Santa Affected by Economic Slowdown
It’s true. Our sagging economy affects everyone, even Santa, spotted this weekend shopping for bargains to fill his sleigh. Times are tough and many of us are having to cut back this year on Christmas giving.
According to a recent poll, consumers have tightened their belts this Christmas. “Approximately two-thirds of people around the country said they were spending less this holiday season,” said Lee M. Miringoff with Marist College.
The Marist poll found 41 percent of people making less than $50,000 planned to cut back a great deal. 24 percent of those with incomes of more than $50,000 said they’d spend less. Only 18 percent of the 1,003 adults surveyed said they wouldn’t change their spending habits. When it comes to being more frugal this year, 73 percent of women said they’d altered their spending habits, compared with 61 percent of men.
We’re all in the same boat this year. But tough times bring us closer together and help us remember what Christmas is really all about.
Doug
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Reader Comments (15)
A wonderful post! Yes, we are all in the same boat (well, except for the Wall Street and Detroit fat-cats!) and having to significantly tighten our belts. I am praying for a better 2009!
Terrific image of Santa checking out the sales! I hope '09 is better than '08 - it had been a hard year.
Well we sure have cut back this Xmas! Times are tough and the kids understand that Santa has to cut back too :) We are very proud of them!
Interesting picture, says a thousand words about our economy. If Santa is affected, you KNOW the rest of us are hurting!
Like we needed a pole to tell us that we are all cutting back.
Super photo to illustrate the point though!
It is not just consumers who are hurting, it is the retailers too. I saw that Pottery Barn is already marking down Christmas stuff 40%. Probably big sales everywhere next month.
Definitely a 1000 word photo!
What you say is true. The photo says it so well too!!!
The 18% who said they weren't going to change their spending habits this Christmas season are those too dumb to answer the poll question intelligently, can't read, and to them "usual spending habits" means charging on all their credit cards until they are cut off - Daryl, Daryl and his brother Daryl :)
I pay no attention to polls. They are usually wrong (except this presidential election lol). But the picture is priceless!!
Love the photo Doug! Says it all!
Santa must have been in London. Moss is the big clothing line here.
What a poignant photograph!
Great shot!
Pollsters are famous for disclosing the obvious. If nothing else, they confirm what we all know. Times are tough this year for everybody, so we have to cut way back. I hope it gets better next year but some are predicting it will be even worse. I hope they are wrong.
We certainly cut back this year. We reuse an artificial tree and made most of our presents. In spite of the hard times and all the worrying about how to make ends meet, we will still enjoy Christmas and focus on its real meaning and our family. After church service tonight, we will sing carols and have our tree and be thankful for all we have.