Janine Savoie – Special to the Southern News
Holidays are about spending time with loved ones, but sophomore Devin Dufour said she still tries to save up as much money as possible for the holiday season to spend on family and friends.
“I have a pretty big family to shop for; ten or so people each year,” she said. “I usually only work three days a week during the semester but I try to pick up extra hours around the holidays.”
Dufour said she doesn’t normally go out on Black Friday, but she is considering going this year to try and find some deals. If she had any advice to give to other students, she said the best thing to do is put aside some extra money each week throughout the semester in anticipation for holiday shopping. There are many deals students can take advantage of during the holiday season like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the last minute sales right before Christmas at select stores, she said.
“It’s hard to spend a lot around the holidays on a student budget,” said Dufour. “But I love seeing how happy everyone is when they open my gifts each year!”
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), American’s spent about $59.1 billion during Black Friday in 2012 and they are expecting that number to increase this year. The NRF reported that the individual shopper is expected to spend at least $400 over Thanksgiving weekend.
“I’ve embraced the fact that my wife loves Black Friday, so I don’t hold her back,” said Dominick Diemunsch, senior liberal studies major. “Some people go too over the top; I’m supportive, but not crazy.”
Diemunsch is part of the National Guard, but also works a few side jobs to earn some extra cash especially around the holidays, he said. His wife does most of the shopping, but he usually ends up paying for it. Each year they purchase gifts for mostly family, at least ten people, Diemunsch said.
“During the year I budget myself so that come Christmas time I know I have the money,” he said. “You should never over extend yourself, especially during the holidays.”
The average person spends around $704 on holiday shopping, according to research conducted by Outright, an online bookkeeping website. More than half the amount of money is spent on children and family, the rest is split among co-workers, friends, and other gifts, the website said. Americans are also expected to spend a couple hundred dollars on holiday food, candy, decorations, flowers, and greeting cards. Outright also reports that $2.6 billion is spent on wrapping paper each year, worldwide.
“I shop for between ten and fifteen people each year,” said Taylor Tedesco. “It’s gotten easier now that I work full-time, but I wasn’t always able to spend as much as I do now.”
Tedesco is a senior business management major at SCSU. She said she never goes out on Black Friday, but she purchases a lot of her gifts online the week before Thanksgiving because many websites hold pre-Black Friday sales beforehand and offer free shipping. She also uses her credit card’s cash back program to save even more, Tedesco said.
“As a student on a budget you really have to remember that it doesn’t matter how much money you spend,” she said. “In the end it’s the thought that counts, never spend more than you have.”
