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Media Reports
People stretching their dollars this Christmas
Survey finds cash also goes towards trips and
entertaining
By Andrea
Macpherson, News1130
November 16, 2011
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Many people are going for a Christmas experience
rather than getting caught up in a consumer spending frenzy this
year. The Bank of Montreal Holiday Spending Outlook is
predicting more on the table and less under the tree.
Laura Parsons with BMO says Canadians expect to spend almost $1,400 in
total this year, but not all of that cash is going towards material
goods. "I think people are really taking a look at their budgets
a lot more, setting aside money in an effort to not overspend."
"[And] for some of us we have everything so we're shifting out efforts
in another direction. I can't speak for everybody, but we utilize
a lot of gift cards, and reward programs like our Air Miles."
Aiden Enns, co-organizer of BuyNothingChristmas.org,
says
you can get away with spending a lot less than that by changing
your attitude.
"We litter the floor with wrapping paper, and then shower ourselves
with gifts many of which we don't need or don't want. And we feel
stuck that this is the way we express our love and devotion to one
another, and now with the various crisis and the movement of the
protestors, we have permission to opt out of the spending spree and get
more realistic."
He adds people should try challenging themselves this year by giving
out more meaningful gifts. "Enjoy yourselves together, don't
overspend, have a great time feeling the love and not junk that we
leave behind."
Spending numbers
Christmas
spending
2010
2011
Gift
Purchases
$613.50
$582.70
Trips
$356.50
$359.80
Entertaining
$203.80
$307.30
Other
$131.80
$147.50
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