A Materialized Holiday

Today, there is so much pressure about buying the right gift that parents are setting their children up for disappointment. Children love the aspect of looking through catalogs or online and creating a massive wish list to give to their parents and Santa Claus! By parents giving into these wishes and getting children everything on their wish list, children expect the same thing to happen every year making the holiday season more and more materialistic.

Christmas in Canada has grown to be such a materialistic holiday. Children (for the most part) are solely focused on presents and what will be under the tree on Christmas morning. Adults are more focused on the "giving" part of Christmas and create so much debt over the holidays buying unnecessary presents for the people in their lives. Every individual has a different purchasing behaviour and will respond to the concept of gift giving in different ways, some behaviours will create a positive effects while others will have a negative effect.



After thinking about the holidays and the tradition of gift giving, I asked myself - why do people give gifts in the first place? More importantly, how does gift giving drive my consumer behavior? For many, gift giving expresses a sense of gratitude but parents are going overboard with gifts that presents become the focal point of the holidays.

Another aspect that contributes to the materialistic aspect of Christmas and gift giving is advertisements. Whether it be on TV, the newspaper, the radio or magazines, advertising is telling people what they need to buy and influencing their purchasing behavior. Every year, there tends to be one toy that every child must have. This sense of need is created by advertising and these advertisement affect both children and adults by creating the perception that a particular toy is so important and must be found under the Christmas tree.  I remember when the Tickle-Me Elmo was the must have gift of the season and parents would do absolutely anything to get their hands on this gift so that their children were not disappointed on Christmas. This gift was meant for young children so the advertisement was aimed at the parents. Through proper advertising techniques, parents believed that they had to get this toy for their child or else would feel a sense of disappointment. I know that still to this day, the method and timing of an advertisement can greatly influence my decision or desire to purchase a product.

In my opinion, parents need to start teaching their children the main meaning of Christmas and demonstrate that it is not all about the presents under the tree. Yes sure, gift giving has become a very large part of the holiday season but consumer behaviour is driving this need to buy and give gifts. Today's young generation doesn't seem to care about anything other than gifts and have become increasingly greedy. As good as it may feel to be able to give these gifts during the holidays, families need to teach children that gifts are not everything if we want to keep the roots of the holiday season grounded in society.

Should Price Influence Everything?

For the majority of my life, I have always been an Apple user. Mac computers have always been my automatic go to when purchasing a laptop or essentially any computer. When my MacBook Pro died after five years, I couldn't afford another one at the time so I chose to buy a PC instead. Everyone told me it would be fine and that I would save a lot of money but in reality, I knew I still wanted another MacBook.


Despite my gut feeling, I bought a PC because it was half the price of and still had all the programs I needed for school. As I began to maneuver through Windows 8, I tried to convince myself that this new computer was best for me and was all I needed. After a mere year and half, the hard drive and motherboard stopped working. Since the warranty was up, I could either pay to have it fixed or once again, purchase a new computer. This is where the components of individual decision making come into play.

Considering the importance of purchasing a new computer, I had to decipher whether or not it was worth getting my old one fixed or if a new computer would satisfy my needs. Due to the cost of purchasing a new MacBook Pro, extended problem solving was needed to make the purchase. Unlike going to the store to buy milk and eggs that are a routine purchase, I had only ever bough two other computers in my lifetime and needed to ultimately weigh all my options.

The next day, I went to a Future Shop where I could compare both a PC and a MacBook side by side to look at the difference and decide whether or not I really needed a new computer or if it was simply an excuse to buy a MacBook instead. I also needed to figure out how much exactly it would cost to have my old computer repaired to throw it into the mix of options. At this point, I had to decide whether I wanted to get another PC, go back to a MacBook or have my old PC repaired.

