"Merry.... May you not go broke this Christmas!"

We all know Christmas is the most expensive time of the year. I actually think they should change the expression "Merry Christmas" to "May you not go broke Christmas". I found an article in Forbes magazine that added up the numbers of the "Joyous Season".

• The average U.S. household will send 26 cards this Christmas
• U.S postal workers will have 1.9 billion holiday cards to deliver by Dec. 25
• $42.55 will be spent on average for Christmas decorations this year (lights, ornaments and, of course, the tree)
• Some 27 million Christmas trees will be purchased this year, and that doesn't include artificial trees
• Christmas shoppers will spend an average of $580.56 on gifts this year, up from the $539.80 they spent last year
• 40% of those interviewed are hoping for electronic gadgets under the tree. Hot items this year are MP3 players (with iPod at the top), Microsoft's Xbox 360 and high-definition televisions

The only good news about Christmas is that we don't have to deal with the age-old philosophical dilemma of what to buy for our relatives or loved ones. Just get them a Gift Card for their favorite store. Or, even better, offer them a "Gift Card" from American Express so they can buy groceries if they feel like.

HO, HO, HO.... I am sure the guys on Wall Street are the ones enjoying the most all this Christmas spending