Happy Halloween for some reason

[Seat68]

2 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

It would be good to look at some stats on this, but amount of seasonal plastic crap that ends up in bins must be crazy. 

Again, it was always my personal opinion, but the last time I bought Christmas decorations was 10 years ago. I like wooden stuff, you know, that will last a lifetime. 

It may be more expensive as a one off purchase, but I grew up in a house where we still have baubles that my grandparents used. 

But then, a trip to a car boot or some second hand shop will probably be a cheaper option (and again, more long lasting and nicer) than buying a pack of 12 china made decorations for £15 from B&M. 

I am not talking about getting stuff from John Lewis - I am talking about some long term cheap solutions that don't hit your pocket, and don't kill polar bears. 

I just think we live in a crazy commercial world where people just have to buy a new plastic skeleton from Home Bargains for £10 a pop. And do it again the next year.

And again, that's just my personal take. Other views may differ, and I respect them. 

It will be the same at Christmas for us, I know a handful of additional Christmas stuff will be brought into the house, but as Bickster has said, its additional. We personally don't bin decs, Xmas or Halloween, but it obviously goes on. We have on our tree a decoration my wife made when she was 6, she is 52. We have stuff bought when my daughter was born, she is in her mid thirties, as well as things she made at school. We prefer long lasting well made items. But to come back to Halloween, definitely added to the annual decorations, my wife would go apeshit if it was just binned.

[Mandy Lifeboats]

8 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

My only job at halloween is ensuring that all of the sweets are laced with drugs.

Laxatives and sleeping tablets dipped in chocolate are a fantastic mix. 

 

[sidcow]

31 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

I too hate that people spend the money they earned on things that they want. How dare they. 

I think the point it it's often things that they want at the expense of things that they need. 

Now how to I become a Tory MP?

[Mic09]

4 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Now how to I become a Tory MP?

Give it a few more months the way things are going and there won't be such a thing. 

[AvfcRigo82]

27 minutes ago, bickster said:

I saw them at £1:30 the other day, never anywhere near £8

Yep. Morrison's, the greedy ******s!

[Rds1983]

People can spend their money on whatever they like. That's their freedom.

However, other people are free to think those people are wasting their money. Especially during a cost of living crisis when people are struggling to pay for food or mortgages. 

Just as others are free to think those people are stingy, judgemental gits.

I'm not keen on the amount of plastic junk that gets bought and then binned, but that's for environmental reasons, not economical ones.

[Mark Albrighton]

Just bought a pumpkin. Think it was about £3. 

Currently I’m on the side of Halloween…it’s a bit of fun, ain’t it? This is mainly down to my daughter being the right age for it so I guess her enthusiasm has rubbed off on me. 

Haven’t bought any decorations but not against it particularly, it would just go in the attic.

Today on the way to school my kid remarked that she felt it was odd how shops are selling Christmas stuff when Halloween hasn’t happened yet. Probably gives a small indication how the marketing around Halloween has changed over the years that a kid in this country is comparing it to Christmas, whereas when I were a lad the obvious association was Guy Fawkes night.

[mjmooney]

45 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

whereas when I were a lad the obvious association was Guy Fawkes night

That seems to be dying out.

In my childhood, flag-waving British history was a big thing, so it was almost a patriotic duty to celebrate the triumph over the dirty foreign conspirators. It was only much later that I was surprised to learn it wasn't celebrated in Catholic schools. 

It's odd that Fawkes is the name that got attached to the event, when he just happened to be the explosives expert that got caught redhanded. Catesby was the main man behind it all - and the whole saga of the manhunt and final shootout with the gang is a far more dramatic saga than simply catching Fawkes in the basement. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by mjmooney

[Mark Albrighton]

8 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

It's odd that Fawkes is the name that got attached to the event, when he just happened to be the explosives expert that got caught redhanded. Catesby was the main man behind it all - and the whole saga of the manhunt and final shootout with the gang is a far more dramatic saga than simply catching Fawkes in the basement. 

Guy Fawkes and Ronnie Biggs grab all the limelight while Robert Catesby and Bruce Reynolds have to make do with an “also starring” credit.

[mjmooney]

5 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

Guy Fawkes and Ronnie Biggs grab all the limelight while Robert Catesby and Bruce Reynolds have to make do with an “also starring” credit.

Indeed, very similar situation. 

[bobzy]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

I think the point it it's often things that they want at the expense of things that they need. 

Making their children happy by cutting back on other things.

The **** animals. 

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Making their children happy by cutting back on other things.

The **** animals. 

Look, its all personal.

If I was buying my kids plastic tat and I was worried how we were going to put food on the table and heat the house and pay for the house, plastic Halloween tat would be absolutely top of my list to stop.

