As retailers and advertisers count down shopping days for the holiday season, one group called “Shopping Holiday” is encouraging people to take a holiday from shopping this season, regardless of their religion, faith or financial circumstances.
“Excessive spending on holiday gifts is not connected to any of the religious traditions we celebrate during this time,” said Shopping Holiday founder Heidi Wanken. “By saying ‘no’ to the hustle and bustle, spending madness and chaos, you can say ‘yes’ to the things that really matter and that we should be celebrating this time of year — things like families, traditions, service, charity and compassion.”
Instead of spending excessive amounts on gifts, Shopping Holiday is encouraging individuals and families to instead spend a portion of their holiday budget to reduce debt or increase their savings, while also sharing a significant portion with those in need. “Far too many of us lose sight of our budgets when the holidays roll around and we spend too much without much consideration for the future,” Wanken said.