Commentary

‘Have a little compassion’: Americans talk high holiday prices, anxiety

December 11, 2024

Dr. Frank Luntz (Commentary Contributor)

Americans share their concerns and anxieties about shopping for gifts and dealing with high holiday prices. — Image credit: Getty Images

All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

American shoppers say they will spend a record high amount this year on holiday gifts and expenses, up 8% from the same time last year. While the holidays are meant to be a time of celebration, those with tight budgets can experience acute anxiety from the costs associated with travel, gifts, and taking time off work to be with friends and family.

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Watch the above 25-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Americans to share how they’re making ends meet this holiday season, what gifts they’re choosing when everything costs more, and why they believe the economy is worse this year than last.

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All opinions expressed in this article are solely the opinions of the contributors.

This is such a timely conversation what it’s like to experience stress and anxiety this holiday season. I want to know how you’re making ends meet. I want to understand how you’re deciding what gifts to get and who to get them for. And most importantly, what advice you have for the American people right now, at the end of this year, when things seem to be so difficult for so many so let’s start with a single sentence to describe the holiday season in terms of your shopping and the gifts you plan to give.
Kevin from Minnesota, sticking to a budget and thinking about long term use. Heather from Georgia,
keeping spending down and just getting essentials. John from Nevada, spending less money. Overall, more lower price gifts, so that there’s an abundance of gifts under the tree, but overall spending less on those. Sepi from Virginia,
focusing more on the quality of the gift versus the quantity of the presents. Ryan from Maryland, we start early and end early. Stick to a budget and get things that that they need. David from Michigan, uh, really just want to cash in those on those large discounts during those promotional sales. Louise from Florida, uh, moving to more of an online shopping versus going to a physical store and definitely reducing the amount has to not go into debt. The era, from Texas, I look forward to holiday shopping. I’ve done a lot already, and mainly I’ll be shopping online. Yesenia from Connecticut, doing most of my shopping online and doing it early, as well as keeping the budget under 100 per person. You all are typical Americans in every possible way, and yet, I hear from you that your budget conscious. I hear from you that you’re putting on limits. Is this year a good shopping year or a bad shopping year? Raise your hands if you say it’s a good shopping year. You can be able to get what you want for the people you want. 123, of you who sets? Is it? Four of you who sets? Is a tough shopping year, a difficult shopping year. Raise your hands. More of you. Can you tell me? Why? Can I get three of you to tell me why? This is a difficult year, any three of you, inflation, everything costs a lot more.
And you know when, when you sit there and you look at the budget, and incomes aren’t increasing very much, and you look at the cost of things, you just have to scale back, John, there’s just no more money left over after the paycheck. It’s just all being eaten up by fundamentals, and
it’s creating a lot of stress because you can’t
do things for your family in this time of year that you know, every other year I’ve been able to do somebody else. Every year my I get a bonus, and this year, my bonus is going more to catch up on my bills that we’re behind on, versus being able to spend it all on the Christmas. Couple more of you? Why is this a difficult year? Everything is so expensive now, and I think we don’t need that much anymore. My kids have a lot of things. So why should we spend more money for things that we don’t need anymore? Do you feel that the economy is a little bit better this year than it was a year ago? Do you feel it’s a little bit worse this year than it was a year ago. By show of hands. Who thinks it’s a little bit better? Raise your hands. One of you, two, three of you who thinks it’s worse, a little worse than it was last year? Raise your hands. Almost all of you. Asia. Why is it worse? I’ve just heard back from so many people just about everywhere I go, at my job, you know, my customers, my co workers, everyone’s just kind of on the same page with having tough times trying to find money for food. And it’s kind of like a majority of people are just in survival mode. Wow. John, why is it worse? Groceries and gasoline? You know, the fundamentals have skyrocketed, and that’s pinched the budget, but also I’m in sales, and I’m finding my customers this year just do not have disposable income to make purchases that they can delay or put off, which directly impacts my income tier. Or why is it worse for me, rent has increased. Like I feel like even big companies are trying to make more money all of a sudden. And as I’ve been going shopping, I’ve noticed the same toys that I bought last year increased about $15 more. So I just think everybody has put an additional amount of money on everything. Couple more of you.
You tell me why. It’s worse. Everything works on your dollar. Don’t go to anywhere near what it what it used to go somebody else. I know someone else said it, but the cost of groceries alone, I mean, my groceries for a family of five have more than doubled.
