Category Archives: Christmas

Christmas Shopping

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If you’re anything like me, you finished your Christmas shopping last month. My presents are wrapped, and cards written, just waiting for the Big Day.

I realise, however, that some people don’t do all of their present-buying in October, and I know that some of my friends are struggling with the amount of “compulsory” December spending.

In my office alone there are two Christmas lunches (£25 and £14), and an ice-skating trip (£18) as well as a general Secret Santa (£10) and a bargain one for just our cohort (£1).

That’s £68, before we even get a drink.

 

Then there are presents for family and friends. This year I’ve cut down on gifts for other people; I’ve bought things for my parents, my little sister and my godson, but nothing for the extended family. None of my friends are getting presents either. What a tight-fisted shopaholic, hey?

 

Well, I’m not expecting presents from those I don’t buy for. It’s a mutual agreement.

I stopped giving and sending out Christmas cards a while ago, too. It seems like a generational shift. None of my friends post me cards, but I still get them from aunties and uncles, godparents and long-time-no-see family friends.

These days the price of a stamp is surely prohibitive for most people. A pack of 10 Oxfam Christmas cards is £3.99. Even if you sent everything second class, at 50p a go, the stamps for those cards will cost you a fiver. So that’s £9 for cards to ten people. Supposing I sent a card to each of my Facebook “friends” that would set me back £221.

As for gifts, my advice is to set your budget before you shop. Don’t go rushing out to the shops on Christmas Eve, desperate to find something. The sales assistants know you’re desperate.

A couple of my favourite sites for Christmas prezzies:

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com

 

Unless you’re shopping with me in mind, in which case:

http://www.tiffany.co.uk/

http://www.linksoflondon.com/gb-en/online-shop/women

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Day 65: One More Addiction

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Anyone got any (metaphorical) nicotine patches or AA tips? I’ve been feeling pretty self-satisfied with how little I’ve bought since I started this challenge, but now I’m starting to get the come-down jitters.

Last weekend I went home to see my parents, and had a wander around the shops with Mum.
I suppose this would be the equivalent of putting a recovering alcoholic in a brewery, or someone trying to quit smoking in a room full of smokers.

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Everything is so beautiful! The shops glitter with Christmas party dresses. Gorgeous winter woollies in Fairisle knit just make you want to snuggle up in hibernation.

To me, every item promises new life. A new running kit will mean that you suddenly LOVE going to the gym. Home accessories like cushions and candles will make you feel cosy and warm. A stunning dress will make you feel like a million dollars.

When the products on the shelves call to me like this, it can be hard to ignore. It’s all rubbish, of course. You get a temporary lift, a little boost as you tell yourself the benefits of what you’ve just bought. It’s all a trick, though, isn’t it? The retailers want me to think that every item offers a new beginning, rather than being just another “thing”.

At home this weekend, we exchanged Christmas wish lists. I had to divide mine into the slightly more realistic, and the nigh-on impossible.

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My real Christmas list has some fairly mundane items on it, like slippers (let’s turn the heating down now, girls). I’d also love a new pair of running leggings, since I left mine behind in a hotel room when I was away with work, and haven’t been able to recover them.

The dream list? How I’d love to fill a shopping trolley with the contents of a Fat Face store. Oh, and if you’re offering, I’d be chuffed with a new smartphone, a MacBook Air, a sunny holiday, and an obscenely cool SLR camera. What’s that? You weren’t offering? Oh, darn.

Shops make me feel like my desire is normal; as though all these things are attainable. ‘What do you mean you haven’t got a few grand spare to spend on gadgets and clothes?’ they ask, ’What’s wrong with you?!’.

Each time the latest version of a gizmo is released it makes the problem worse. The poorest in society fall one step further behind. The gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ widens. We seem to be obsessed with having the latest, to hell with the cost and how much money we actually have.

I’m angry, to tell the truth. I’m angry that I’m made to feel dissatisfied and inadequate, because I can’t keep up. I’m angry that people struggle to do so, when there’s absolutely no need. What made people think it was unacceptable to go to a friend’s house for a cup of tea, rather than meeting in an overpriced coffee shop? Who does it benefit when a new trend is decreed each season? Why do we feel worthless and do ourselves down, just because we can’t adhere to the fashion dictators’ rules?

I’ve got no solutions; every tweak that Apple makes will indoctrinate people into wanting to needlessly spend hundreds of pounds. For some, it will cement a feeling of alienation from a society that measures a man’s worth by how much he owns.

I think you just have to be wary, and be fully aware that it’s the ad man’s job to convince you that your self worth depends on buying that product immediately.

You can choose not to buy something, not because you can’t afford it, but because you know that you haven’t been sucked into the crazy vortex. And as you walk past that item, choosing not to buy it, you can have a cheeky little smile to yourself, feeling just a little bit smug and self-satisfied.

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Take that, Ad Man!

Day 47: It’s a marathon not a sprint

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A fortnight ago I did an overnight marathon around London, in aid of Cancer Research UK. It was a fantastic experience, with tough times along the way, but there are a few memories that will stick with me.

