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| Thinking about wasted food, dumped goods and spiritual priorities may enhance our Christmas |
But there is
also the news that one-third of consumers will borrow money for Christmas
presents (the majority using credit cards), and one-fifth needing to borrow
money for Christmas food. Somehow, that doesn’t feel right. Especially when one
takes into account the fact that suicides and family splits tend to peak in
December-January, as the dark cold days of winter exacerbate the dark cold
facts of debt.
Along with that
are the startling revelations on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recent TV
programmes on waste. One third of all the UK’s edible food is dumped much of it
by supermarkets and largely for cosmetic reasons (wonky carrots and the
like).The rest is dumped by consumers whose eyes are bigger than their
stomachs. Remember that when you buy the sprouts for Christmas that no-one eats
(and there’s a bumper crop this year).
Hugh found a
charity making 80,000 meals a day from just two per cent of the edible food dumped
in the UK. And that at a time when it is said that 13m people live in
low-income households1 (many of whom who are struggling to find
enough to eat) and school meals are facing financial cutbacks.
He also highlighted
the seven tonnes of garments dumped every ten minutes across the UK, with the
associated energy, labour and transport costs wasted. Many clothes are only
worn once or a few times before being discarded for something new that hasn’t
featured in a selfie on Facebook. Charity shops and re-processors could give it
all a new life.
Of course, at
this time of year there is also a traditional chorus of complaint about the
commercialisation of Christmas, but this isn’t part of it. We can’t blame the
shops for that. They only stay in business if they sell us stuff, and it’s
their business to sell as much as they can. But we can do four things: we can
think about why we overspend (and not just at Christmas); we can examine some
biblical principles about using our resources wisely; we can make a
pre-Christmas resolution to be more careful and circumspect; and we can join
Hugh’s war on waste (see below).
Why we overspend
Consumer
spending is a political necessity. The west is locked into a market philosophy
which considers that continuous economic growth is necessary for public
welfare. To grow the economy, people need to spend money. So while government
isn’t telling us what to buy, it sends regular subliminal messages that
Spending is Good, and regularly talks about policies that put money into
people’s pockets.
Added to that
is the subtle social pressure of keeping up with trends. No longer do we wear
clothes until they fall apart. No longer do we retain electric and other goods
until they wear out, but we replace them with the newer and (allegedly) the
better models just because – why? Because we want to keep up with “everyone”?
Because we’ve lost the simple art of appreciating what we have? Because we’ve
been conned by advertising that tells us we must
have the new model? Why must we?
We binge-spend
at Christmas because we always have, perhaps. It’s the thing to do, according
to false social assumptions. Or because we think people expect us to (do they really?). Or perhaps we don’t want to be
thought mean or reveal just how hard it is for us to make ends meet. Or because
we think that children will be happier with the most expensive and “latest”
craze toy than with something more basic. (Ever seen a young child play with
the paper rather than the gift? Children of all ages need love, not luxury, and
to learn that they can’t necessarily have what others also have.)
Perhaps it is
time that more of us challenged false assumptions and stood up to the pressures
even if we have to face down work colleagues or relatives who thoughtlessly
expect more of us than we can afford. Perhaps we simply need to be upfront
about what we can spend; truth is as important as prudence. Some others may be
grateful that we have the courage to do what they would like to do but feel
they can’t. We might even set a trend: shop wisely for Christmas. We certainly do not need to miss out on fun by being more frugal.
Back to basics
Social
psychology studies have shown that the more we have, the less satisfaction we
gain from each item. This is not a modern insight; it was recognised in Old
Testament times: “Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This
too is meaningless”.2 Of course it is; as Jesus warned, there is
much more to life than getting and spending. “Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their
possessions.”3 But somehow, over the past few decades especially, we
have been conned into believing that more is always better.
Certainly what
we have is intended to be shared rather than stored, handled wisely rather than
being hoarded, used rather than admired.4 We can’t take it with us into the next life
(although people in some cultures obviously hoped they could, to judge by the
goods found in ancient tombs).
Just spend less
There are some
simple things that we can do to buck the trend, reduce the risk to ourselves,
and perhaps even make a small contribution to reducing waste and pollution.
·
Set
a budget for Christmas – so much per person for gifts, so that you do not have
to use a credit card or. If you have to use credit, budget in advance for what repayments
(plus interest) you will need to make in the months after Christmas which will
add to your monthly outgoings, so that what you spend now is affordable and the
debt doesn’t drag on.
·
Use
charity Christmas cards and local delivery arrangements organised by charities
in many towns to reduce costs.
·
Avoid
the pre-Christmas bargains unless you really do need a new gadget / dress /
whatever because the old one is broken beyond repair (not just because it is so
last year’s model). “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”
·
Plan
your Christmas food needs carefully; rather than just piling lots into your
trolley. Work out what each person is likely to eat and stick to that.
·
Likewise
budget for alcohol so that you don’t have so much that everyone drinks more
than they need to “because it’s there”.
·
Research
creative and nourishing ways to use left-overs (Sainsbury’s is one of the
supermarkets with specific ideas for this on their website).
·
Join
the war on waste: http://www.wastenotuk
which includes a petition to supermarkets and tips on how to avoid waste and how
to recycle food and goods.
Think and talk
1. Consider the suggestions above and ask
yourself honestly what is realistic for you?
2. Talk to family, friends and work colleagues
about making a pact to reduce needless spending. The more people who do so, the
happier everyone will be: it reduces stress and increases gratitude with what
we do have on a community level rather than just a personal level.
3. Do some Bible study and take the ancient
wisdom seriously:
·
How
to be content what you have: Psalm 62:10; Proverbs 22:1; 30:8; Jeremiah 9:23; Philippians
4:11-13
·
The
negative effects of striving for, or getting, more: Proverbs 23:4-5;
Ecclesiastes 5:10-12; Matthew 19:21-23; 1 Timothy 6:9
·
Put
God before gain: 2 Chronicles 1:11-12; Proverbs 3:9; 15:16; Matthew 6:19-21;
Luke 12:13-21
References
1. “Monitoring poverty and social exclusion”
report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 23 November 2015 - https://www.jrf.org.uk/mpse-2015
2. Ecclesiastes 5:10
3. Luke 12:15
4. See for example 1 John 3:17-18 and Matthew
6:19-21.
© Derek
Williams 2015. Material in these posts may be reproduced for private of small
group use.
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