compare and contrast

Trishia Domingo

Kenneth Kerr

EN101-5

20 October 2010

Alone on During the Holidays

                People look forward to the month of December for many reasons: hot chocolate next to an open fire, the warmth of a bed during a cold winter’s morning, the beautiful blanket of snow that covers the ground. Another thing that others may anticipate is Christmas, although the price one may pay for the perfect present for his loved ones can often times be disconcerting. Depending on how extravagant one is during Christmas time, the total amount of money he spends on presents, his stress levels, and free time from work is different than that of people who are in a relationship or have families.

                The amount of money that someone who is single spends on presents is very different from how much money someone in a relationship or has a family spends. According to Theresa McEntire, “Christmas generates about $435 billion worth of economic activity each year in the United States alone” (“How Much”). The average American income, for those with a bachelor’s degree, is about $56, 000 annually (“Average American”). When multiplied by two for those individuals in a relationship the number becomes $102, 000. Those who are single generally have a bigger budget for spending because they do not have to worry about buying presents for children, which can add up to $750 spent on gifts and accessories (“How Much”). People who have families may end up spending double or more than that amount, especially if the children like to play videogames; before the Playstation 3 debuted in November of 2006, it generated bad press for its $600 price tag (“World’s Most Expensive”), compared to other consoles that are 1/3 of that price. The amount of money spent for children, along with lavish presents for a significant other, could easily put one into debt.

                The cost of a present for a loved one has more than one price tag; if a person cannot afford to buy a specific item that he had sought to purchase, stress levels may go up. A survey from 2008 showed that, “the #1 source of stress reported is personal finance concerns, the top response for almost half (49%) of those surveyed” (“American’s Stress”). Single individuals without children do not have to stress about the financial side of Christmas as much because they have less people to purchase presents for. An article on stress states, “It has been estimated that 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related problems. Job stress is far and away the leading source of stress for adults” (“America’s No. 1”). Stress in the life of someone who has a family is heightened when finances for the holidays are considered; in addition to things one has to worry about in the workplace.

                Another thing that may add to a person’s stress and have a role in how much money he may spend on presents is the amount of hours put in during the holiday season. The average employee works 40 hours a week, but those who work less than that suffer a bit during the holiday season. According to an article concerning employment legal issues, “an employee must actually work 40 hours in a week before he/she is eligible for overtime. Paid time off (holidays, vacation, sick leave, etc) is not considered time worked” (“Holiday Pay”). This will not hurt an individual who is single because he or she will not have as many reservations for taking more time off compared to his coworker who has a family to support.

                Single employees will have a bit more money to spend more frivolously because they only have themselves to think about when it comes to the holidays. Although most married couples pay less income tax than they would if each partner were single (Marriage and Taxes), it is also important to remember that their bills for the groceries, utilities, and gas will undoubtedly be higher since there is more than one person whose mouth needs to be fed. Therefore, it would be better to be single during the holidays due to less money spent on presents, less work-related stress, and not having to worry about vacation time and how it will affect one’s salary.