10.61 Billion....we may be headed for a depression but.....

For families with children, Christmas is important. Santa has to come on time for those children. We have always been strapped around Christmas time and most years we'll end up skipping a few bills in order to pay for Christmas gifts for our kids. We don't go over the top with video games and things like that, not unless they are used. Christmas is a magical time of year for little kids, and I don't think a few economic hardships should take that away from them.

The people bear a lot of responsibility for their misfortunes right now. They have spent years spending every cent they had, maxing out their credit cards and now they are crying because because there are hard times and they have nothing in reserve to handle it. If even half of those people had lived within or below their means and put at least 10% of their paycheck into savings accounts, I think the economy wouldn't be so bad. It wouldn't have "boomed" so big but it would be more stable. I'm not an economist and don't know much about finance but that's just common sense. Like the old fable about the ant and the grasshopper--the ant worked and stored food while the grasshopper played; the grasshopper was killed by deprivation in the winter while the ant thrived--only now the grasshoppers are crying for relief. How about the people who didn't have a downpayment for a house but thought they were entitled to own one anyway and borrowed 100% of the price, sometimes signing balloon mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages and never thinking what they would do with the rates or payments changed? Instant gratification has been the downfall of this society and this economy. Maybe we'll learn something from all this but it'll most likely get worse before it gets better. Personal responsibility has solved or avoided many, many problems. Sorry for the lecture, I just get so angry with this mess.

I think it all comes down to us as individuals. We have become a nation of I want what I want and I want it RIGHT NOW. No one wants to save for any thing. No one wants to save for emergencies. We have to spend ever cent we get. We can't stand it our kids have to do with out and can't keep up with the other kids. Will guess what now a lot of kids in my generation survived with out the portable record player that was on every one's Christmas list. WE felt lucky to get some candy and maybe an orange in our stocking. Those stockings were the ones were wore every day to. Kids are aren't the only ones spoiled. Talk to them. They'll thank you for it. I think it's time that we as individuals need to start taking responsibility a for our spending and stop asking government to bail us out because it's robbing peter to pay paul. it's going to come out of the tax payers pocket at some time..

Ridiculous numbers of Americans go deeply into debt every year at this time. It's almost as if they think they have to keep piling the presents up or they won't be themselves anymore. Then, for the rest of the year, they struggle to barely keep up! I'm broke, and nobody's getting anything I can't make myself, using things I already have. Friends and family certainly understand, as they're not doing well financially, either. If there were any young children still around (everyon's grown up), this may become negotiable, but I hope not. I find debt entirely too embarrassing. If anyone is in dire straits because they splurged at Christmas, they probably don't feel terrible about it because of the joys they brought, but they should feel awful. We dig our own holes, then fall into them and try to blame someone else for holes in our roads. We all need to be more resoponsible and more frugal.

This may be just another display of as you said "poor budgeting". BUT we can look at it this way, maybe people spent a little more because things are on sale! So that is actually WELL planning for the holidays. We don't have statistics of what they spent most on, what I do know from the news is that Spam and other cheap goods/foods are selling out really well because of the crisis. Thanks for the comment on my discussion :D I was referring to girls' cleavage and butt cheek btw haha I can't imagine a guy with a cleavage... oh wait, did I just mention man boobs?

These are really bothering me cause now I have no money to spend and mylot is the only way for me to make money.......if you guys wanna donate please send to my paypal. Charlesrunescape@yahoo.com

Alot of people will go in debt just to give their children something to be happy about on Christmas day. Sadly their won't be much under my tree like other Christmas's with the way things are I have to be able to save money for the unexpected like keeping warm this winter and taking care of our basic needs. I don't have kids but it does sadden me alot that I won't be able to exchange gifts with family this year like I always do every year. We usually always make sure that every child gets something in my family and most the adults also. But this year with hubby not working as much it will be bleak. Should we bear some of the responsibility? I guess we all need to take a piece of the blame. But then again the money we spend also keeps stores open and food on people's table and roof's over their heads.

Personally, sometimes I think some of the bigger ticket items like Big TVS, etc. were more of just a splurge really since they lowered the price on them so much instead of something that would benefit the Family in the long run. Personally if sales were so high, I think they were not really thinking about the cost of things a lot of times in the long run as well. With the high interest rates on Credit Cards, etc. I am sure the Credit Card companies are smiling, and hopefully will continue to get paid back on these purchases as well. Because personally like our Pastor preached this morning, with everything economically going on in the United States today, we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Yes, this might help someone today, and make someone Happy today but if it ends up breaking you financially or you still end up loosing a job in a couple of months, or even your home then you have all these personal possesions with nothing else to show for them but headaches and more Bills as well. Personally we are being quite frugal this yr. and watching what we will be spending on things for sure.

Even during the depression, those who had jobs lived comfortably, and even in what the newspapers call our best times, those who did not, did not. I think what we need to remember, though, is that America is a continent, not just one country, so when we say "The American Way" that expression can have many different meanings. If we are referring just to the US, then there is still a broad expanse of land with many different regions represented, and what is occurring in one place may not be happening in another.

While the sales on Black Friday may be up, the fact is overall spending has gone down. There are people preparing for the lean year ahead. The individuals do share a responsibility. But consider this, the individual is paying for this. The government is using taxpayer's money and pulling everyone deeper in debt. The economy hurts everyone but the people that are worried the most are the ones who have worked all their lives to save money for their retirement. They are the ones most affected by the bad economy. Those are the ones that are paying the highest price.

At this point, I don't know what is right. I personally am struggling just to pay rent and keep lights & computer going here. I am barely putting meals on the table. I work hard and we manage to get by. It is a juggling act. As bad as it feels and as bad as it is, I still see people spending with ease. I guess that could be a good sign as long as they are using cash and not credit. For my family...the gift giving is not the biggest part of the holiday so we keep that minimal...even that is hard this year. I think if I had the money, I'd spend it towards helping another family out with food or heat or something. Not sure as that'd help boost the economy but I'd feel better doing that rather than buy a bunch of material items that no one really needs.

I had heard that the sales from Black Friday were up over last year and I was shocked as well. I went to Toys R Us and it was a nightmare. I wanted to get something for my son that was normally $60 on sale for $10 but it didn't turn out so well lol Here's how I look at the increase in sales, people have the money for things they want. Some people may be in the same position that my family is in, my husband is the only worker currently and he works on total commission sales. For the past two months he has been doing extremely well. This past month he made almost three times what he normally does, I can't explain it. But, if he hadn't our Christmas would have been canceled.

Most seasons, I pay little attention to the Black Friday sales. Those crowds aren't worth the money I'm saving! This year however, because I am poorer than most other years, I went out on Black Friday with the scary masses! Yeah, I'm broke. But I love Christmas! So I'm spending less, and buying for fewer people. AND going out on Black Friday despite my better judgment. I understand wanting to hold out hope for the retailers this Christmas season, but I'm not sure that Black Friday totals will really indicate the amount people will be spending, more likely just the amount of people who need to venture out on sale days to save.

These are really bothering me cause now I have no money to spend and mylot is the only way for me to make money.......if you guys wanna donate please send to my paypal. Charlesrunescape@yahoo.com