Anne-Margaret Swary Columns
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Call me Ebenezer

By Anne-Margaret Swary The Citizen

Ihave to admit, I'm feeling a little bit like Scrooge these days.

I don't know what's wrong with me, but my holiday spirit is nowhere to be found.

I am very lucky to have a good job and a roof over my head this holiday season, unlike so many less fortunate in the community. But instead of feeling excited about putting up my Christmas tree, shopping for presents and making the trip home to Ohio this year for Christmas, all I see is dollar signs.

I blame all the negative headlines in the past year about job losses and unemployment rates, foreclosures, bank failures, lost retirement funds, and people pawning their belongings to pay their utility bills. As a result -- even though my financial situation hasn't changed at all since last year at this time -- I feel like I've been brow-beaten into believing that it's irresponsible to spend money on unnecessary items.

Instead of feeling excited about shopping, I feel guilty every time I pull my debit card out of my wallet. I keep thinking of all the other things I should be doing with that money (i.e., paying off my credit card bill, adding to my savings, getting that huge scratch buffed out of my car, having the tire rotation that was recommended months ago, or finally making that eye doctor appointment).

In past years, I never set a budget for my holiday shopping. I just bought what I wanted and needed for everyone on my list, and never even bothered to add up the total at the end of the year. I really didn't even miss the money.

In fact, I am known in my family for always going overboard for Christmas -- always having to buy "just one more thing" for everybody because I love watching people open presents.

One year I even over-bought to the point of embarrassment when I presented my then-boyfriend (now husband) with a stack of presents for our first Christmas together after only three months of dating, and he sheepishly presented me with just one: a very nice bottle of perfume.

I had clearly overdone things with my six presents and made his present seem inadequate. I just can't help myself, though.

Or at least that used to be the case. This year, unlike any other year before, shopping for presents suddenly seems like a chore. I don't want to feel that way, but I can't seem to shake it. And I know Christmas is supposed to be about family and togetherness, but no matter how many times I repeat that in my mind, I don't get the warm, fuzzy feeling.

Maybe it's the money we're spending on plane tickets, gas and parking fees at the Fort Lauderdale airport to make our way back to the Midwest for 10 days. There was something about opening up the credit card bill this month and seeing the big charge for plane tickets that sucked the desire to go shopping right out of me.

I feel like I'm not the only one. Everywhere I go, friends and family are talking about how they're cutting back this year: no office Christmas party; no Secret Santa at work; and having to set limits on what they're spending on each person in the family. One friend's family decided to draw names and do a gift exchange rather than buying presents for everyone in the family. All these things are probably wise, but they're sure no fun.

I'm currently working on compiling some examples of how people's holiday shopping habits have changed this year as a result of the economy for an upcoming article. If you'd like to share your family's story, e-mail me at The Citizen at amswary@keysnews.com.

My husband has persuaded me to put up our Christmas tree today, so maybe by the time you read this, my holiday outlook will have changed.

Anne-Margaret Swary is The Citizen's business editor. Her column runs exclusively every other Sunday.