Money Matters - Christmas Week: The 12 days Of Christmas
BOSTON (CBS) - In the Christmas poem the 12 days of Christmas, this guy wants to impress his true love with gifts between Christmas and the Epiphany (January 6th). According to the PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index, it would cost him $23,439 this year.
[Audio https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/i/cbslocal/wp-content/uploads/sites/3859903/2010/12/december-23-2010-money-matters.mp3|titles=The 12 days Of Christmas|artists=Dee Lee]
An increase of close to $2,000 over last year and nearly double what it cost in 1984. A good example of what inflation can do to your Christmas budget.
So I decided we could do the 12 days of Christmas much cheaper.
A partridge in a pear tree cost $162. Stick a branch in some dirt in a flowerpot, head to Wal-Mart, and buy the Partridge Family Christmas CD for $7.
2 Turtle Doves cost $100 up from $56 last year. Get two bars of Dove chocolate for $5.
3 French Hens are going for $150, triple what they cost last year, but you can get Perdue hens on sale at 99 cents a pound and cook them in a French casserole for $9.
4 Calling birds at $600, much too much! According to my research they are Colly birds which are just black birds. Noisy and nasty creatures so we can easily substitute here. Buy the Beatles The White Album that has the song Blackbird on it for $22 at Amazon.
5 Golden rings cost $650, a decent price for gold but you can get brass rings, a bit less showy but still bright and shiny. Cost about a buck each at Home Depot.
6 Geese a-laying $150. Geese are messy and everywhere. I have a flock in my backfield. $0 dollars if you come and chase them away. There is no market for goose eggs.
7 Swans-a-swimming, these birds are expensive at $5,600. Instead, give your true love a gift certificate for a trip in the spring to the Boston Garden and a ride on the swan boats. Cost for gas $10, parking $20, swan boat $5.50 for 2 adult tickets. Total $41.
8 Maids a-milking $58, they are getting minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Here we can buy the end product for under $3 a gallon on sale.
9 Ladies dancing for $6,273.
10 Lords a leaping for $4766, well you can get both ladies and lords at the Nutcracker, mezzanine tickets are going for $67 each. Cost $124.
11 Pipers $2356.
12 Drummers $2552. My alternative, turn on the Rose Bowl parade on New Year's day and watch all of the bands strutting their stuff. Cost $0.
My total: $238 a savings of over $23,000.
