It begins. For the past couple of weeks, at least, I’ve seen lights and ornaments, singing holiday trees, and even a life-sized Santa Claus at a Home Depot entrance.
Yeah, it was kind of cute that he wore an orange HD apron over his red suit, and that the words “St. Nick” were written on the “Hi, I’m…” tag. But for heaven’s sake, it’s not even Halloween yet. What’s with the Christmas creep?
Rhetorical question. The “rush” is that retailers need to make a certain amount of money or they become ex-retailers.
An excellent way to do that is to get people thinking ahead to the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. Specifically, to get people thinking about this way ahead of time.
I admit it: Although I’m mostly horrified by the specter of Christmas creep, part of me does derive a certain frisson from those blinky lights on the periphery of the store. Does that mean that dark marketing forces have trained me to think that way? Good grief, I hope not. I much prefer to think it’s because Christmas was quite wonderful when I was a kid.
Not opulent, mind you, but something to which we looked forward all year long: learning carols at choir practice, mooning over toys in the Sears catalog (which we referred to as “the wish book”) or at stores in the closest town, the smell of Christmas cookies (starting in late November my mom baked and froze hundreds of the things).
The factory where Mom worked brought in a Santa Claus, and we each got a small gift and a candy cane after whispering our wishes to him. We memorized “pieces” to be recited at the annual Christmas program; it always felt odd to get dressed in our Sunday best and go to the church on a weekday evening.
We didn’t decorate, either indoors or out (no one we knew did). But there was the pleasurable anticipation of putting up the tree, which did not happen on Thanksgiving night. If we pleaded long and convincingly, we were sometimes able to get our parents to do this a week before Christmas.
It wasn’t that the tree was huge and elaborately decorated, or that we could expect 50 gifts apiece. Christmas was special because it was the birthday of our Savior and, yeah, because we might get a bike or a Barbie.
Christmas now
That’s why even as I bemoan Christmas creep, I also secretly enjoy it a little. I can look at all the lights and baubles, and the extra gift items in the stores, and remember when the holiday was magic instead of a little nervous-making.
Don’t get me wrong: It is still magic. But the stakes are higher now that I’m an adult. Giving gifts and donating to charity are both important to me, so I have to consider both affordability/sustainability. As in, “How can I prevent this from busting the budget?” and also “How do I make sure not to set the bar too high?”
To stay on (preferably under) budget, I look for gifts all year long at yard sales, thrift stores and clearance tables. I enter contests, and sometimes I even win them. Certain items from the vendors hall at the Financial Blogger Conference make great stocking stuffers. Another stocking stuffer hack is to get free-after-rebate stuff from Walgreens; usually it’s stuff like lotion, lip balm and ponytail holders. I also keep an eye on the Free Friday Download at Kroger stores; lately I’ve collected so many snack items (jerky, candy, gum) that I might save some of it for Easter baskets.
I cash in for gift cards from the Swagbucks and MyPoints rewards programs, and also from my trio of rewards credit cards. Sometimes I shop with them and sometimes I just gift the scrip outright.
Some people don’t like gift cards. But I enjoy giving my nephews $25 worth of head start at favorite retailers (Target, Hot Topic) and letting them pick out exactly what they want – especially since the credit goes further during post-holiday sales.
However, I keep the gifts fairly low-key. I don’t want the kids (or the adults!) in my life to consider big piles of gifts to be the default holiday setting. That’s a game no one wins: the youngsters become jaded and harder to wow, and the givers spend more than they can or should.
The cost of Christmas
As noted, I enjoy looking at holiday décor items. The True Value hardware store near us displays trees decorated in fun and creative ways and also sets up different kinds of Christmas lights. At least once a year I make it a point to wander through the displays and smile. And some of the stuff at big-box stores is so outrageous that it makes me laugh out loud.
But even as I’m thinking, “Wow, people sure are willing to shell out a lot for Minions wearing Santa hats” or “I wonder how we ever managed to celebrate the Baby Jesus before Spongebob Squarepants came along,” I’m also acutely aware that some people will let themselves get a little too into the holiday spirit.
