And that's the best and the worst of the season. Worst? Yes. Think about it, how often have you ripped open a wrapper only to have your hopes crushed? "What a super jumper! How did you find such an interesting colour?" "Oh, red lace! Who knew you could sew so many spangles into so small a space?"
"Beige. How useful!"
"An accessory for my vacuum cleaner. I'll think about you every time I use it."
You know the kind of thing. The most exciting moment - the very peak, if you like - is that one just before you find a corner of wrapping to stick your finger into and tear. Everything that follows is almost certainly a let-down.
Maybe it's just me, but, as with much else in the world, the fun is in the anticipation and the imagined...
Obviously this is an entirely unscientific observation based on nothing more than decades of minor disappointments. Unlike the other side of the coin...
The people at Santander UK have carried out a proper survey and found that 26 per cent of householders don't read their utility bills and in more than a million homes bills don't get opened at all.
That means that up and down the country people are guessing about how much things cost, what they spend and, therefore, how much money they've got. Often this can lead to nasty surprises - forewarned is not standing in a shop feeling like a pillock when your payment fails.
It's kind of obvious, look at your bills and then you might find ways of reducing them too. I know several instances of people paying for at least two lots of the same thing - insurances and the like only because they didn't bother looking.
Of course, there are painless ways of cutting costs a little too. Santander UK (you didn't think they did the survey just for fun, did you?) has a 1/2/3 Current Account that gives you cash back of up to 3 per cent on some of your bills.
The moral of the story (or this post anyway) is:
- Don't open the presents you think might let you down.
- Do open the bills, even if you think you won't like what they say.
- And, get cashback as it's money for jam (and other things).
This post is in association with Santander UK.
