December 01, 2005

The True Cost of Christmas?

I love stuff like this!

You think saving for a new flat-panel plasma television or iPod Nano for the holidays is daunting? Be thankful you don't have to save for the original gifts of the "12 Days of Christmas."

To buy the partridge in a pear tree, the 12 drummers drumming and all the gifts in between in the verses of the famous song you'd have to shell out $18,348, according to PNC Advisors' annual survey. And if you were really true to the song, buying all the gifts including the repetitions? Those 364 items would cost a cool $72,608, up 9.5% from last year's $66,344.

Sure, gold rings are on the rise, increasing a cool 27.5% year-over-year.  But the real inflation comes with the birds (what with the avian flu scare and all...).  While the partridge in a pear tree only increased 12.90%, the six geese-a-laying increased a whopping 42.90% (!!!).  My dearest husband, I won't be getting you any geese this Christmas, sweetheart!

What was the priciest item on the list?  Well, it was close, but the nine ladies dancing edged out the swans-a-swimming.  I wonder what kind of dancing they were doing?  Hehheheheheehehehe!

Click on the link above and check out the itemized list - it's pretty funny to think about!