An employee for Japanese toy maker Sega Toys displays the world’s smallest “Grand Pianist - Hello Kitty Version”, which has 88 working keys and can automatically play 115 pre-installed musical songs, including 15 Hello Kitty related pieces. The original version of the Grand Pianist started selling in Japan in April and the new white Hello Kitty version will be put on the market next month.
Eighty-eight days to go before Christmas! Many of us scrimp and save the whole year, only to lose it all in December. Parents go crazy buying the best Christmas gifts and serving the best Christmas dinners, mostly to assuage our own guilt when we feel we haven’t spent much time with our kids the rest of the year! I’m guilty here too hehe.
If we wait until December to decide on a limit for Christmas spending, it’s easy to be swayed by great commercials and amazing packaging. Hubby and I used to have a “skies the limit” attitude when it comes to getting gifts for the kiddos, but lately, we have decided as a family to lie low on consumerism and focus on what’s really important – family, togetherness, and of course a gift that doesn’t take away the spirit of what we actually celebrate on Christmas time.
Let’s swap ideas on gift ideas that will keep giving that warm fuzzy feeling of Christmas even after the celebrations, especially those that go easy on the credit card.
Me first: the holiday favorite for my only daughter is a subscription to The Friend, a magazine for children that costs P500-something J so she feels Christmassy 12 months a year, and because she’s money-smart, nanay and papa matching the money she saved the whole year.
Your turn. 
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19 Feedbacks on "Surviving Christmas consumerism"
paetechie
already started buying small gifts for my numerous nephews…don’t have to be expensive but something useful
sheng
Hi! So true! Last Christmas, I gave all my closest friends a personalized greeting card. I asked a graphics artist friend to execute it for me. Turned out to be a blast for everyone.
Am single, so my object of gift giving would be my family and my godchildren. I have started already to buy stuff that they would like for christmas. As for office friends, my good friend and i have agreed to pool our resources to buy gifts for everyone on our list. We’ll give the gifts together so they’ll know that it’s from the two of us. Smart, huh?
i’ve long realized that i should really have a game plan for christmas otherwise, i would get bombarded with the eye candies in the mall display counters.
come january, i’d normally feel guilty that i had burned all of my christmas bonus
but this time, i think am wiser. thanks, in part to moneysmarts. i’ve become a li’l smarter, moneywise.
pinoy investor
my wife got the best christmas gift. she bought a tv and asked me to reimburse her cost bec. she said that’s my christmas gift to her. what?! anyway i was forced to pay up.
wives, now you know how to get your desired christmas gifts. husbands beware!
jonah
hugs and kisses will do. they are better than material things.
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edzmaya
um, this is a tough one…
a musical instrument, perhaps?
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hachiko
Xmas survival tip: make a list of xmas gifts and recipients and STICK TO IT!
RE: hello kitty piano, kikay ng mga Japanese girls no?
Salve do u knw practically all Jap dep’t stores go from 1st-8th floors ALL WOMEN’S STUFF? 9th-10th is 4 men… also anime stuff like Hello Kitty is okay w them till adulthood. 
Funny!
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Salve
hachiko naman, i still regularly use my hello kitty gold bracelet noh. Hello Kitty is the best. Don’t you dare laugh at us Hello Kitty fans!
Salve
pinoy investor, i usually tell my husband he is very thoughtful for having thought of a particular gift that I have wanted for so long…AFTER I bought it for myself! haha. Then reimburse, reimburse. Great strategy!
Salve
paetechie, good for you! Do you put a limit per item or just go with what your gut money intinct tells you?
Salve
Sheng, creativity really can go a long way. For me, it’s really more of not letting the gotta have it, gotta buy it mentality get in the way of feeling the Spirit of the season. Kids can absorb that mentality very easily!
Salve
edzmaya, yup a musical instrument is a great idea. But be sure to check if your kid is ready for it or else that money is a waste for sure. We bought our daughter a guitar because she really wanted to have one, but after some time, she realized she wasnt ready for it so it sits and gathers dust until now.
nina
Alam ko si Kris Aquino may collection ng hello kity pinakita dati sa TV. Kami ng best friend ko namimili pa rin kami ng mga hello kitty, little twin stars, disney princess at barbie na mga gamit (e.g comforter, bed sheet), dolls, stuff toys, figurines and other collectible items
hachiko
Salve im sure I didnt put u on d defensive over Kitty
One of the perks of “wealthworthiness” (if i cud use that word) is to freely choose what u want n NOT apologize 2 others over ur own tastes, and okay wealthsmarties can take a swipe over other peoples’ fashion tastes hehehe 
But in good decent taste, of course.
During my TV days we were notorious for circulating jokes on Ate Jolens n her fashion stuff, mwahaha! (Salve maka-Jolens k b?
) Our little thanks 4 d jokes circulated about our own show (Salve alam mo yun! 
) But it’s all just 4 laughs, never foul or personal. Feeling wealthworthy, hehehe…
Salve 4 Xmas ur husband cud treat u to Sanrio Hello Kitty Land in Tokyo. Havent been there myself but I read for 3,000 yen you could canoe in H Kitty River n DROOL at all d Kitty merchandise inside
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