The National Retail Federation’s annual survey puts average holiday expenditures at $1,007.24 this year. This figure includes not just gifts but also decorations, food, flowers, cards and items bought not for gifts but because they were a great deal (and, who knows, maybe even needed).
We all know that to some extent averages lie, but they can also be decent indicators. And when we’re talking a period of time that’s as fraught as the Silly Season, it’s a safe bet that some people will lose their damn minds at Christmas.
That’s why it concerns me that Christmas seems to come earlier every year. Although I’m not a big pumpkin spice person, unless we’re talking about actual pumpkin pie, it would be nice to have autumn and maybe even a little bit of winter before we have to deck those halls.
That said: Black Friday is only four weeks away. Boy, am I glad that pretty much all my shopping is done. All I have to do is look for the free/almost free stuff, either to gift or to donate, and try not to lose my own damn mind.
Readers: Are you seeing Christmas creep? How do you feel about it?
Related reading:
- Some frugal Christmas parodies
- The loneliest drugstore in the world
- Whose Christmas costs more?
- Do we need a little less Christmas?
Yes, I have definitely been noticing the numerous Christmas items already on display, while the aisles are still full of Halloween merchandise. Fortunately, my husband is Jewish and he helps to keep me grounded and within budget.
I noticed this in an especially odd way.
My latest book, Ghosts & Legends of Colorado’s Front Range, just came out from Arcadia Press. Needless to say, it’s got a lot of appeal for Halloween celebrators.
https://cindybrick.blogspot.com/2018/10/book-signings-and-scary-stories-all.html
So I find myself doing book signings, pumpkins and skulls on my table…but Christmas merchandise behind me! During the last book signing (in a Parker, CO Costco), the ceramic villages behind me kept playing Christmas carols while I told stories to customers. Talk about freaky…
Congratulations on your book! And yeah, I expect you must have had some Jack Skellington moments with pumpkins + Yuletide.
I was at a hardware store yesterday. There were aisles of Halloween items intermixed with Christmas things. It was mildly whiplash-inducing.
Yep…I’m going thru Home Depot last week to pick up material for a repair and notice the Xmas stuff is out ALREADY. It’s not even Halloween yet! It DOES seem that the “Xmas season” starts earlier and earlier. I’m guessing in our lifetime that the Xmas stuff will be placed on display…the day after 4th of July….Thank you for another timely blog…
I was in hobby lobby in early June, and Christmas items were everywhere. Then, a week ago tonight, while watching hocus pocus with our son (it’s a tradition…he’ll be 30 in a couple months), I saw the first Christmas commercial. I watch very little tv, so maybe this has already been going on. And then, earlier this week, I read an article that freeform will start broadcasting Christmas specials the beginning of November. Christmas was never a circus when I was growing up (dad was a farmer and mom was a stay at home mom), and my husband came from a large family (11 kids). He and I have continued that tradition with our two children. Because they’re both grown, it’s their choice now how they choose to celebrate. Son has PTSD (Afghanistan during the holidays), and even though dad was never diagnosed (part of the greatest generation, who NEVER talked about his terrible experiences in WW II), fit the characteristics to a T. There is more to this holiday than the craziness that will soon take over, but I enjoy the lights (in moderation), music, the tv specials (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Polar Express, and It’s a Wonderful Life), and the food. However, an article you posted 10 years ago or so on gift suggestions made a huge difference in the type of gifts we buy. Practical yes, but at least none will still be in the box on a shelf at the end of our children’s lives. This year it may be AAA memberships. Sorry to ramble!
Triple A memberships sound like great gifts to me. And I’m glad that something I wrote helped make your holidays a little less stressful.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
I appreciate being able to take my time and plan my decorations. I don’t mind that decor is out early because it takes me a long time to get the lights up and decorate my house. I get really busy just before and then after thanksgiving so if it’s not pretty much ready by then it wouldn’t get done. I don’t buy much anymore but I like new ideas. That said i did buy a small item last weekend.
Christmas has always been my favorite. I’ve had an adorable niece and nephew to buy for for the past couple years. I’ve ended up buying gifts at the dollar tree. Usually one or two toys and I match that with the same amount in books. The only good thing about Christmas creep is I get to see cool decorations.
