Post-Holiday Blues: Why Do We Spend So Much Over Christmas?

I'm going to preface this by saying I'm writing this from my brand new Acer Chromebook; while not nearly as powerful as the MacBook Pro I carted around for over 8 years (beautiful machine, it was.) it serves just the purpose I have been wanting since my MacBook kicked the bucket; it enabled me to write from anywhere.

Today, I'm writing from my couch with Dakota cuddling up right beside me. It's lovely.

(Lazy bones.)

Now that my apartment is more or less back in order from all of the festivities over the last week, I find myself drifting back into real life; meaning, I'm setting my sights back on what work needs to be accomplished, preparing myself for going back to the gym and meal planning, and cringing at the sight of my bank account.

This pretty much happens every year, where, despite our best intentions to keep costs as low as possible, my fiance and I find ourselves kicking our butts about how much money we spent on gifts, food, etc. This Christmas, in particular, we really wanted to keep things low as we're both working on reducing our credit card debt, and as you all know, putting purchases on credit is no way to reduce your debt!

While there is not much I can do about it now other than pick up more freelance jobs to offset the spending, it really makes me start to appreciate Tim Allen in Christmas With the Kranks. For what we spent this Christmas, we easily could have gone on vacation instead.

(And got some sweet new eyebrows, to boot.)

So how did we become this culture that bases our joy and love off of material items? Edgy new products that serve limited purposes and will be defunct by the time you fully understand how to use them.

While out for one particular holiday dinner, we learned that one of the nine-year-olds got a new iPhone for Christmas. Nine! And the fourteen-year-old got a fancy Samsung smartwatch, which even he said, "It's mostly for fitness which I don't need but it does other cool stuff, too.)

When we buy these kinds of products for the younger generation, what are we teaching them? Or, is this just the first time I'm realizing that I'm a lot older than I feel and I'm out of touch with what's normal?

I got my first phone when I was 15, and I bought it for myself after I started working part time a year earlier. I worked at a movie theatre so I'd use the phone to call for my ride at the end of my shift. It was a crappy Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go phone that weighed more than this Chromebook - but it had the original Snake game so that was cool.

I had been hoping this year to take my fiance for a weekend getaway either to Blue Mountain for some skiing or to Montreal , but I talked myself out of it because the cost was more than we had agreed to spend.

As it turns out, we all spent well over our limits, leaving me wondering why the heck we do that?

Because while everyone seems happy with their gifts, do I think they'd be any less happy without them? Not for a second.

Would I be less happy without my Chromebook? Certainly not.

Do I feel like I missed out on anything that I didn't receive? Nope, in fact frankly I feel spoiled.
(Christmas morning... slowly waking up!)

I think in the new year I'd really like to reevaluate where my money goes, and why. Simply, there are much more important things to focus on, experiences to be had and memories to be made - and I doubt the most memorable ones will be made in front of a computer, phone, or tablet.

Writing this now has peaked my interest in determining my goals for 2018. I already have many, maybe I'll do a new post for those, I'd love to hear what everyone has planned to imrpove upon for the new year :)

Hope you all had a great holiday, and remember to be safe this New Years Eve!