Great 'Biggest Christmas waste of money?' Hunt

John_Pierpoint

I'm semi retired now but nearly all my working life in the private sector, I have worked for firms that had the end of their financial year as 31st December.
So right in the middle of the Xmas festivities, when workers and managers were trying to juggle with using up holiday entitlements and booking Yule-tide breaks and travel arrangements, there would be much pressure to produce extra figures and despatch and invoice extra shipments before the 12 month deadline, using staff infected with a cross between retail addiction and alcoholism.

Goodness knows the amount of time and money wasted, producing questionable results.

Far more sensible to cut off at the end of January or align the company year with the tax man's year and close the books at the end of March.
That way the staff will appreciate the over time, the accountants will be less busy and the new financial year can start with the optimism of Spring time.

Linda32

I agree with whoever said about the "mugs of hot choc", I got one a couple of years ago, must have cost the buyer a small fortune, yet all I got was a mug, I felt sorry for the buyer.

Biggest waste of money, I guess Crackers and Selection boxes, I never buy either.
So of the bath gift sets are a waste as well.

jintyb

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

I'm semi retired now but nearly all my working life in the private sector, I have worked for firms that had the end of their financial year as 31st December.
So right in the middle of the Xmas festivities, when workers and managers were trying to juggle with using up holiday entitlements and booking Yule-tide breaks and travel arrangements, there would be much pressure to produce extra figures and despatch and invoice extra shipments before the 12 month deadline, using staff infected with a cross between retail addiction and alcoholism.

Goodness knows the amount of time and money wasted, producing questionable results.

Far more sensible to cut off at the end of January or align the company year with the tax man's year and close the books at the end of March.
That way the staff will appreciate the over time, the accountants will be less busy and the new financial year can start with the optimism of Spring time.

Oh, how I hear you! I work in the finance sector, fortunately now part time. Every firm I've worked for including my current one has their financial year end on 31 Dec.
I echo everything you said, for once it would be nice to have a December where workmates are not completely frazzled and grumpy!

SugarSpun

I love Christmas! But I try to do it in a :money: way. I've been carefully shopping all year to spread the cost and now all we need is a tree.

My pet hate is premade gift hampers from shops. Thorntons have a series of hampers at the moment, and not only do they arrive with Thorntons Value Hamper all over the outer packaging (great if you're trying to surprise someone you live with, you get to look cheap AND the surprise is ruined) but all the products can be bought for less than the hampers - the Winter Wonderland hamper retails at £120 but you can buy the bits in it for £108.11 and the BBE on the hamper is Jan. 2011, so you only have a month to eat £108.11 worth of chocolate. It's a way for the retailers to rid themselves of short-dated products that would otherwise go to waste and fleece the consumer while they're at it.

carolinehopkins

It's gift tags, they bring out the scrooge in me, I have never bought them, I figure people will remember who they received their presents from.

scottishminnie

Poinsetta plants.
Every year since I started work i bought my grandmother one as part of her gift and she thanked me profusely for it. Personally I hated them and thought they were a huge waste of money so couldn't believe it when after gran died my cousin told me gran actually hated the plant and never watered it so that it died as quickly as possible. 23 years of those bl**dy plants and she never liked them.:eek:

7roland8

I always like doing a post christmas debrief in that I always make a list of stuff we'd bought (food etc) which we didn't actually need - so the following yr we par things down - now much better at not overstocking the larders.

7roland8

Poinsetta plants.
Every year since I started work i bought my grandmother one as part of her gift and she thanked me profusely for it. Personally I hated them and thought they were a huge waste of money so couldn't believe it when after gran died my cousin told me gran actually hated the plant and never watered it so that it died as quickly as possible. 23 years of those bl**dy plants and she never liked them.

Aw - but I'm sure she loved the fact that you bothered to get them for her - which meant more than the plants ever would.

LolaLemon

I hate the mad rush everyone seems to be in,
the irate shoppers,
unhelpful present recievers (i.e. my 19yr old sister and 17yr old brother),
the moody shop assistants,
the moody co workers who are stressing over 1 day,
the people who get themselves into dept for 1 day,
the 'i got more than you/got a better one than you' type of people.

I love seeing my son all excited over a present and not knowing what to do, play or open something else (he's 3 this time, so should be good)
I love sitting up all xmas eve wrapping presents and watching christmas films (this year i will be having santa's hm cookies and some tia maria and coke to help the wrapping hehehe)
I love spending time with my family (even though im their 4/5 times a week)
and even more, i love boxing day! Its christmas day the way it should be, spending time with family with no pressure for it all to be perfect, although im not going to like this boxing day, as i think my sons father might ask to have him over, although he hasnt said anything yet. which is annoying as i like to know what we're doing from about october!

Vaila

i guess crackers and selection boxes

to me the biggest waste of money gadget is......the kindle,smothie makers and cupcake makers