Hobby lobby starts in June so you have time to hand make ornaments and gifts. But WalMart – as soon as they start clearing the garden area they fill it with Christmas. So the trees have been up since September!
Yikes.
I was surprised to walk into Target yesterday and see a full display of Christmas trees, lights, inflatable lawn decorations, etc. right next to the Halloween costumes. Something about the two coexisting seems wrong to me!
Also, my neighbor put on their Christmas light display starting on October 16th this year. They leave the lights up on their house all year (rather than taking them down, they just don’t turn them on the rest of the year), so on October 16th we thought maybe someone had accidentally hit a switch and turned them on, but they’ve been on all night everyday since, so I think they’re here to stay.
I love, love, love Christmas lights on the outside of houses. This year I splurged and we bought new red LED lights to outline our entire house. It took some months of saving for the lights but I cannot wait to turn them on in November. Fairbanks is so dark and stark in mid-winter and I think houses decorated with lights really makes a difference.
Agreed! Even though I live in the banana belt that is Anchorage. 😉 When we take late-afternoon or evening walks, it’s always heartening to see the lights.
I always figure I’m kind of a hypocrite. I make most of my gifts and lots of charity type stuff so I WANT all the green and red yarn and beads and ribbons and card making stuff around good ole Hobby Lobby as early as they put it out, but I regularly complain about all the trees and decorations in the front. No happy medium I guess.
I’m the same way, as I admitted in the post: I decry the rush to get the holiday stuff selling, but I also enjoy seeing it.
Don’t know if you do discounted gift cards to stretch your crafting dollars further, but I just noticed a Hobby Lobby GC for 10 percent off:
https://www.cardflip.com/buy-discount-hobby-lobby-gift-cards
Well said, Donna. I agree with everything you wrote. Your blog is one of my favorites, not just for the financial advice and frugal tips but also for your stories about life in Alaska. One thing I can’t purchase for Christmas is snow since I live in North Carolina and probably won’t get much – if any at all so I’m a little jealous of you …haha.
We haven’t had any snow yet, either. It’s been another weird, warm winter. DF is rooting for snow because he bought a season ticket to a ski lift.
Frisson – It’s always a good day when you learn a new word:) I don’t mind supplies for making things being out early (we need time to get our sh** together) but finished products – they need to wait. Being an October baby fall has always been my favorite time of year – I want to enjoy it a bit longer:)
I love Christmas and don’t mind seeing it in stores or TV or wherever. As soon as Fall comes I’m ready. I also don’t mind when some of the stores do the “Christmas in July” things in the summer.
I sell on Ebay, Christmas sells all year around. We don’t celebrate any holidays. I do however, buy one Christmas ornament each year and hang it in my kitchen window. They have become my curtains. I have rabbits (easter) on my shelves. So, I guess in my own way my quirky kitchen is my holiday.
I’m somewhat immune to Christmas creep, because I don’t get out shopping much and we don’t watch TV. But even so, I think I’ve caught a few YouTube ads and article titles in passing. Jeez.
I don’t mind craft items coming out early, because you need some lead time to put everything together. But I’d rather have a chance to enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving before swinging into the Christmas spirit.
And I do love the Christmas season. Not so much the retail aspect, but the baking, the tree, the music, the cards, the gatherings, the general cheer. But like a colorful balloon, the season’s brilliance is dulled if we try to stretch it too far.
We don’t have a TV, either, so I get to miss that. And since we listen to the classical station, the ads are generally not for shopping malls and Black Friday madness.
I like the season, but I don’t always like what it becomes.
I’ve noticed the Christmas creep too, but don’t think much about it. I know what I have to spend and who I’m buying for and I know I need to stick to my plan. I don’t shop a whole lot in store anyway and mostly buy online these days. I pared down my list for who I buy for in the last few years and that really helped me to not spend any more money than I deemed necessary.
And I happen to know that you’re a wizard at the yard-sale game.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
I have noticed this as well.. however I have not noticed it negatively, considering the holiday spirit is full with love and happiness! No matter what time of the year, Christmas decorations are welcome in my town!