This is one of the videos in our budgeting series we produced with the Central Bank of Malta .
Let me introduce the ĠEMMA family. I am Tony. I am Maria’s husband. I work as a manager in a large business in the services industry. My wife, Maria is 40 years old and works in my father’s family business. We have two children: Matthias, our son who is 11 years old, and is now in secondary school, and Angele, our daughter who is 17 and is finishing upper-secondary school this scholastic year.
The summer clearance sales started this week. I asked Angele whether she wants to come shopping with me for the Christmas presents for nannu and nanna, and my elderly aunt who we are very close with. “Ma,” Angele responded, “int tlaqt jew!!??! Do you know it is still October?”
“Le, qisni ma nafx li qegħdin f’nofs Ottubrul!!! Ngħix fil-qamar, tgħid!! Sabiħa,” I responded. “Christmas shopping requires budgeting and planning like everything else. Otherwise come Xmas you pay bomba prices to buy presents for our loved ones. Well – I organise my Christmas shopping as follows:
- In October I look around the summer clearance sales. You know your Dad – he loves the sea and everything that has to do with summer. So I look around until I find something which he will surely like and use next summer.
- Black Friday, I browse around and a buy my Christmas treat for myself.
- And on Cyber Monday, well you know how crazy you are on gadgets, I buy your presents.
- In January, following the Christmas sales I buy branded sports stuff for half the price they would have been a week or so ago for Matthias.
- In April, following the winter clearance sales I buy branded beautiful winter clothes for nannu, nanna, and Zija Ġuża – again for half the price they would have been a week ago. Every year finds them a year older, and frailer, and this way I buy good quality winter clothes to keep them warm in long winter nights for a bargain.
Quality presents for all, which would cost me at least double the price had I to leave Xmas shopping till the last day. Do I know its mid-October? Tgħidx li le” ????????????????????????????????????
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