I quickly learnt that I could buy a new PC for cheaper than I could get my old one repaired so I was able to eliminate that option. For a few days after, I weaved between my two viable options trying to persuade myself that buying another MacBook was worth the cost. Because I had recognized a clear problem from the beginning and also realized that I was seriously leaning to one side, I forced myself to really think about this purchase, because at this point in my life, it is a big purchase.

Through a combination of internal and external searching, I finally landed on the decision I should have made a year and a half earlier. The question is - why couldn't I have simply Just done this earlier and saved myself the money that i saw as "down the drain"? Looking back on this, I did not realize the subconscious level of research I did or why I did it. The more and more I think about it I realize I put sao much time and effort into the decision purchase because its was sucha huge and important purchase for me at the time. There could have been even more in depth research if this purchase was even double the price but I know what I need to do in order to satisfy my consumer needs and purchasing behavior.

When you are shopping for a major purchase, do you let the cost of the item make your decision for you?

 

From now on, for major purchases, I will make sure I use an extended problem solving technique weighing all components as opposed to simply buying the cheaper option because cheaper isn't necessarily better! When there is something that you really want, it might be worth spending a little extra to make sure you are satisfied with your purchase!!

A House Is Not A Home Without A Cat

Growing up, there were always more pets than people in the house. Having pets was simply a part of my life and a big part at that. When I was young, my mom and I decided to get a cat to add to the family because I was an only child and wanted a companion. One cat let to two then the decision to get a dog became a part of the picture. By the time I graduated from high school, we had two cats, two dogs and a hamster who ran the house. Since I was moving in University residence, I was going to have to live without pets for the first time in 17 years. I knew in the back of my mind I was eventually going to have a pet of my own but this was a decision that seemed far, far away.

After completing third year at University, I decided to stay for the summer to get ahead on a couple courses and work in the city. I was living in my own place with a couple of roommates and had been working consistently part-time to pay for my expenses. My roommates had all decided to head home for the summer so I realized I was going to be living entirely on my own for the very first time, no parents, roommates or pets in the house. The idea of this made me a little home sick but I couldn't turn back now, I had registered for my classes and started a new job. That's when it hit me, I needed to have a pet in the house to keep me company. 

Purchasing a pet is a very high involvement purchase. Animals are not objects that can be set aside when they are not needed, they need constant care and dedication as well as create a continuous cost. When I first thought about the idea of getting a pet I needed to decide whether I was going to get a cat or a dog. Initially, I wanted a dog. I didn't really think about all the time and responsibility a dog takes and just though about having a cute puppy running around the house. 

One night, I decided to really sit down and think about all factors included in purchasing a pet. First I looked at all costs, time needed, where they would go when I was out of town and how my roommates would also react. Among these points, many other factors were included in my decision process. After such a long thought process I decided that a cat would best meet my needs and budget for the time being. At this time, my attitude towards getting a cat became internalized - he way now going to be a part of my values and a big part of my life.

Looking back on it, my attitude for getting a cat was always a positive one. I always knew in the back of my mind that I wanted a cat and had the time and money to do so. If I were getting a pet that required less time and effort or did not take up as much of my life, my attitude towards this decision would have been less intense and potentially less positive. What I will always remember is that if my initial attitude is not solely positive and strong, it is not something that I absolutely have to have.

How Did I Not Notice That?

 Main Street

Thanksgiving is always a good time to travel home and spend a little time with friends and family. This year, as always, I returned to my hometown for Thanksgiving but brought a friend with me who had never been out West. Since I have been living away from home for three years, I didn't realize how much had really changed until my friend pointed out things that I had never noticed myself, even after living there for 18 years!    

For the weekend, I acted like a tourist doing all the touristy things in order to show my friend the ins and outs of my precious hometown. We talked about a lot of things from the mountains, to the shops and even the house that I grew up in. What I did not realize until this weekend was that I have been using selective perception to see what I thought was important. The things I talked about and showed my friend are original landmarks that have been there since I was born. I completed ignored some of the new and big attractions because I had no direct connection to them and unconsciously passed by them. The first time I realized I was doing this was when we passed a gigantic recreation centre that had been build in the last year. I had never been inside it nor heard much about it (although it turned out to be the talk of the town) so apparently I decided that it was not considered "important".

