If you're not part of the solution...

I think I might have been a little harsh with one of my colleagues.

Blondie was expressing surprise at the fact that my family don't spend in excess of £70 on consumer electronics for each other at Christmas. Call us stingy, but we prefer to stick with a more reasonable, sensible, not get yourself into debt until next Christmas amount like £15-20. She said, "But what can you get for £20?"

Um, well there's a book. Two in fact if they're on a sale. A nice sweater. A coffee machine. A CD and an ironic novelty item. It's not exactly rocket science (although on £20 you can do). None of the best presents I've had have broken the bank. Mum got me a coffee machine one year (£19.99) which I used every day for two years. Angella made me a present last year (£0) which I still look up at every day and smile. You just need imagination, knowledge of the person, and yes, a little bit of love.

Ah. There's the problem. Don't use your imagination, we'll do the thinking for you. Look, how about a shiny DVD player? A laptop perhaps? You love this person don't you? Well how about a widescreen TV? And look, with this little plastic Christmas card, you could have it today. Right now. Buy. Pay later.

And then she went on to justify even contemplating buying a TV for her partner. Not just any TV, but one costing £750. On the basis that the one she's got has lasted 20 years, so it's an investment for another twenty years. Because they still make them like that.

Justify it to yourself. Show them you love them. Shiny new technology. It just never fails to amaze me the logic people use to prove that they're actually being sensible, definitely not being taken in by the bright lights of commercialism, at this, the feast of commerce. So naturally enough I went on a ten minute rant, pretty much to the effect of this posting. I don't think she's talking to me now. It's Christmas, after all

OK, I promise to stop using that voice.