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Unpopular Opinion: People Spend Too Much on Babies at Christmas

December 17, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Christmas baby spending

I’ve been sharing some of my unpopular opinions on social media more recently and one that got a lot of people upset recently was about babies at Christmas time. As you know, we will have a four-month-old for Christmas this year. It is always an exciting time to be around kids during the holiday season. At the end of the day, she won’t remember a single thing. We will create plenty of memories but people spend too much on babies at Christmas. That may be an unpopular opinion but it’s true.

Spending at Christmas

It is estimated that Americans will spend around $886 on Christmas presents this year. Much of that will be on gifts for kids, which is great. There is nothing better than seeing a child’s face light up while they are opening a gift on Christmas morning. However, when it comes to celebrating with your newborn, pump the brakes. People are spending way too much. There are the trendy family photos, matching pajamas, big presents, fancy outfits, and the list goes on. All of it is adorable, but it is also extremely expensive and unnecessary.

Instead, spend some money on a babysitter and get some quality time in with your spouse.  The time you get one-on-one with them will make you return to your home, and your little one, more relaxed and happier. At least, that’s how I’d spend the extra money.

Baby’s First Christmas

Numbers vary on how much families spend on their baby’s first Christmas. The average family will spend about $330 per child. This breaks down in different parts, usually many of them unnecessary. Here’s a break down…

  • Baby portraits: This can cost $100+, depending on the package you purchase. Not to mention you’ll want to buy prints, frames, etc. You’ll also likely spend a pretty penny on the outfit they wear for the photos too. Instead of spending money on this for our little one we’ll be posing her for some photos throughout the week before Christmas in different outfits sent by family.
  • Matching pajamas: It is adorable and super trendy to have matching pajamas, but spending $45 on a onesie every year at Christmas time is insane to me. If you have a bigger family, that starts to add up fast. Even a matching dog bandana was $9. We’ll give our little one new pjs, a book, and a stuffed animal every Christmas Eve but there won’t ever be any pressure to hold the matching pj tradition.
  • Toys: Many families shower their kids in various gifts every year, and that’s great. As I mentioned above, many parents will spend more than $300 on each kid. Our family has chosen to have one big gift every year and lots of smaller, useful things. This year, our little one is getting a walker/activity center, which we paid for in gift cards we had from baby presents still. Typically, we will use Christmas bonuses and money to buy her big gift every year.

In the long run, we hope there is less focus placed on how much money is spent every year and more emphasis on the experiences we have together.

Readers, how much do you think you spent on your child’s first Christmas? 

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Amanda Blankenship
Amanda Blankenship

Amanda is an editor and writer. She has a passion for sharing information that helps people and communities to better themselves in some way. In addition to writing online, she also freelances for local newspapers in her hometown of Charlotte, NC.

www.savingadvice.com

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: baby's first christmas, christmas spending, how much do people spend on christmas, how much do people spend on kid's christmas gifts

Debt and the Holidays: An American Story

December 29, 2020 | Leave a Comment

debt and the holidays

Are you someone who goes into debt every holiday season? You’re not alone. Debt and the holidays go hand-in-hand with one another for many families. Many people spend more than they have or money they simply don’t have to fund the holiday season (i.e. gifts, a Christmas tree, cards, dinners, treats). However, they don’t consider the lasting impact on your finances throughout the rest of the year.

Debt and the Holidays: A Story

Growing up, I was good friends with a larger family that was fairly well-off. Each year around Christmas, their mother took out a loan to pay for gifts for the kids. Yes, a LOAN. It sounded insane to me then and it still sounds fairly crazy to me now, but I realized more people do this than you might realize.

Every single year, they would have new Michael Jordan sneakers under the tree, a new phone, a new iPod, and literally whatever they asked for. In my family, we always had a nice Christmas, but within reason. When I would visit and see how they celebrated, it would always blow my mind. To me, it didn’t feel much like Christmas. It felt more like they were showing off for someone. But who?

I’m not sure if that is true or not, but it is certainly how it felt. Once I learned a loan was taken out for it each year, my jaw dropped. How did that make any sense at all? Then it was explained to me that they would pay it off before the next year’s celebration. While, in theory, this could work and even benefit your credit score, I’d still avoid it like the plague.

Why This is Generally a Bad Idea

Of course, if you have the means to pay off the loan in a short period of time like they did, great. But wouldn’t it be even better if you used that money and put it into savings each year? Your savings can accrue interest, while your loan’s interest isn’t the desirable sort.

On top of potentially putting yourself in a hard spot financially, it is also supporting bad habits with your money. When you take out a loan to cover Christmas gifts, you are giving yourself the “okay” to do it with other things too. Before you know it, you have tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt and need a loan to be able to pay for rent, not just gifts once a year.

So, before you go over the top and think about getting a loan out or going into debt over the holidays, think about how you can better budget your money, save, and give meaningful gifts. After all, the true meaning of the entire season is the spirit of giving – that doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune.

Readers, what do you think about debt and the holidays? Have you ever considered getting a loan out for Christmas or any celebration?

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Amanda Blankenship
Amanda Blankenship

Amanda is an editor and writer. She has a passion for sharing information that helps people and communities to better themselves in some way. In addition to writing online, she also freelances for local newspapers in her hometown of Charlotte, NC.

www.savingadvice.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: christmas spending, debt and the holidays

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About The Author

Amanda Blankenship is a 24-year-old full-time website manager and blogger. She is currently hacking her debt by saving money and investing, all while managing her family and enjoying her adult life.

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4) Avoid new debt. No new credit cards or loans. Period.

5) Go all cash. After everything is paid off, switch to all cash.

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