That’s definitely true beyond inflation, beyond inflation and with groceries, we’re facing a steep increase in our property taxes as well, as well, and it seems like we’re getting hit on every single possible thing is going up by 10% every single year. Anyone else gasoline prices also. Gasoline prices went up, and people are having to not have expendable disposable income as much you know, doesn’t spread as as much as the dollar used to spread. Now a couple of you did say that it’s better this year. Who are the better people? Raise your hands so Sepi, David and Asia, why do you think it’s better right now? Set people start with you. Um,
I don’t think that for most people, it feels better. But I think that some of the basic prices of groceries, or like something like eggs there, some of them have come down, or at least it’s the same, if not
slightly lower, or more options of it. But I don’t think that it’s necessarily higher. I think it’s just the same, and we’re all just feeling it more.
So what message would you send to the business community right now? Christmas is approaching us. It’s only days away. What do you want the business community to know about the challenges that you face anyone if businesses want to make their year end sales objectives, they really need to be aggressive on discounting before that last week of Christmas, earlier is going to be better, because once my budget’s tapped out, it’s done even if they come out with aggressive discounts. So I would go earlier deeper discounts if they’re really struggling to make their end of year revenue targets. Somebody else. Be transparent if you’re saying that you get to buy four things, and you get the fifth thing off once you go through and find that, and then you get to your cart, and it’s actually it had to be within this specific page, or this specific part of the website or something, or any of the little details, just be transparent about it somebody else. Yeah, I believe the as far as what set the I think was
online shopping, there’s so many scams and some that needs to be regulated. I’m not big for that kind of stuff, but there’s too many people in there that are taking advantage
where the thing looks great, but once it gets to you, it’s not anywhere near so I would suggest to everybody, if you’re looking at Some, read the reviews of that company and that product, somebody else, just retailers offering the best discounts they can the next week or two. And you know, if I know, small businesses are struggling, but if they can, you know, offer up some incentives for local folks to come by their goods. Thomas, what advice do you have in the business community in this holiday shopping season, I’m probably going to be opposite of everyone. I’m not really sour on businesses. I believe, I believe, just like everyone here, businesses are also struggling
when it comes to, you know, making sure selling products to be, you know, they have to be profitable, obviously. But, you know, I’ve seen the emails. I give them daily for extended Black Friday deals, even all the way up to to today. So, I mean, I I see that the deals are there. I just don’t know. For you know, your common consumer, there’s just any
extra to give. And I think, I think we’ve finally hit that point where it’s, you know, you know, are you going to go into debt or you’re not going to go into debt same way with companies, you know, I know they’ve probably purchased up a lot of product to drop their price so they can extend these sales. Okay, what advice do you have for the politicians in Washington as we approach this Christmas season? And remember, there will be children who will watch this video
for your responses. What advice do you have for Washington? You’re still working. You’re not done working until the term is done. Your your term in office, and we need a lot of work done before the next administration. So I don’t care that it’s
whatever holiday it is.
Is
your job is to work for the American people, and that should be priority over any holiday. Heather, what advice do you have for the politicians in Washington? It’s a tough one. I think, you know, just like Sepi said, you know, do your job if there’s any, any price gouging, anything suspicious going on. You know, of course, you’re you’re here, they’re here for the people, and we are the people, and just work for us. Give people a sense of optimism. I know they can’t put tax breaks in it before the end of the year, but if they can just show leadership that they can get out in front of the cameras and say things are going to get better, we’re on a good trajectory to turn this economy around. Optimism can do a lot to fuel people’s spending habits Well, as you feel like things are going to get better,
then you’re more willing to take a risk and spend a little more money. Melinda, how would you answer that question? For me, just have a little compassion for the people. It’s been a tough struggle economically for everybody, and I mean, the world is just deteriorating rapidly, and we need something to grasp a hold of that’s going to give us some hope, do something simple as go to their individual communities, their congressional districts, if you will, and just be thankful for the people like a little town hall or going door to door for a few just for a little community, just something to show their face at this time to say, Hey, we got You. It’s going to get better. Much of what people have said here, but I would encourage them to go into their community. I think that would be great. How would you answer this?
