Was watching Sky news earlier and they were interviewing people at the sales and they all seemed to be intent on buying non/essential luxury goods like the latest designer handbag or model of I/phone which really scuppers the idea of people feeling austerity. I find there is something faintly distasteful in the idea of people trampling all over each other to get the lastest "bargains" in a frenzy of spending and I suspect that as has been said many purchases will not have been saved for but will be paid on the never/never.
As to presents this year, I left some hidden for my boys and husband back home /mostly useful things they needed /clothes, belts and a new wallet for my youngest as his got stolen recently. The only luxuries were some chocs for the boys. With my "English" family we had decided to exchange no gifts as it was already costing a lot for us all to travel and meet up and spend time together at mum-s in Tenerife / it-s a great present just to be all together again /the last Xmas when that happened was nearly 20 years ago!
Like you Margaret my husband doesn-t buy me presents and hasn-t done for many years /may change his name to David too!
My only present was from a friend / a book about Tripe which he actually hinted he was going to send quite a while back on an Accyweb thread /it was a nice surprise and I-m enjoying reading it!
