This seems to be the January battle cry (if not all year round) for retail stores. “Since you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas, come here and squander more money, please,” or something. What if you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? What if you want peace on Earth or have your hip replacement surgery scheduled? Can Canadian Tire do something about that for me? I don’t think so, but who knows?
Debt Reduction is like losing weight. You need to stop listening to your impulses and keep to the plan. Now, if you planned to go to the after-Christmas sales (like at the GAP) and spend the money you didn’t spend at Christmas, that is a valid (and a sound) plan. My kids got gift cards for Christmas and then proceeded to buy 2/3 more clothing than they could have before Christmas at the GAP (makes an older man proud to see his kids learning the value of being cheap).
Was your plan to spend a quiet January hidden in your nice warm bed, not worrying about bills, stick to that. If you don’t have a plan for January, feel free to borrow this one, “I plan not to buy any more crap that I don’t need” it’s a pretty good plan, which could be used for any month of the year.
If you continue to SPEND more than you MAKE, you can either get a job as a politician, or you can be sure you’ll never be able to retire or stop worrying about your debt. Keep that in mind when you think next, “I didn’t get that Deluxe Cheese Straightener I wanted for Christmas, and it’s on sale!”.
Christmas Wishes from the Past
I seem to do this a lot, so here are my Christmas wishes from years gone by:
- Joyeux noël 2023 Enjoy your Family, Friends and Festivities. If you are working today, thank you. If you are alone, it will get better.
- Christmas 2022 was after a rough year for many folks including me. Inflation, COVID, and dealing with losing family members was a bit much really.
- Merry Christmas 2021 was another COVID crisis time. Omicron hit and Christmas became much more closed up. Maybe the last one of these, but we thought that last year.
- Merry Christmas 2020 ! Do you see the pussy cat in the tree? An odd year with a Pandemic and all. Make sure you pop those Christmas Crackers.
- Christmas All Year Round ? Yes, it does feel like that these days doesn’t it? The 12 Days of Christmas Debt ? What the heck ? That isn’t Christmasy at all!
- Merry Christmas 2017 ! That was a year of fun videos that I found to help celebrate the holiday. Love that old CFCF fill.
- Merry Christmas, Highspeed Internet a right, Inflation at 1.2 and #MoneyTalk 2016 ! Sheesh, I couldn’t even be bothered to send a message that year, how Grinchy.
- Merry Christmas 2014 ! A lovely quote from the King James bible for that year. Seem to have done nothing for 2015. This year I even had a Christmas Eve post.
- Happy Christmas 2013 ! I loved the photos of every years Christmas Tree, very festive. Another Christmas Eve post too.
- Merry Christmas 2012 ! You see the hideous curtains we had in the den back then. That year we had the $150 Christmas challenge too.
- Merry Christmas 2011 ! The tree moved back to the front room and I used Google Translate to create a festive message. Think I was on French training that year. Also At Christmas Why Not Just Give Cash ?
- Merry Christmas 2010 has some very deep philosophical commentary in it. Must have been hitting the Christmas cheer early. Christmas Eve that year must have been a Friday.
- Merry Christmas 2009 and all you got was an NFB short? Not that bad really. There was also Christmas Eve thoughts too.
- Merry Christmas 2008 ! That was the year of the infamous Financial Advent Calendar too.
- A few last Yuletide Thoughts was what I had in 2007.
- Merry Christmas 2006 ! A quieter year I suppose.
- Whatever little money you have, make sure you spend it was my first year writing here. Quite gruff and grinchy.
- Advent, it begins again, is when the Christmas season begins