I agree. I would say, Make us proud. You know, do something for the people that we can all feel good about during this holiday season. Do something different. Don’t know what the different is, but I really like the idea of going into the community, you know, in the Washington area, just showing something that we’ve never seen before, especially during this time. Kevin from Minnesota, your response, yeah, I think government got us into this mess. I don’t trust a lame duck Congress and a president of questionable faculties to get us out of it, I agree. Get back out into your communities, spread some optimism and get people excited about what’s going on into 2025 John, you’re nodding your head, yeah, I agree with the getting out in the communities. And because you work for they work for us. And I think that’s something that our government’s forgotten. They work for the people we make we’re the ones that put them in office. We’re the one that pays, pays their salary and for them to get out in the community and just hold, hold town halls here and there, because I I don’t ever see any of my representatives, the only time I hear from is, is when they’re complaining about something then, and I think they need to reach across the aisle give each other a hug up there in DC. Man, go a long way. Work together. John from Nevada agreed.
I think if they whenever they come out in the local community, it’s always a photo op or something they can use as a sound bite for a political ad. There doesn’t seem to be any sincerity or authenticity to really get out and talk to the average everyday person about what’s happening in their lives.
So I hear the words anxiety and I hear stress. Who’s going through that right now? A great deal of anxiety or stress in dealing with the shopping and dealing with the holiday season. Raise your hands if you’re going through that right now. Okay, I’m going to try to get a bunch of you here. My wife and I are on social security, so we have a fixed income, and when prices are continued to increase. Yeah, they it might be increasing smaller lately, but the increases from the last few years are still there, and that that causes a lot of anxiety is, you know, are we going to make it paying the bills this month.
It, you know, there’s stress involved there. Heather, what is that stress? What’s the anxiety to you? Can you explain it? Yeah, you know, when I look at it, I’ve got it Great job, great career,
but money just doesn’t go as far as it used to. So, you know, we’ve got three kids in elementary school, and, you know, when I look at, you know, just basic things, like, you know, not only is it Christmas, but you know, school, you know it’s public school, but you’ve got to buy all these things and do all these things, and the money just doesn’t go as far. So, you know.
Stressful. And you know, even though we raise our kids to know you’re not going to get everything that you ask for. You know, this year it’s even more so, you know, look, we’ve really got to stream back. And you may want this, but it’s not going to happen this year. James, explain the anxiety and stress that you’re experiencing during this shopping season. Well, just the over commercialism, you know, getting back to too many crowds. You know, having the weight in lines. You know, having to be overspending and worrying about the budget, not having enough money for everything and not getting the best quality. You know, it has to maybe cut back spending. The most stressful part is having a limited income in December that
I need to allocate towards my fundamentals, groceries, rent, car insurance and so on, and feeling guilty about spending money for gifts, for things that to try and do for your family? It doesn’t seem right that we’re in a situation where you can’t feel good about spending that little bit of money on some gifts, because you feel like, well, that money should really be going towards fundamentals, food, utilities, property taxes, all that, and John from Ohio describe the stress and anxiety you have right now. How am I? How am I going to pay for Christmas with all the higher prices now? And yeah, my incomes went up a little bit, but it’s nothing compared to four or five years ago, where I had a savings account that I could fall back on. I don’t have that savings account no more. That dwindled very quickly, and because of the inflation, all the prices went through the roof. And now I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for Christmas and continue to keep my bills up to date without falling any further behind on what I am. You know, I don’t. I don’t have that cushion that I used to have four or five years ago in a savings account. My rent just went up, just randomly went up. So I’m focused on the roof over top of my family, hit my family’s head, rather than getting like expensive gifts that I’m used to doing. So it is a hard time for me, because I just want to, I don’t ever want to struggle where we’re trying to figure out how to pay bills. The bills come first, and then, you know, gifts can come last. John from Ohio, yeah, pretty much same as what she said. The bills gotta get paid, and I can’t, I can’t afford the more expensive gifts anymore, least not this year.
Someone please tell me who you blame, who or what do you blame for this situation that you face? Joe Biden, yeah, I did not want to do politics here, but unfettered capitalism, unfettered capitalism, unfettered capitalism, can you explain why Cepi
businesses just do whatever they want, regardless of the repercussions that it has on either the economy or the people that they’re supposed to be serving? Sometimes it’s price gouging. Other times it’s
