[LJ2ME] "It's that time of year again..."

[sconstant]

That time of the year = time for me to see the occasional "husband leads his wife outside to show her a holiday surpise gift of a car with a big bow on it.". There are more and more variations on the theme but each one causes the same reaction in me, viz., if someone buys me a car as a surprise, it better be someone whose finances are not

Comments

[trom]

It's targeted at people who make money like you do so that you'll turn to your hubby and say "buy me a car for xmas" or for folks who make money like I used to so I'll turn to my sweetie and say "wouldn't you love a car for xmas?" I think it's the same sort of present like engagement rings are for lots of people these days, where they go shopping together and discuss it heavily so there is no surprise or anything.

[jacflash]

The engagement ring comparison is useful. This sort of marketing -- particularly Lexus's current TV ads -- reminds me a lot of the "two months' salary" thing that De Beers did for years, successfully creating a world in which guys who spend less than two months' salary on a rock are seen as losers. They're creating expectations.

And FWIW, it's working. I know several people at Fidelity who have given or received luxury cars at Xmas in recent years. These are people in our general socioeconomic neighborhood (director/VP types), not super-wealthy folks. Of course, the fact that Fidelity (like many other investment firms) gives many employees a huge annual bonus in mid-December is definitely a contributing factor.

(Oh, and if anyone reading this is so inspired, a black/black Corvette coupe with manual transmission and the Z51 sports package would be lovely. Thx.)

[sconstant]

I think the "two months salary" was genius, in that it was like a flat tax on income, they get two months of blood out of every stone, no matter what size. (No, I'm not meaning to comment on conflict diamonds, I swear.) Even if you didn't hit the two month mark, it was going to make you increase what you were spending to some extent.

I can't remember where I read an article that had different odd economic indicators, including the sales of "car bows". I wish I could. I get that it's working, I just boggle at how.

I will work on the Corvette which is none more black, but please be careful as you accelerate to pass beggars riding horses at that point.

[reesei]

My aunt bought my uncle a very very very expensive car that he had always wanted for Christmas one year. The kind of expensive that involves having to move large sums of money between accounts, and the kind of secret that involves trying to keep your husband from knowing that you are moving large sums of money between accounts, thus involving strange behavior involving secret discussions with the accountant, that might perhaps be confused with other secret-keeping behavior that would lead to improper conclusions if one did not know the whole story.

For most people, it's rather difficult to actually secretly buy a car, if both parties have access to all bank accounts. Cars cost a lot.

(Me, I'm with sconstant. Not nearly so much romantic on that one; much more so anger at not being involved in major financial decision that would affect both of us.)

[crouchback]

The wagonloads of money is the big thing, I think.

moontoad and I talk about almost all financial decisions and expenditures, which can make getting surprise gifts difficult. But we have a certain threshold for where it becomes important, and I usually take out amounts just under that threshold for several months before occasions where I plan to get her a gift.

If I gave her a car, I think she'd be a bit upset, since we really can't afford one.

I always want to see the coda to those commercials, where it is a few years later, and the husband t ells his wife "The car counts for the next two Christmasses," or where you see them making payments on the car a few years later.

[sconstant]

A friend of mine just got a gift paid for similarly, with surreptitious under-the-radar withdrawals.

A. and I have "blow money" which is a fund we each have with monthly deposits, from which expenditure is entirely at the blow money owner's discretion, including for gifts for others. It's more of a theoretical "fund" though, not a separate private account, so we still would see it if the other person charged something on the credit card, but it wouldn't blow the budget.

I would imagine it counts for the next few birthdays, anniversaries, and other days too. "Kids, it's Mother's Day! Bring your mom breakfast in bed - no, wait, brexus in the Lexus!"

[khedron]

reesei and I actually have allowances. I'd say it was a return to high school, except that I didn't actually get those then...

It's nice. I can donate to political campaigns or support shareware or whatnot, and she can save extra Roth money away or buy anime or whatever. And they're for gifts, too. They're different actual accounts, although we do usually use credit cards anyway and then transfer money in afterwards, so, like yours, it's not completely secret.

[leeble]

Yeah, gifts are hard if you're sharing finances :) Mine is of the "I spent this much at X and it's for a gift, and you can get the actual receipt before the end of the month unless they bill us for the wrong amount."

With the car, we actually need a new (to us) car, and have been going back and forth on what to get. And I want to spend more than he does :) (and looking at our driving habits, and what sort of car would fit that best)

So if a brand new convertible showed up with my name on it I'd be thrilled - but I'm completely not holding my breath ;) (turns out that certain cars are silly to buy used because the used price of a 2004 is the same as the new price of a 2006 - like convertibles and hybrids)