Has Christmas Gotten Too Expensive to Enjoy in the Gem State?

The holidays are a special time, but it can be a tad stressful. While Christmas bonuses are nice, they typically are not enough to help with all the spending that takes place during the holidays. Some will save up for holiday shopping, others will buy throughout the year to spread the money, and many will wait to do all of their shopping in the month building up to Christmas, which financially can be stressful. While the holidays typically take a toll on the bank account, this year it appears to take a bigger chunk than most years. Has Christmas gotten too expensive to enjoy in Idaho, and what can be done to make it more affordable?

The Cost of Christmas in Idaho

While it is expected that your bank account will take a hit during the holidays, the cost of everything rising over the last few years has made it tough to prepare for and has made it where many families are struggling to have the type of Christmas that they prefer. It isn't only gifts that are causing this issue, as nearly everything has gone up in cost. Between travel, food, presents, bills, and decorations, the cost of Christmas has gotten to the point that not every family will be able to afford it soon. An example of how expensive things are getting is that three years ago a carton of eggnog was around $3.50 to $4. In 2024, that same carton is now going for between $6.50 to $7. Three dollars may not sound like much, but as the cost of everything rises, paychecks have stayed the same, meaning in the next few years that same carton could be $10. 

Is Christmas Too Expensive in Idaho?

Christmas is supposed to be the season of giving, but according to the cost of everything, it appears to be the season of stealing from customers. If someone wants to travel for the holidays, the cost of flights has gone up over the last few years, as well as gas prices. As mentioned above, the cost of eggnog and food has gone up, making it more expensive to prepare a holiday feast. When it comes to buying presents, action figures that were $5.99 once upon a time, now are closer to $20 or $25, despite being made the same way they were 20 years ago. During the holidays there are many fun events to attend, and the cost of these events continues to rise every year, making it that soon only those who are rich will be able to enjoy holiday festivities. Luckily, there are plenty of fun and free events to enjoy as well, but others will have plenty of people left out in the future. 

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The holidays are expensive, and the cost of everything continues to rise each year. Soon, Christmas will only be enjoyed by those who can afford it, while the rest of us will have to enjoy it the old-fashioned way and rely on the true meaning of Christmas, instead of letting all the corporations take all of our money. While it is too late to save up for Christmas this year, it might be time to start saving for Christmas 2025, as it is likely to be more expensive next year.