“Waaah, the cost of living is too high!” Well, it is, sure, but you could also spend less money.
This post has nothing to do with homeschooling. I just wanted to start a series about dumb stuff in our world that you can live without, and save your money for buying French school books!
Introducing: Elf on the Shelf
Look at that smiling bastard. He currently costs $39.99 CAD on Amazon and $47.99 at Walmart (that price will probably go down closer to Christmas).
And if spending your money on just that is not enough, there are pets for this guy, clothes, props and accessories, friends, a fox, books, movies, baby elf things, mini figurines (for only $51.65!), and a pair of human pajamas that I saw on Walmart (I don’t think those are made by the official Elf on the Shelf company). The prices for these things ranged from $13 to $60. You could spend hundreds and hundreds on this crap.
But guess what. Children have enjoyed Christmas for centuries without Elf on the Shelf. I dare say they probably enjoyed it more when their parents weren’t stressed out about trying to pose some magical elf all around the house and then freaking out about their bank balance.
Maybe for two-income homes, a couple hundred dollars doesn’t seem like a lot. But purchasing decisions like this can quickly add up over the course of a year, and also contribute to people saying that they can’t afford to live on one income. Well we live on one income, and we are very careful with our money. No Elfie for us! (I also prefer to celebrate the religious aspect of Christmas and ignore most of the secular traditions).
Buy some French Christmas books instead! Or, don’t, and save some money around the holidays.
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