Spirits lift – as cash seeps away (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Spirits lift – as cash seeps away

8:28am Monday 19th December 2011 in Helen Mead By Helen Mead

Christmas is coming – but far from welcoming it, I’m stomping around muttering ‘Bah, humbug.’ As I watch my daughters opening their advent calendars every morning they’re thinking, ‘Only so many more days until Christmas’, while I’m thinking, ‘only so many more days until I get paid’.

And I’m not the only one. Every time I stand at the supermarket checkout I hear people moaning about the cost of the coming festivities, about having to fork out for things that they wouldn’t normally buy and about their ever-increasing overdrafts.

The recession is turning us into a nation of Scrooges, counting the pennies and wishing we could fast-forward a couple of months.

It is bad enough being stung by the cost of presents but on top we’ve got mammoth festive food and fuel bills to deal with.The way things are going, we will end up just like Ebenezer, sitting at home in moth-eaten coats and fingerless gloves, counting our pennies by candlelight.

Everything is so expensive. A few years ago you could buy an entire forest plantation in Norway for the price of a small Christmas tree today. Even those that shed all their needles as you put them in the car cost upwards of £25.

Posting cards costs a fortune. The way things are going I could probably hand-deliver across mainland Europe for the price of a book of stamps.

Despite supermarkets claiming to be on our side, food prices are rocketing, and at Christmas you’ve got to factor in the nine hours and 45 minutes at 450F to cook your 6st bird, plus the reservoir of hot water you use to wash up.

I always say to my children, ‘You’re not getting much for Christmas’, but can’t bear to leave just one gift each under the tree, even if they have cost the bulk of my salary. So off I go hunting out little extras, adding to the cost.

Still, it is Christmas and the time to be merry. Speaking of which, booze isn’t as affordable as it was and the £3.49-or-under bottles of plonk we favour are in seriously short supply.

But despite the gloom and doom enveloping the country, the Christmas spirit seeps into our blood and kicks away any blues. This time of year is all about treats and having fun regardless. Scrooge saw the light – and it’s not too late for me.

We’ve just had a great night out at the pantomime when, for two hours, I forgot about my overdraft. I know I’ll regret it later, but I might head out and do a bit more Christmas shopping, and maybe even splash out on a decent (£3.99) bottle of wine before the week is out.