Just to get this out of the way, I’m not saying women lie. It’s just that women sometimes tell only half the story (way different than a lie). We recently did a survey with more than 300 women asking them about how they would shop this year to see if there were remarkable differences from last year’s rosier financial times. Sixty-one percent of women agreed that holidays are the one time of year to stick with gift giving, even in this economy, but later revealed in droves (80%) “I’m cutting back this year.” What’s that about?
We tell these Half Truths because we wish we could still be as generous but the Whole Truth reality is that our dwindling bank accounts are too darn sad to splurge. At our house, the holiday traditions have gone from quaint to lame. Now we email links of what we want to our relatives and then they click and send. Thoughtful, no? The fun of a surprise present is basically gone and I don’t even have the guts to ask for anything too indulgent for fear of appearing selfish.
This year’s list included sheets and a new hair straightening iron. Basically things I’m too lazy or cheap to go buy myself. My deserving husband won’t even get a gift from me (and neither will 37% of husbands in our survey) and we are hoping to get away without buying our toddler twins anything at all. We figure that the relatives will buy them toys and clothing (I’ve sent all of the links) and in the gift wrap mayhem our 3 year olds won’t stop to ask “what did you get me?”
Yup, I even tell my kids Half Truths. What’s the biggest Half Truth YOU told this season?
We're going to give away 3 copies of the book "What She’s Not Telling You
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