Ant Dec & Scrooge (Humbug)

1313

I was watching Ant and Dec last night (yeah I am sad) I was amazed jus how much we are caught up in the commercial web of Christmas. One lady was featured because she did not like the presents she was given, and did something about it. Oh how horrible, she got her money back on some items, another gift went to eBay. She was made to look bad in front of the audience.

She was not horrible or bad, she had the common sense to make a crap present turn out good!

Another guy just had a simple Crimbo tree in his house. This was seen as wrong, so to show him up the whole of the house and street were decorated. OK, so in other things he was mean spirited.

However in both cases they were shown up for not wanting to spend money. For them the pressure every year is far greater now, for fear of being shown up for not spending money.

Sure they were given prizes for their suffering, but they had common sense and courage to save in that way. For those of us who follow the commercial line have so much fun spending, but can suffer for 30 odd years on minimum payments!!!

Why is Scrooge so popular? Cos nobody wants to be one, so he will always be made out to be the worst villian, as the commercial sector promote him hard!!

They say Daddy Crimbo was invented by Coca Cola, mmmm I wonder why???

tomstickland

I find the excessive consumption aspects of christmas quite oppressive and depressing really. Day to day I don't really need anything. Therefore filling the house with stuff I don't need all seems like a big waste to me. So I really like useful presents: socks, pants, beer. I always ask people what they want for Christmas so I can buy them something that is genuinely useful to them.

loubie_lou

I think this is a good thing to talk about really....

I've hardly spent a thing this year, i've only bought for my immediate family and i've written out 4 xmas cards!

I don't think i can remember an xmas in my life that has not been so commercialised and i'm 24!

When I eventually have kids (hopefully!) they will learn that xmas is a time for family and friends and not about spending hundreds of pounds on presents when they will probably end up on ebay the next day!

People with debt problems should not be pressured into buying things on plastic when they cannot afford it, just so they feel they have to 'fit in' with other people

mountainofdebt

My nephew, who's only 5, has very toy imaginable.

I know I can't compete with the other members of the family so I don't bother trying.

He knows I love him to bits and I would walk over hot coals for him - to me that's more important.

1313

My greed has given the major food stores another bumper year. My house is full of excess, but it is justified if it is all eaten.

Just throwing away the wrapping paper filled one large black sack. I have to wonder what was the cost, just on wrapping paper?

For three years now I have not given out a single card, and each year nobody actually noticed they had one card less! Some even write and say thank you for the card, what card, not from me mate.

This is not Scrooge talking, but someone who cares every other day of the year, without doing as Mr Corporate tells me what else I should spend my money on! Here is a credit card to help you tow the corporate line. "Sorry no help for you when the credit card is full!!!"

JAMIEDODGER

what a great thread. i didnt spend a fortune this year, my 4 children recieved mainly books/ps 2 games from me, with one bigger present each and a few cheapy stocking fillers...this was a big downsize from last year and next years i intend on downsizing further. we only have a christmas tree up, decorated with pretty white lights and thats it, loads have commented on how nice our tree looks! i bought myself some small things that i needed and my mum wrapped them up for the children to give to me.

this year my best presents were...a pair of thermal boots (tchibo £15), a new calculator and some photoframes to put new pics of my kids in!, new coat and scarf and of course a copy of martins new book! im a happy bunny this christmas knowing i wont have that dreaded feeling when the postman drops all the bills on my mat!, all the presents i bought were paid for in cash (paying less than full price for everything), over the course of the last six months!

a happy christmas and money saving new year to you all

tomstickland

I was thinking similar thoughts about personal treats. The pleasure is not proportional to the cost. So a £1.50 bar of real dark chocolate gives just as much pleasure as, say, a £17 compact disc.

JAMIEDODGER

i agree tomstickland. the new calculator my bought me, which i had asked for is a much better present than say a dvd, as i rent those for free wheras i use my calculator everyday (sad i know!) and my old one has been bashed about by the kids and they have picked a few of the numbers out lol, plus the dispaly was sooooooo small!

but, presents from my kids to me were: latest mike gayle book, which i will read and then sell, a vodka redbull set with a glass (the free one from 2 for 3 at boots lol), 3 bath bombs for my "sunday night is mummys pamper night" (again, 3 for 2 at boots) and a gucci envy set which actually came free with bottle of gucci envy i bought myself earlier in the year with boots points! jez i sound incredibly sad dont i!!!!! lol

mandi

1313 wrote:

I was watching Ant and Dec last night (yeah I am sad) I was amazed jus how much we are caught up in the commercial web of Christmas. One lady was featured because she did not like the presents she was given, and did something about it. Oh how horrible, she got her money back on some items, another gift went to eBay. She was made to look bad in front of the audience.

She was not horrible or bad, she had the common sense to make a crap present turn out good!

Another guy just had a simple Crimbo tree in his house. This was seen as wrong, so to show him up the whole of the house and street were decorated. OK, so in other things he was mean spirited.

However in both cases they were shown up for not wanting to spend money. For them the pressure every year is far greater now, for fear of being shown up for not spending money.

Sure they were given prizes for their suffering, but they had common sense and courage to save in that way. For those of us who follow the commercial line have so much fun spending, but can suffer for 30 odd years on minimum payments!!!

Why is Scrooge so popular? Cos nobody wants to be one, so he will always be made out to be the worst villian, as the commercial sector promote him hard!!

They say Daddy Crimbo was invented by Coca Cola, mmmm I wonder why???

GOD... thought I was so alone... I really hate the run up to Christmas starts in october , ends on Christmas eve , then the BIG companys who just encouraged you to spend your hard earned cash, try and get you to spend even more hard earned cash by getting you to buy things at half the price that you bought them before Christmas!!!!!! In the B....y Sales/GRRR :mad: :mad: :mad:

And .. ( think im on a real rant here!!!) cant stand it when people look at you with such disdain, when you tell them you dont like Christmas...

And one more thing... " Are you all set for Christmas!!!!!""".....

Off to another planet next year............

In saying that I do enjoy Christmas day...You wanna know why?........... cos once the presents are opened, and the dinners eaten .... its over..............................................YIPEEE!!!!!

P.S// I am having fun though :santa2:

Mark7799

1313 wrote:

Just throwing away the wrapping paper filled one large black sack. I have to wonder what was the cost, just on wrapping paper?

Don't you recycle it?

Agree with what else has been said here. Mrs 7799 and me now try and give consumables rather than rubbish - she bought me a dictionary I wanted for work, I bought her some bath stuff and a watch (her old one broke about six weeks ago and I dissuaded her from buying a new one which gave me a good opportunity).

1313

I do not think we are alone, I just think there are too few people out there who are able to speak out and make a stand and do what we believe in.

So how many presents did we get that were crap, or amused us for a couple of minutes and then ending up crap. You have to wonder what the total cost of useless gifts is???