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In addition to rising prices and tariffs, readers cite growing unemployment as a reason not to exchange gifts this year
Americans are feeling rattled about the state of the economy. Donald Trump has batted away question after question from reporters on concerns over higher prices, just a year after he won an election promising to bring down costs.
While the White House has tried to reduce concern, floating tariff-funded $2,000 stimulus checks and removing import levies on certain agricultural imports, many consumers remain anxious.
Preparing for the holiday season, and bracing for the spending it often demands, Guardian readers across the US expressed apprehension – and explained how they plan to spend – in this economy. Many said the higher cost of necessities, like groceries, was imposing on their ability to buy gifts for family and friends.
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Being unemployed is very high the list of why I cut back, and my unemployment is directly caused by the Trump administration. Nearly everybody I know that is fully employed, across all kinds of different careers and industries, has had cutbacks/layoffs at work with threat of more to come, so they’re all very cautious about spending in general (not just holidays). Even self-employed folks in what are typically solid trades seem to be struggling more than I would have expected.
Personally, I’ve decided I’m not traveling to see family this year and I’m not buying any gifts, aside from a few toys for younger relatives. Since I don’t know how much longer I’ll be unemployed or if I’ll be able to find something with comparable pay and benefits to what I had, it doesn’t make sense to spend on gas, vehicle maintenance, stamps, etc for the foreseeable future.
As an aside, I ended up at Walmart this morning on Black Friday, though I wasn’t going for any of the sales stuff. I was dreading it. While I’m sure it was busier than a typical Friday morning, it was an “I’ve seen it busier on a random Tuesday night in April” kind of situation. I know that the situation at one Walmart I was in for 30 minutes or less on Black Friday doesn’t count for squat and there are a plethora of reasonable explanations as to why it didn’t seem particularly busy, but it does fit suspiciously into the general theme of a struggling economy with lots more people than normal cutting back due to concerns about their economic outlook. It will be interesting to see the official data, though with this administration it’s not like that will be particularly accurate or trustworthy.
Funny enough, on the way to the store I had a flashback to the days leading up to the 2024 election when the super basic yard signs were all over the place around here with slogans like “Trump low prices, Kamala high prices”. Of course, I knew it was absurd even back then, but now it just seems all the more ridiculous as I look back through my grocery expenditures and realize that even with all the cutbacks I’ve made this year, I’m still spending more while getting a lot less.
The wealthy already got their Christmas bonus from the US government months ago
That’s what’s funny to me.
MAGA people somehow think they are all playing on the same team but the rich don’t give a shit about the US.
If the US went to shit tomorrow they would just wait it out on their yachts in the Mediterranean or buy themselves citizenship somewhere else.
The wealthy don’t give a shit about your one horse town or flyover state. They would sell you out for a dollar if they could.
The Felon in Chief can bluster all he likes. When people don’t have the money to spend, they ain’t gonna spend it.
This is also why the Trump administration is considering helicopter money checks. These types of hand-outs can give people a sense of having money. The problem is that it ultimately drives inflation. We saw this with the stimulus checks during the pandemic. Arguably, something was needed then to support people during an actual emergency. But part of the inflation problems we have now can be traced back to those checks.
“Tariff” checks may give a short boost to holiday buying. But the long term damage is not going to be worth it to anyone but Trump. And that assumes the short term benefits last through the 2026 midterms.
Happy Buy Nothing Day! Week! Month! Starve the Beast! Only spend at local and small businesses.
Nah it’s cool my $5k DOGE check is totally in the mail.
Yeah, I’m not buying shit this year. I’m saving up for emigration fees, and moving expenses.
It’s simply not worth it anymore. Why the hell do ungrateful and unappreciative people need to be spent highly on anyways? Why do children need to have hundreds spent on them anyways?
Seriously, holiday spending has long been a luxury for the wealthy.
But we’re the HOTTEST COUNTRY IN A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, MANY PEOPLE SAY HOTTEST COUNTRY IN HISTORY
