“Irish People Are Just Living To Work” – Mairead Farrell On Why This Christmas, We Shouldn’t Bother Trying To Be Big Spenders

Maybe it’s because winter had really arrived with a bang.

The evening are so dark and, lets face it, the news has been pretty grim over the last week. Yesterday, I had the exact same sad conversation with two different groups of people – and neither of those conversations was started by me. 

I had lunch with a male friend and he was telling me that although he has a full-time job, he is struggling with everything right now.

He even met with an accountant (who is a mate of his) to go through things and check if he’s doing things the right way regarding bills and mortgage etc.

He said his only real debt is his mortgage, which he is meeting, but there just isn’t any extra money at all at the end of each month…. nothing. Then last night I had to attend a funeral of a 97-year-old lady (lovely Joan, RIP). At the reception afterwards I was chatting to my friend and her cousins and the exact same conversation was being had. 

One girl is working a 47 hour week, and said the only reason she survives is because of her overdraft. She’s not a massive spender, hasn’t taken a holiday at all this year and drives a modest 2003 car. She was saying she feels like there are no options here; it’s just bleak. There’s nothing to do but work to pay bills, and by the time you’ve done that there’s no money or energy left in you to do anything else. Irish people are just living to work, and that’s just those of us lucky enough to be working at all.

These people, (my friends), are NOT ones who went on crazy spending sprees during the boom. In fact, the group of girls I was chatting to were all still living at home then. 

Christmas is only eight weeks away, the streetlights are up, the shop decorations are twinkling. But those pretty fairy lights and trees make everyone feel like they are under so much pressure…

So lets just really be honest this year, and say “I don’t have it” – if you say it your friends will too and then maybe, just maybe, we can get off this treadmill we are all on and just enjoy some time together, with no pressure (or even just a little less pressure).

And say it together – this isn’t our fault… but unfortunately it’s our problem to solve.