Christmas: The Heroin of the Retail World

Christmas, supposedly the time of love and togetherness, has become the most stressful time of the year. That savior bonus that was supposed to pay off all the debt you racked up in the past year on totally unnecessary gifts is now being spent on more of rubbish. Presents that are going to lie at the bottom of the cupboard, in the toy graveyard, one week after opened. What a waste.

Many of us can’t afford to splurge the way we do and this causes very real problems in our lives. The kind of problems that don’t go away. The kind that keeps you awake for hours. The kind that ruins families and marriages. If you are not strong enough to stick to your shopping boundaries during the festive season then you are, for lack of a better word, screwed. Retail therapy at this time of year is like the most addictive drug, once you start there is no turning back.

How do you deal with it and not succumb to the pressure? How do you ignore the massive undercurrent of want underlying this time of year? I wish I had an answer for you, a quick fix, a solution of sorts. Unfortunately I have nothing. All I know is that you need to be totally honest with yourselves and if you can’t afford it move on. Just say no. A few extra presents under a tree are not worth living with the stress of debt in the New Year.