Feeling the Heat During Christmas

By: Nicky Vanrivong

 

Feeling the Heat During Christmas

By: Nicky Vanrivong

 

Windsorites are feeling the cold pinch from the pressure of Christmas.

Christmas comes with the benefit of spending time with your family and friends, but there’s also the hard times and the pressure that come with the holidays.

According to stats from myfamilyfinances.net, Christmas is the most expensive holiday and people tend to spend more than what they can afford. US shoppers spend about $61 billion in total while Canadians spent $52 billion.

“I usually start shopping around mid-November and I have a large extended family and tend spend around $50-$100 person. I try to stay in Windsor for everything but if I have to I would risk going to the states but I don’t want to risk all the traffic.” said Shannon, a mother of three. “I really try hard to get something that people would open up and be excited not just something like ‘Oh, thanks!’”

Last year consumers spent about $57 billion just on Black Friday. A little over $2 billion was spent online, a 16 per cent increase said myfamilyfinance.net.

“I have been guilty of camping out in front of stores, such as Best Buy. Waiting for it to open so I could get the new flat screen TV but it’s all worth it in the end,” said Jeff, a shopper at Devonshire Mall. “I would rather spend $150 on something instead of at regular price like $400. But that’s how they get you. They market toward the public about these sales and even though it’s a low price thousands of people buy it.”

Research conducted by Royal Voluntary Service suggested that under a quarter of a million elderly persons spent Christmas alone last year.

“I’m single and not doing anything. I used to but after last year, I went ‘I’m done’ and I treat myself to an expensive breakfast.” said Lynne, a self-proclaimed window shopper expert.

According to a 2012 survey, some online retailers have decided to promote holiday savings as early as the first week of October.

“Advertising, advertising, advertising! They go for the kids too hard. They know that kids are the weakness of the parents,” said Jeff. “The advertising is one of the reasons why I don’t go to certain stores. If I turned on the TV right now I guarantee that I will see a commercial about holiday sales.”

With the rise of prices for products, Canadians will have a hard time maintaining a healthy budget during the holidays.