holding stuff back, or just, they’re just taking advantage of every single thing that they can in every way. And I mean, at a certain point, how much more do you want when people don’t have enough to eat, or no shelter or no food for their kids? I mean, just make sure everyone has the basics, and then you can count your millions and billions, but once you get past that point, I just don’t understand how they can put their profits that much over just the basic welfare of people. Melinda, who or what do you blame? Well, I blame COVID 19
because it seems like everything just went awry, and then once it did get back on track, people were just, I mean, things that your items at the store got smaller, but the prices got more, and it’s just, I don’t know, it’s just a multitude. It’s just like a big crock pot of just a mess. It’s just one big mess. Louise, who or what do you blame for this situation? I think, in a nutshell, just the incompetence of the overall government,
just making ridiculous
decisions that affected all of us, from gas prices to food as to why we can’t purchase anything currently. So I place total blame on the current administration Asia. Who do you blame? I have to agree with previous lady, COVID 19. I think it just put everything in a choke hold like nothing has been the same.
Team since then, our economy, businesses, just overall. John from Nevada, who or what do you blame? Cost of energy is pivotal. Pivotal. It is a domino effect in the entire economy. Every box of cereal, gallon of milk, had to get to the grocery shelf through a truck, a train, a boat.
Everything that we could have done to increase energy supply, to bring the cost of energy down, was not done, and so it’s just a supply and demand situation. When you cut energy production, the price is going to go up, and that gets passed along to the consumer. And it’s in every single thing the consumer purchases. It all got there through some sort of car, truck, plane, boat, whatever. Brian, who or what do you blame the fellow that just spoke hit the nail on the head for me, it was the energy. 95% of all trucks and trains run on diesel fuel. We don’t have an electric grid that’s big enough to switch over as fast as they want us to switch over. They shouldn’t have made a war on fossil fuel. I mean, it just, it doesn’t make any sense. That’s, that’s a that’s probably the number one reason that in the COVID spending, like the other fellows said,
so, I do these focus groups every week to bring the voices of the American people to the American people. Many of you, a clear majority of you, are stressed or anxious. A clear majority of you are being infected by or affected by inflation and high prices. What do you want the American people to know, and, more importantly, to understand about your situation, as we’re supposed to be celebrating a holiday, but for so many of you, it’s hardly a celebration. Wow. Many of us are stressed and prices are up. Things in the world seem like, you know, they’re really going the wrong way, but it’s Christmas. The reason for the season is the hope for the future that we could we you know, increase in your faith in times like these. It helps you out. Heather, what do you want America to know? Um, Christmas is, is a holiday. It’s, it’s not about the gifts, it’s not about the money that that you spend. Um,
I’m a Christian, so I believe, you know, we you’re here celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Everybody’s struggling. It’s not just one of us, it’s all of us, and we’re all in it together. And you know, even if we can’t buy the best gifts we want, and even if we can’t do all the things we want to do, we’re here. We have our families, and we should all be thankful for that. John from Nevada, what do you want America to know? Man, be kind to one each other. That person standing in front of you in line at the grocery store, you know, maybe they’re spending their last dollar. It’s just I’m getting so sick of the negativity in the world and the dog eat dog mentality.
You know kindness can go a long way to your fellow neighbor, just to give them put a smile on their face and maybe give them a little blip of happiness during the season that is supposed to be about peace on earth and goodwill towards men. We’re all struggling, but if we do a little bit of kindness for each other every day, it could lift the whole society up Asia. What advice do you have for America this holiday season? My advice would be as difficult as it’s been this year, just for one day to put aside that anxiety and that stress and enjoy the small things. Be appreciative for what you do have, and
just be hopeful for next Christmas that it may go more in your favor. And Melinda, what advice do you have for America this holiday season? Just enjoy that you’re still here, and be hopeful for a better future for us all, and speak kind more. Just be considerate of the what the other person may be going through. Kindness goes a long way. I love that. I love how many of you focused on kindness, and this is why we do this. I did not know what you were going to offer us. I think it’s a great message. And the purpose of these discussions is for real people to be able to articulate real concerns, particularly at this time of year. So I want to thank you for your.
Participation, and just know that your voices will be heard, they’ll be appreciated, and from me, they’re certainly respected. So on behalf of of all the people here at America speaks only on straight arrow news, I want to thank you for your participation and have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

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