Well, not quite, but Old Ben is applauding the fact that people want to make their dollars and pounds and Euros stretch further this Christmas and Wal-Mart concurs.
“Stripped of its materialistic and consumer trappings, Christmas offers a chance to welcome as a personal gift the message of hope that emanates from the mystery of Christ’s birth,” he added. “Even a nonbeliever can perceive something special, transcendent and intimate that speaks to the heart.”
Wal-Mart agrees, judging by its new motto, “Save money. Live better.” And at least one therapist vouches for thrift as the new global virtue.
“Forced frugality will give folks the chance to really examine their priorities and reconsider the role and meaning of gifts and holiday expenses. With less comes more appreciation and gratitude for what you have and what you´re given,” said Kit Yarrow, a psychologist with Golden Gate University.
Only for adults. Kids don’t think that way at all. I can’t quote it verbatim, but I’m reminded of a scene from Hogfather where old Albert is telling Death (his boss) all about this toy rocking horse he saw in a store window as a boy and had drooled over until his nose froze to the glass. Someone else bought the toy and his father made him a wooden horse instead that year. Death says something similar to what Yarrow did, about how a handmade gift means more and oh what a lesson it must have been about the true meaning of Hogswatch and Albert’s quick to put the kibosh on that kind of thinking. Plus, his father sat on the toy later and broke it. I can think of a few Christmases where disappointment was under my tree, too.
Of course Wal-mart would encourage frugal spending. Even if you only spend $20 each time you’re in there, thousands of other people are doing the same thing. It all adds up to more money for Wal-mart. They sell cheap stuff that’s cheaply made at 35% markup in some cases (or more). They also spend frugally, forcing the companies they deal with to sell their stuff at a lower price. They also encourage waste. Besides restaurants, who can eat a gallon of pickles before they go wobbly and soft? That table you returned because you spotted a nick in the finish that somehow dissatisfied you? It did not get another chance to live in a house with people who needed a table and didn’t care what it looked like. After you got your money back, some Wal-mart employee threw it in the garbage crusher and destroyed it instead. As soon as something is considered “damaged” in any way, that’s what they do with it, even if it is still usable as is. How is adding more crap to landfills doing the world any favours?
It’s hard not to live large, though — and the transition from prosperity to possible penury is rife with stress. Still, such circumstances prompt us to get kinder and more protective with one another, which is psychologically healthier, Miss Yarrow said.
“People are resilient, more than they think,” she added.
Indeed, a Zogby poll of 1,039 adults released Wednesday found that while 71 percent of Americans plan to cut back on their holiday spending this year, 72 percent also are convinced that the economy will recover and 91 percent remain proud of their country.
That’s a very American kind of survey, isn’t it? The pride bit I mean. I’m not sure about the “kinder and more protective” aspect. Maybe recession suggests we ought to be better people who care about how everyone’s pockets are suffering, but don’t people get even more selfish and self-absorbed during times of money trouble?
“Save money. Live better” does nothing to appease the family of Jdimytai Damour
. He died badly because people were self-absorbed and wanting to save money. They’ll likely never pin down who caused his death – not in any jail-term kind of way. Unless someone’s willing to admit their feet helped crush him just so they could save fifty bucks. Who’d want to admit to being that kind of person?
Women will be less like Martha Stewart and more like Betty Crocker, she said — the “good enough Beta Mom” rather than Alpha super mom. If you’ve got it, don’t flaunt it. He who has the most toys no longer wins. And, according to Miss Popcorn’s latest research, 90 percent of us are interested in simplifying our lives.
We’ll see. Interest doesn’t mean actively attempting. And I think a definition of “simplify” is also needed because it means different things to different people. For me it means owning less clothes and wearing them more than once before I wash them. I’ll also use a needle and thread to repair stuff when it needs mending. I don’t have any major perks on my telephone (cheapest internet package they provide) and rarely dial long distance. I don’t have cable or satellite or satellite radio. I don’t buy many books or movies or CDs because the library has everything I’d want already. I try not to waste food. I don’t replace stuff if it still works. I go through my closets and boxes every few months to see if there’s anything else I can give away. I live in a small apartment because I don’t need much space and and as near as I can figure, I have everything I need in here already. That’s the big money saver right there.
I think that’s something everyone needs to look at – the needs verses the wants, used and not used. Examine the priorities in every aspect of our lives. The feeling that we can’t live without certain things is a habit that needs breaking. Doing without – not because we can’t afford it but because we choose not to own it in the first place – that’s the real trick.
