Want to know when I publish the next blog?
What will you do over the holiday season?
Why...
Does the impending holiday season now revolve exclusively around my TV? Firstly I should say that while tapping out this blog, the sky here in Malta is blue and the dogs are sunbathing in 22c/72f. Thanksgiving and Christmas are about as far from my mind as next year’s tax bill. However television commercials insist on dragging me away from my balmy reality into the fantasy of snow, turkey, goodwill to all men….and get me to start buying. I really do not understand how these companies who start commercials in November and scatterbomb the schedule for nearly two months with the same message, think this warms viewers to their cause. No matter how brilliant a commercial is, there comes a tipping point when repeated viewing turns into watching it again is worse than nails dragged down a backboard.
...and another thing
Not only do we have to suffer saccharine sweet Christmas commercials (and before that Thanksgiving if you live in the USA), we are all aware of the tsunami of Black Friday offers about to swamp us on the day after the Thursday of Thanksgiving.
Whilst there may be some argument to succumb to the sucker punch of buying a few toys, perfumes or knickknacks at a discount just before Christmas, I just don’t see why I need to empty my wallet at the end of November to buy a new kitchen, bathroom, mattress, car or breast enhancement plastic surgery!
...and another thing
Are these offers the bargain they appear? I was bemused to read in consumer magazine Which? that over 99% of the ‘bargain of all time,’ ‘super-duper price,’ ‘blink and you will miss it offer’ are actually sold cheaper at other times of the year.
Who says watching tv is not bad for your wealth? If ever there was a reason to watch streamed tv without commercials it’s between 1st November and 31st January…unless you desperately need a pair of aardvark gloves, an electric tummy button cleaner or a nose job.
The one repeat viewing we all enjoy is of course are movies like It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve actually never seen it. I have been saving it up as one experience over the holiday season that I can look forward to. Who knows, this year may be the year I lose my Wonderful Life cherry and actually watch it!
Take care.
Share:
One Comment
Great blog Mark. I once an idea about Christmas presents which I generally find hard to purchase. It was a great machine which could have been designed by Bernie Madoff if he was still alive. Basically everyone who wanted to give a present donated the amount of cash they wanted each recipient to receive. Then on Christmas Day someone pushed the button and all cash whizzed around with pluses and minuses being made so that at the end of the day everyone had a plus gain or a negative one. If you had a negative one you would roll it on to next year. It wouldn’t work for the retail trade or Amazon. But it would work for me ……