Dipping Cautiously

With December, comes the pressure to make memories, be part of unforgettable experiences, and most of all, to splurge on items way above people’s budgets. At this time, vendors are discounting their wares, slashing prices to attract customers, who intend to slay this December. This is a tactic that intends to cause people to spend way above their budgets. Seeing something you’ve always wanted, sold at a price you rarely ever get it for, would appeal to even the strongest of humans. It takes one’s will, and discipline to be able to resist. Two things that can be very hard for some individuals, making them spend incessantly.

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This season has always been like this, since I was born. As kids, every December, we expected new outfits, shoes, and special outings, funded by our parents. Now, as a grownup, it’s just a refined version of what we did as kids. The only difference being that your bills are being footed by you. And honestly, I do get the hype. The end of a year, is something worth celebrating. Having survived the ups and downs during the year, Christmas is a time to let go of all those stress, and reward yourself for all you went through.

While I don’t have a problem with how obsessed people are with celebrating this year end, I do have a problem with those who see this as a valid reason to exhaust all their sources of income, resorting to begging or other means, just to survive the month of January. Then when the consequences of their indiscipline starts to take place, complaints become the order of the day.

You see, this month can be very tricky. Soon enough, it’ll Christmas Eve, and everywhere would bubbling with excitement. People dig into their purses, which are usually overflowing at the time of the year. They succumb to every want, in the spirit of the season. The same happens during the new year. People dip into their purses, spending more than they should, in the spirit of the season, forgetting that that amount wasn’t given to them for just a day. This makes the rest of that period harder than it should be, because they didn’t spend according to their earnings.

There’s a financial hack that goes along the lines of, if you cannot afford to buy something two or three times, then don’t bother buying it in the first place. This is very necessary when splurging this Christmas. As appealing as the offers are, not all deserve to be welcomed. Some are meant to be admired from afar, and left where they are. Trading your weeks for a day of enjoyment is an irrational thing to do.

I really admire those people who go out of their way, to save for this season. That’s a smart move if you ask me. Spreading your festive excesses among the 12 months of the year, helps save you the risk of exhausting your money once, just for the cause of a worthy celebration. However, what I always tell myself, before getting carried away with making this season memorable, is that this isn’t my first Christmas, and it wouldn’t be my last. So, why don’t I celebrate according to my income at the moment? After all, no law states that I can’t celebrate bigger when my income increases.

Thanks for Reading.

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