How to get through the Holiday Season

I was in the airport watching CNN yesterday. In a segment where viewer email was read, someone wrote in asking how could they get through the holiday season this year with a bad economy. What were some good ways to make a happy xmas at least for the kids when credit lines are tight, and money is scarce.

I will write here what I muttered at the screen there:

How to get through the Holiday Season:

1) STOP buying. Don't buy a damned thing this season.

2) STOP being so damned materialistic. The marketers have truly stolen our minds when people think that the success of a holiday hinges on how much crap can be bought. Are your relationships that dependent upon your gift giving?

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It is well known that the american economy and a significant portion of its GDP is dependent upon consumer spending. I don't know the comparison for other nations. But I think it's (economically) unhealthy, especially when said spending it driven by debt and negative savings rates. 

An economy whose foundation rests upon people who never save and endebt themselves to the world is doomed. Short term thinking at its worst and we are just at the beginning of the results, when in this crisis, people still haven't learned the lessons of debt, spending, and materialism.

Comments

[cnulan]

I think we're about 5 minutes into a 5 hour ride.

Hope everybody went to the bathroom before we left the house....,