Santa Claus is responsible for putting people into debt

(Note: I’m picking on Santa Claus even though there are other holidays during that time to compete with Christmas, like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Festivus.)

Via

You may not know it, and in which case I hate to burst your bubble, but Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

What’s interesting, is that people feel as though he does, and as a result, he is utterly responsible for all our money woes during the holidays holidaze.

Christmas is the time where people tend to go into the red but companies end up in the black.

The reason being, is that presents stop coming after a certain age but people are too used to treating themselves, so they can’t help but think this is the time of year to do it.

We make Wish Lists, we search for things we’d like other people to buy for us, and we think:

“Goddamnit, I’ve been SO GOOD this year, I deserve a treat.”

All the hard work of exercising, dieting, saving money — it all goes out the window for one month or so (December) while everyone pigs out in restaurants and stores with their bellies and their wallets to celebrate living through the end of a another year.

In the U.S., online holiday spending will reach $4.3 BILLION this year.

Online spending for the first 18 days of the holiday season has already reached 10.1 billion, a 16 percent jump from the same period last year. The cheeriest day so far for online retailers was November 8, when consumers spent $829 million.

That’s how it goes when you’re surrounded by sparkly things, the smell of pine trees, gingerbread treats and lights flashing in your face.

You can’t help but pull out your wallet and spend on one of the busiest shopping months of the year.

And who can we blame for all of this?

THE BIG GUY IN RED OF COURSE!

Just look at his greedy eyes….. $_$……..

TIPS ON AVOIDING CHRISTMAS SPENDING BURNOUT:

• Don’t go shopping hungry. Studies have proven that you tend to spend more
• Bring snacks and water to keep your energy levels up for cheap so you don’t eat out
• Shop with CASH — once it’s gone, it’s gone
• Go with a budget (no really, go with a REAL BUDGET you have to stick to for each person)
• Don’t one-up or guilt-trip yourself into buying more than you can really afford
• One gift is enough, you don’t need 5 per person
• Spend more time on the present and use your creativity, and be less spendy
• Consider giving a gift card instead; almost 60% of people want a gift card for Christmas

Most of all… DO NOT SHOP AT THE LAST MINUTE!!! Do your shopping early so you can kick back and inwardly smirk at everyone else’s frantic purchases.

Enjoy!

(Santa has to pay for his reindeer and eating habit somehow.)