first car, first house... not even cheese from the Hobo's d*ck I got. Meanwhile, my baby boomer siblings + mother were living large. Stupid me.
Do your parents have everything paid for? If not, put aside a lot of money.
trailer guy here:
My folks don't have any kind of arrangement for their final expense. They don't even have a burial plot . I think I will just throw them in a hefty bag and put them on the curb.
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