Oink for Santa

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:35 pm

Okay, I admit it, I'm a totally selfish pig at xmas time. I go out to shop for others, and instead find billions of dollars worth of stuff for me. Books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Yes, I got stuff for others, too, but when I get home the reality faces me that I actually ended up spending more on myself than others. I justify it by telling myself that no-one else is gonna buy me this stuff. Xmas is so GD expensive!

Anyone else suffer this affliction, or is it just me?

djm

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:41 pm

Well, sure, I end up getting myself stuff too. But I don't think of it as being especially selfish. You go shopping, you can't find anything anyone else would like, so when you come across things you would like naturally you get them so the whole dang trip wasn't a waste of time. And no one else is going to give you those things, you are right. They're going to give you Chicken Soup for Pet-lovers and things like that. It's just life.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:32 pm

Big time! Since I very rarely spend any time shopping for myself or otherwise, when I do go, say at Christmas time, the bargains are on and I can't resist.

MarkB

Brewster · Post by **Brewster** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:35 pm

I like to tell myself that I'm actually saving money, because I'm taking advantage of Christmas sales to get things for me. When I get my VISA bill in January, I'll have a better sense if I'm just deluding myself.....

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:26 pm

Cynth wrote:Well, sure, I end up getting myself stuff too. But I don't think of it as being especially selfish. You go shopping, you can't find anything anyone else would like, so when you come across things you would like naturally you get them so the whole dang trip wasn't a waste of time. ...

Would you find me very tedious indeed if I explained the concept of sunk costs?

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:41 pm

He,he, I do that too. I went on one of my rare shopping trips, ended up in a bunch of antique stores, came away with two gifts for others, a chalkware fox terrier and a chair for me.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:49 pm

Bloomfield wrote:
Cynth wrote:Well, sure, I end up getting myself stuff too. But I don't think of it as being especially selfish. You go shopping, you can't find anything anyone else would like, so when you come across things you would like naturally you get them so the whole dang trip wasn't a waste of time. ...
Would you find me very tedious indeed if I explained the concept of sunk costs?

Okay, I just went and read about something called the "sunk cost fallacy".

I guess the idea is that the trip was wasted and my buying stuff for myself doesn't unwaste it since I still have the problem I set out with. Well, this is what I hate about Christmas, it's just one problem after another. Anyway, isn't it better to come home happy with some good books to escape into and a latte in one's belly rather than to come home screaming and crabby? I feel they are neglecting the psychological aspects of the problem.

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:54 pm

I am actually free of this affliction.

I postpone all of my irrational splurges until I figure out how much my tax return will total:) (Which is usually around April 10)

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:10 pm

You get a return???

Of course, I buy stuff for myself! I'm about the only person who knows what I like!

M

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:26 am

Is Aunt Mildred really gonna get me that Pratten, or just the same old box of stinky soap?

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:45 am

djm wrote:Okay, I admit it, I'm a totally selfish pig at xmas time. I go out to shop for others, and instead find billions of dollars worth of stuff for me. Books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Yes, I got stuff for others, too, but when I get home the reality faces me that I actually ended up spending more on myself than others. I justify it by telling myself that no-one else is gonna buy me this stuff. Xmas is so GD expensive!

Anyone else suffer this affliction, or is it just me?

djm

Well, you would be buying for yourself still if it wasn't Christmas, right? that's how I rationalize it. Besides, it's the little things you get for yourself that add another spice of fun to Christmas shopping, you know, the latte while shopping at Chapters, the beer in the pub you just happen to come across on your way out the door...
That gives me an idea...you could tell your friends that you wanted to buy them the best local beer on tap, so you just had to go about and sample them all.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 7:36 am

I usually have most of my Xmas shopping done in November. Yes, if you're one of those people who are fighting for your life over the last red power ranger in the parking lot of Walmart on Christ mas Eve, I'm one of those people who drives by and points and laughs.

In December, I usually buy myself one thing that I know I want and that no one else will get me. This year, it's a blackwood Thin Weasel

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 9:56 am

I buy myself stuff all the time, no need to wait for Christmas.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:07 am

Bloomfield wrote:
Cynth wrote:Well, sure, I end up getting myself stuff too. But I don't think of it as being especially selfish. You go shopping, you can't find anything anyone else would like, so when you come across things you would like naturally you get them so the whole dang trip wasn't a waste of time. ...
Would you find me very tedious indeed if I explained the concept of sunk costs?

Every day is sunk cost for me.

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 11:37 am

Tyler wrote:Well, you would be buying for yourself still if it wasn't Christmas, right?

Well, no, I wouldn't go shopping at all if I could avoid it, so I wouldn't be exposed to all these temptations. When I get to these stores its like, "Wow! I didn't know this was out on DVD," or, "OMG, I didn't know they had three previous albums out," etc. So I come home with the required number of gifts for others, but twice as much for me (I'm going to have a very good xmas this year, but all this wrapping is going to kill me

).

So I guess I'm feeling just a smidgen guilty about my largesse/excess towards my favourite charity (me).

djm

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