After this day (and this revelation), I decided to try to look for these little things that my selective perception had skipped over. This particular day, we were taking a gondola up a mountain for lunch, something I have done a dozen times in my life. Instead of acting like a tour guide, I got my friend to point out things she thought was interesting and it turns out, half of what she pointed out i had never really seen or noticed myself. I thought to myself "how have I never noticed that" but realized I have based all of my visits on the first couple trips I had made up the mountain and my eyes just strayed to the things I knew best.

 

Three Sisters Mountains

Something else I noticed while at home was how calming and relaxing the scenery was. After living in the city, going home always feels
like such a relaxing vacation. While out for a walk one evening, I started to pay attention to the color of the water and the shape of the mountains and how happy it made me. Something I had never considered before was how the colors of nature created that relaxed feeling I always get while at home. Everything is green and blue, never bright. The sounds of birds chirping and the smell of spruce trees reach both my sight and smell receptors. Thinking more and more as to why being at home in the mountains was so relaxing made me see all the little aspects that give off that perception. The sounds and smell of nature are those similar to the sounds and smells found at a spa or somewhere that relaxation is trying to be created. So lucky me, I realized that simply being back home gives off natural effects that create a calming a relaxing environment.

Do You Know What Drives You?

The summer of 2013 was one of the hardest times of my life. For anyone affected by the Alberta floods of 2013, you know what I am talking about. I remember waking up the morning of June 19th while working out in Kananaskis. Getting to work that day was treacherous because the rain was coming down in buckets. By the time I had finished work for the day, I remember seeing mud slide warnings and trying to get back to my residence to settle in for the night and stay dry. As I went to bed that night, I never thought about the disaster I was going to wake up to in the morning.  

When I woke up on June 20th, I remember checking my phone to see my mom had left me a massage saying she had been evacuated at 3am due to the high level of water in the creek. This came as a complete shock because the creek behind my house was dry eleven months of the year. I immediately called her to find out information but at this point the rain just simply wouldn't stop and the water levels kept rising. As the morning began, the rain in Kananaskis hadn't stopped either and along with multiple mud slides along the road out, our bridge had been washed out. I was stuck in Kananaskis watching my house in Canmore begin to wash away on the news.

Cougar Creek, Canmore AB 2013

I don't think time could have gone by any slower on the day. My Facebook feed filled up with photos and I kept seeing the damage get worse and worse. Despite the horrific sights I was seeing, I someone managed to still go to work and help everyone however possible. At this point we had lost all power and water, so the hotel I worked at was pure chaos.

Looking back on this particular day, I wonder where my motivation to keep working and help everyone else came from. Everyone kept telling me to go back to my room and relax, but how was I supposed to relax with such extreme issues occurring around me. My motivational strength appeared stronger than ever and I was able to relate to all the guests who were terrified about what was happening. I was running around doing everything from placing sandbags, to helping families cope with the situation, to setting up extra beds in conference rooms and helping cook when I could. My goal during this time was to help calm everyone down (including the situation) because I think I was hoping that if things settled down where I was, the same would happen back in Canmore.

As time passed, so did the weather. It took a couple days for me to get out of there but I wasn't even able to go to Canmore because the highway had been washed out. At this point I was so focused on making sure both my family and myself was safe, focusing on my need for safety as explained in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This need to find shelter and get out of a dangerous situation was a biogenitic need. Having this goal to work towards was what fueled my motivational strength during the longest three days of my life.

Today, thanks to the many volunteers and the Canadian Red Cross, my family was able to rebuild our house and settle back into a normal life. Having to deal with such an extreme situation really demonstrated to me how I can react in a serious situation and what will motive me to keep going. I feel good to know I was able to keep myself motivated despite such horrific times.