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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think there is an inverse relationship between how little money people have and how much they are willing to spend on presents for their children

667 replies

Twiglett · 05/12/2007 12:20

am truly gobsmacked at some of the things that people I know are buying for their children

truly and utterly, spoilt bastard, gobsmacked

why spend that much money? why?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 05/12/2007 23:30

i'm poor through a combination of bad luck, bad judgement and bad decisions.

it happens.

but that doesn't equate to disadvantaged.

i do bleat on about the billions doled out in corporate welfare, though.

but you know, who bloody cares if someone is well off or not and how they chose to spend money at Christmas on their kids.

i don't know their individual situations or circumstances and really it's not my business.

Twinklemegan · 05/12/2007 23:31

First of all, well done Twiglett for being brave enough to say what I have thought for a long time but haven't dared to say.

FWIW, I think it's less about being poor or not and more about people's level of education/intelligence. Many people, poor or not, have precious little imagination and can't think past having to have the latest, expensive, utterly useless "stuff".

StarlightMcKenzie · 05/12/2007 23:31

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moondog · 05/12/2007 23:32

We are just going round in circles aren't we?
There are rich people who are stupid and poor people who are stupid eh?
And then,there are exceptions to every rule.

What is Secret Millionaire? Something on tv? If so I wouldn't see it as I never watch tv.I would rather give the archbishop of Canterbury a blowjob than be patronised by ads for crap.

A brilliant brilliant book on this subject is no Logo by Naomi Klein. Superb.

Her detailed explanation of how rich wasp fashion designers stole the style of poor black inner city teenagers and sold it on to spoilt white college kids is dazzlingly clever.

Similarly how Ralph Lauren flogs the summer in the Hamptons thing to poor black inner city kids.

Oneo f my most memorable reads ever.

MerryKerryXmas · 05/12/2007 23:32

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moondog · 05/12/2007 23:33

I'm sorry Starlight.
Sounds rough.
One wouldn't wish that experience on any child.

expatinscotland · 05/12/2007 23:34

and almost NO ONE saw my thread on how to make a cheap scented diffuser for your home!

[scunnered]

MerryKerryXmas · 05/12/2007 23:34

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lilacclaire · 05/12/2007 23:34

Blossom, me and dp also live in council accomodation and tbh, we could never afford to buy a house like the one we rent it is very spacious.
We do earn decent enough money but I certainly would rather live in council accommodation and use the money we dont spend on a mortgage on treating ourselves and the kids to a 'normal' lifestyle.
Saying that, to us that is keeping them fed and clothed in a half decent manner, which a lot of people take for granted, which we certainly do not.
DP was keen for us to buy, until I pointed out that all extras would be stopped and we would be on a bread and water diet until the mortgage was paid, no ta!

handlemecarefully · 05/12/2007 23:34

"FWIW, I think it's less about being poor or not and more about people's level of education/intelligence. Many people, poor or not, have precious little imagination and can't think past having to have the latest, expensive, utterly useless "stuff".

Twinglemegan - what a lot of wank.

I'm quite irritated by this thread...

moondog · 05/12/2007 23:36

I think that was actually completely accurate Twinklemegan.
Well done you!

CliffRichardSucksEggsinHell · 05/12/2007 23:36

Secret Millionaire is a rather patronising piece of telly where they take a millionaire desperate for publicity, show them the meaner, harsher side of life and introduce them to people who need money. Said millionaire then donates money and pisses off back to mansion.

But the beauty of it is the people the millionaire meets. Last week they went to a nursing home and met a single young mum who lived in a council house. She cared for the old people and was happy and obviously cared for her kids. When he came round for tea she did her best to cook him a good meal despite the fact that her cooker was falling apart. She went everywhere by bus, including doing her weekly shop with her 3 kids in tow. He gave her 8 grand which she later was proud to show him, went on a new cooker and a car, not a posh one, to drive around in. She wanted to show him that she didn't waste it, she spent it on improvements to hers and the children's lives.

coldtits · 05/12/2007 23:37

I think there is a correlation between serious overspending at Christmas and parental guilt levels, certainly. Not sure it has much to do with economic viability, intelligence etc

expatinscotland · 05/12/2007 23:38

moony didn't even notice i told everyone to kit her out in the ugliest shoes on the market for christmas, too.

moondog · 05/12/2007 23:38

OMFG, it sounds dreadful and mawkish.
I'd rather give the Bish two blowjobs on reflection...

moondog · 05/12/2007 23:39

Eh Expat??
Not with you!

soapbox · 05/12/2007 23:40

"FWIW, I think it's less about being poor or not and more about people's level of education/intelligence. Many people, poor or not, have precious little imagination and can't think past having to have the latest, expensive, utterly useless "stuff".

LOL - I work with some highly intelligent (and pretty well-off) people who spend a small fortune chasing the next 'got to have it car/handbag/swimming pool/house in the country'

They are mostly accountants and lawyers though, so you might just get them on people of little imagination!

Twinklemegan · 05/12/2007 23:40

That may be handlemecarefully - so's a lot of the stuff that people waste their money on - IMHO.

My DS is getting a small table and chairs for him to sit at to draw and play. Not fashionable, (hopefully) not expensive and no batteries! We would be getting one for him soon Christmas or not because he needs somewhere of his own to play.

handlemecarefully · 05/12/2007 23:41

So just to recap...according to some on this thread, people who are lavish at Christmas may be rich or poor...but they are invariably stupid / poorly educated....seduced by advertising and too witless to see through rank commercialism etc etc

I rarely say what I truly think on mumsnet (generally too polite) but I'll be frank...

I think people who make a point of being frugal at Christmas (when they can afford to be otherwise) are joyless, grey, pinch-lipped individuals, who are lacking in self esteem (hence they are too analytical about this sort of thing)...they also tend to harbour a superior attitude (as a kind of defence mechanism to counter their esteem issues) which makes them nauseatingly judgemental

There - I'm done

lilacclaire · 05/12/2007 23:42

I think guilt does play a part in spending at christmas, you tend to feel a tad deprived during the year and then try to make it up 1 day of the year by getting as many pressies as possible for the kids.
Sadly the people who can least afford it end up at the mercy of dubious loan companies charging whatever interest rates, not a good situation

handlemecarefully · 05/12/2007 23:42

God that felt good

soapbox · 05/12/2007 23:42

Oh come on HMC - you can do better than that...

MerryKerryXmas · 05/12/2007 23:42

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expatinscotland · 05/12/2007 23:43

yeah!

HMC's kids are getting remote-controlled 4x4s for their Christmas.

handlemecarefully · 05/12/2007 23:43

lol! you cheeky mare