A Christmas suggestion.

As the financial crisis continues, and thinking about environmental issues I would like to suggest that instead of brand new expensive gifts (and the ensuing threat of New Year debt), you set a cost limit per gift, AND (this is the important bit) DONT BUY ANYTHING NEW. Scour charity shops, Ebay, boot sales, anywhere that recycles and get your gifts there. You could even compete between yourselves as to who finds the best bargain. Go for it......I am.

Good idea. On the other hand maybe the next best alternative is to only purchase from independent shops, market stalls etc. The only down side to SB's idea is the it MIGHT have a detrimental effect on the economy if people are buying recycled stuff instead of new.

Suggest Southernbell buys a round of drinks for everyone at Christmas.

There is someone trying to sell some car-boot stuff for £50 on the Free Stuff forum. It might make an ideal and inexpensive (?) source of wonderful Xmas gifts for people who are not on your 'A List'.

No need to buy my family cost enough as it is. Tell me your favourite drink and I will send you one for Christmas mate.

What do you not understand about the present slump southernbell? You want a triple dip just to add to peoples woes. Are things not bad enough that you should propose a futher fiscal suicide bid? Merry Xmas to you to.

I dont see a prioblem setting a limit for Christmas presents costs.

As for charity shops, you can pick up a bargin or two or find a hidden treasure here and there.

Atlas wrote:What do you not understand about the present slump southernbell? You want a triple dip just to add to peoples woes. Are things not bad enough that you should propose a futher fiscal suicide bid? Merry Xmas to you to.

What I understand is that many people struggle under the system of spending what you havent got, feeling social pressure to buy bigger and better than their neighbours/family/last year.
What I understand is that recycling items makes sense for me financially and the environment generally.
What I understand is that many charities are it finding less and less easy to maintain their actions because less people can afford to give.
What I understand is that children need to understand that Christmas is not about how much your gifts cost, but a celebration time for families and/or a religious festival.
What I understand is that many people could do without the debt that Christmas inevitably brings.
What I understand is that many companies make extortionate profit out of relentless pressure to buy buy buy at Christmas, and encouraging further debt by wicked interest rates on loans.
If you dont need to consider any of the above, good luck to you, after all, it was only a suggestion, not a government edict.
I would support independant retailers as I have always tried to do.

Seems a sensible suggestion to me Southernbelle. I have often bought things from charity shops and taken them there too.

Of course you shouldn't spend more than you can afford to southernbell but encouraging people not to spend is tantamount to commercial suicide when what is needed is for as much expenditure on goods to be made as soon and as often as possible. How else do you expect industry and shops etc to keep their work force if you all decide to cut back and squirrel. There is no magic formula to all this. Don't spend and die if that's what you want. But don't cry on my shoulder afterwards when employment goes thru the roof and services are cut as the benefit budget has a heart attack.

The British economy is a bit of a puzzle, we gave up manufacturing, and it was supposed to be based on insurance, service industries, arms sales and warehousing of foreign goods a while ago, but what is it supposed to be based on now? Is there any point in buying British or is that irrelevant in our globular economy?

70% is based upon services. 17% based upon finance (although I suspect that comes in with services). Farming is now a small percentage along with tourism about 12% I think. I suppose the rest is made up from manufacturing. Although you would be amazed at some of the products we still do make and export.
It is always best to buy home-made if you can. Especially in the rural areas. It helps things along. You are never going to redress the balances of the 20th centary - all that has gone. If asked I would say we should concentrate on the new technologies in particular 'green' ones and we should plough all we can into R&D and the sciences. I have no problem sorting the wheat from the chaff when it comes to promoting our brightest and best. The rest of us will find our niche as we have always done. Upward and onward and remember we don't have problems - only solutions.