By any stretch, a 30% uplift in Halloween spending in the current climate is at best puzzling.

 

 

As an aside I've made my kids unhappy many, many times in their lives when they've wanted me to buy them shit they wanted.  Those bloody stupid hover boards spring immediately to mind.  This is part of the thinking that get's people into financial trouble.  I can't make the kids unhappy so I'll slap it on the credit card/get a payday loan.   

Well sorry, if I can't afford it they aren't having it regardless of how unhappy it will make them.  Not that it will make me happy to spite them or I'm uncaring about them, but there are realities to life and being able to keep up with the Jones's on their perfect Facebook lifestyle isn't one of those realities.  Others think different......fine.

[Paddywhack]

The first words out of my 4 year old's mouth pretty much every morning for the last few weeks has been "Is it Halloween yet?". He loves dressing up, he's been wearing costumes all month already.

I'm not a fan and I've never been comfortable trick or treating, but the kids love it so I throw myself in. My wifes in a neigbour whatsapp group so we only go the houses that say they're doing it.

[Seat68]

Kids love that shit, and a good parent will stand at the end of the path whilst the child knocks on the door. (Other definitions of good are available you miserable **** snowflake) I have heard rumours that a costume for my dog has been bought and she will be walking round with my grandson. 

[bobzy]

36 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Look, its all personal.

If I was buying my kids plastic tat and I was worried how we were going to put food on the table and heat the house and pay for the house, plastic Halloween tat would be absolutely top of my list to stop.

By any stretch, a 30% uplift in Halloween spending in the current climate is at best puzzling.

 

 

As an aside I've made my kids unhappy many, many times in their lives when they've wanted me to buy them shit they wanted.  Those bloody stupid hover boards spring immediately to mind.  This is part of the thinking that get's people into financial trouble.  I can't make the kids unhappy so I'll slap it on the credit card/get a payday loan.   

Well sorry, if I can't afford it they aren't having it regardless of how unhappy it will make them.  Not that it will make me happy to spite them or I'm uncaring about them, but there are realities to life and being able to keep up with the Jones's on their perfect Facebook lifestyle isn't one of those realities.  Others think different......fine.

I don’t know if a 30% uplift is particularly surprising - I could easily see items being 30% more expensive this year.

Let’s say, though, that families often go on holiday in the October half term - but this year they can’t afford it. They put some money into having a big Halloween celebration/party/make it fun instead.

It’s hardly choosing between food on the table and some plastic crap, but I appreciate that people often apply the extremes. 

[sidcow]

5 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I don’t know if a 30% uplift is particularly surprising - I could easily see items being 30% more expensive this year.

Let’s say, though, that families often go on holiday in the October half term - but this year they can’t afford it. They put some money into having a big Halloween celebration/party/make it fun instead.

It’s hardly choosing between food on the table and some plastic crap, but I appreciate that people often apply the extremes. 

WHAT?  PEOPLE GO ON HOLIDAY IN OCTOBER HALF TERM?

STRING THEM UP AND BEAT THEM WITH STICKS I SAY!!!!

[Rodders]

I suppose it does depend on other variables. 

If Someone's Halloween spend has gone up 300%, from £20 to £60

but holiday budget has been reduced 100% from £1000 to nothing at all, then it's perfectly reasonable. Major cost cuts made as necessary but some relatively slight extra expense on a smaller event would be understandable, still doing the right thing, but most people would allow for fun still to exist. 

I'm sure the above happens, but my instinct is that a lot of people are still shit with money and are happy to kick things down the road where possible. Saying yes to quieten's one screaming arsehole kid is remarkably tempting I'm sure. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Rodders

[bobzy]

5 minutes ago, sidcow said:

WHAT?  PEOPLE GO ON HOLIDAY IN OCTOBER HALF TERM?

STRING THEM UP AND BEAT THEM WITH STICKS I SAY!!!!

I’m not abroad right now, honest 

[Seat68]

I am taking the grandson out of school a day early, abroad, to buy disney flavoured halloween crap. Its the perfect storm and I am proud of all of this.

[Rds1983]

1 hour ago, Seat68 said:

I have heard rumours that a costume for my dog has been bought and she will be walking round with my grandson. 

About 15 year's ago my (now) wife and I had just got our first place together and were celebrating Halloween. We put a pumpkin out front and lights on to let lods on the estate know they could knock on. About 30 mins in to it all there was a knock on our door and looked on in delight and aww at the toddler in a pumpkin outfit stood there with their mum and family dog at the end of the drive. At that point the toddler ran past us, through the hall and into our kitchen and was quickly followed by the dog who ran upstairs. The mum stood still at the end of the drive laughing leaving us to panic and chase them out the house.