1) Watching the sun come up in the city; a beautiful red, orange, white and blue background glowed around the famous sights. The view was breathtaking. Simply perfect.

2) Arriving at the break point at Mile 19. Bodies were littered around the courtyard as though it were a warzone; everyone was wrapped in foil blankets to protect against the chilly night air, and the first aid station had a lengthy queue outside.

3) The number of people sleeping rough on our city’s streets.

When you walk around London during the day, you probably don’t pay too much attention to the homeless. At night, though, the city was emptied of its daytime tourists, and the problem was all too obvious. Doorways were filled with sleeping bags, holding people whose only mattress was a flattened cardboard box.

At the stop-off points along the way we were given energy drinks, cereal bars and bananas; many people were leaving their food and drink next to the huddled figures. I was touched that so many people were affected enough to donate their energy supplies, even after trudging for twenty or so miles.

At church last Sunday, we celebrated Harvest Festival. Although we no longer bring in the fruits of the harvest (“non-perishables only, please”), the spirit remains. We come together as a community, and give thanks for what we are so lucky to have.

Equally as important is the recognition that so many do not have ready access to food and drink. Every Sunday we collect for the local food bank, which provides for people who are struggling to afford the very basics in life: food and shelter. At Harvest, we renewed our efforts; the food bank is experiencing unprecedented demand, so the gathering is all the more important now. Our mountains of unneeded food are being donated to the Wimbledon Food Bank and the Merton Faith in Action Drop-in centre for the homeless.

As autumn kicks in, and winter approaches, it’s time to think about lighting the fire, and snuggling up in a blanket, with a hot chocolate, while watching some mediocre Saturday night telly. If you do have the basics in life, plus a little extra, I urge you from the bottom of my heart to give a little of what you have to someone who does not.

Whether it’s time or money, someone, somewhere, will appreciate it. If you’d like to volunteer, zillions of organisations are looking for people just like you, and a quick Google search will almost certainly bring up somewhere right where you live. In London, charities such as St Mungo’s are looking for volunteers in all sorts of roles, all year round. Crisis runs a special homelessness project over Christmas, and needs thousands of volunteers at this time. If you’d otherwise be spending Christmas alone, this is a great way to stave off loneliness, and get that feel-good glow inside.

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Thank you so much for reading my posts. This journey has taught me so much about myself, and so many people have said really lovely things about my blog. I appreciate it a lot.

Goodbye,

Shopaholic

xxx

Day 30: Reflecting on the first 30 days

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I realise that I’ve made this all sound very easy. I’ve written about all the new experiences I’ve had, from the mundane (writing a shopping list) to the more exciting (becoming a mystery shopper, “upcycling” my desk).

Perhaps I glamorise “being poor” because, in the grand scheme of things, I’m not. What’s more, I expect to earn more, and not less, in the future. So, ultimately, I’m play-acting.

I’m not skipping meals for lack of money. When the boiler or fridge break, they are fixed. I’m not shivering with hypothermia through winter as a result of having no more money to feed the meter.

I hope I haven’t offended people as a result of my flippant references to not “having enough”. I’m only too aware that I am very lucky to earn as much as I do, and that I only have such a well-paid, professional-level job as a result of my upbringing. My parents prioritised my education at every stage, and supported and pushed me to the best of my abilities. If they had not, I would not be where I am today.

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I’m also lucky enough that when I was stupid and irresponsible enough to get into debt, my parents were able to bail me out.

If I told you that I have struggled with this budget-slimming, you’d have every right to be totally unsympathetic. I struggle with not buying overpriced caffeine. I struggle not walking into a shop when I see something beautiful in the window. I struggle not meeting my friends for drinks or meals out. I struggle not to buy theatre tickets, especially when I see a great review, or a favourite actor starring.

So what? Get over it!

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That “we’re all in this together” slogan is utter nonsense. Boo-hoo, I can’t see Simon Callow or Hedda Gabler. Alas, one shall have to cut down on caviar and champagne for breakfast. To argue that the impact of this recession is equal across the social classes is absurd. Our difficulties are simply not on the same scale.

Nevertheless, the hurdles that I’m confronting, while minute trifles to most, are difficult for me.

I am of the opinion that I must do two things to avoid being a risible figure here.

One; never lose sight of what most people have (and do not have). Be it by giving to the South Wimbledon food bank, volunteering with Crisis at Christmas and the Holy Trinity Church Winter night shelter for the homeless, or simply by lending an ear to lonely people at church, who just need someone to listen.

Two; by taking on a personal challenge, to be less materialistic and to spend less. In the first instance, it doesn’t matter too much if my spending levels are still relatively high, so long as I attempt something that is difficult for me. In time I can work on beating down my expenses further. For now, though, I’m satisfied that I’m trying. When the going gets tough…

Wow, 30 days already! Thank you so much for reading (almost 2,000 views in the first month!!)