Who is the Daddy: Message for every Christmas

Oh dear. We have this little chat around this time every year, don’t we? And do you listen? No so far you haven’t.
Who is the Daddy?Who is the Daddy?
Who is the Daddy?

In the past, you might as well have jammed your fingers in your ears and shouted: “La la la, Who’s The Daddy? I’m not listening!”

Christmas is 22 days away - apologies to anyone who just fainted - and we’re all feeling the pressure to make it a bit special this year.

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We’ve had a rotten 2020 and the temptation is to whack it on the plastic, enjoy wine, women and song for a few days of bawdy hedonism (or let’s be honest, drifting off into a flatulent, post-dinner doze in front of the TV) and hope tomorrow takes care of itself.

But it doesn’t. It never has and it never will. You always hope something turns up but it won’t. It never has, has it? If you only remember one thing you read today, make it this: Please don’t go into debt to pay for Christmas. If you haven’t been laid off yet then you know plenty of friends and ex-workmates who have. Nobody in your family is expecting miracles this Christmas, so don’t die trying.

You might feel you’re letting your children down but kids aren’t daft, they know more than they let on. They’ve seen the news every day for the past nine months, just like you. Money’s tight and they know it. And if you think times are tough at the minute, they’ll get even worse when your terrifying credit card bill/friendly neighbourhood loan shark turns up at your house and wants paying. Now.

Without wishing to go all Martin Lewis, December 25’s appearance isn’t a shock. It’s been in the same place on the calendar for a looooong time.

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The boss introduced me to the miracles of budgeting and not spending what you haven’t got. Yeah, I know. Revolutionary. Back in the day an overdraft limit was seen as a challenge.

Like everyone who knows what they’re doing, she saved up for Christmas every month, all through the year. And what she had come December, that was her pot.

Honestly, if I’ve learned one thing since we got married in 1998 it’s this: Listen to your wife, she knows you better than you know yourself.

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