Not unexpectedly, once the election was over, most television commercials focused on Christmas.
Some of them are cute. Some are kitschy. But some just outright annoy me.
My least favorite batch of commercials are the ones that argue “Buy whatever you want. We’ll give you a new credit card to cover the cost.” This message is accompanied by shoppers proceeding to buy large qualtities of expensive electronics.
How do I summarize my feelings about this? How about this: IF YOU CAN”T AFFORD IT DON’T BUY IT! Waking up on January 1st with huge credit card debt is STUPID. Even if they charge minimal or no interest, it’s still debt! And for what, a fancier camera or a bigger tv?
Don’t get caught up in the hype. Buy what you can afford and give it with love. If you want to be able to give bigger gifts next year, that’s fine. On January 1st, start saving for your Christmas expenses. Skipping the fancy coffee you pick up on the way to work each morning will save $750 a year. Skipping the weekly movie outing (with popocorn, soda and candy) will add at least another $750.
Christmas splurges start on January 2nd — not by acquiring more plastic.
Rant over.