$800.00

[helderheid]

According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, the average American shopper will spend about $800.00 over the holidays.

A person earning the $5.15 minimum wage would need 155 hours -- 19 work days, nearly a month -- to earn that much. And before that money goes to gifts, they have to pay the bills and put food on the table.

How can we expect millions of hard-working American families like that to enjoy the holidays when their paychecks put them thousands of dollars below the poverty line?

When Democrats take control of Congress in 2007, that will change. Here's how it's likely to happen:

As soon as Congress convenes in January, I'll reintroduce the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which will raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over the next two years. House Democrats plan to act on this important bill right away as well. Hopefully in a few short weeks Democrats can remedy more than nine years of Republican neglect of minimum wage workers.

To help us do so, I've recorded a new web video on the Fair Minimum Wage Act to help raise awareness and keep us focused. I hope you'll find it useful for spreading the word:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/raisethewage

We have much to celebrate over the holidays, but we can't forget those who are struggling to get by. Together, we're going to raise the minimum wage and make the lives of millions of hard-working families across the country a little easier. No one who works for a living should have to live in poverty.

Happy Holidays and '07!


Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Edited to add - this thread is not about how much we personally spent this holiday but on increasing the minimum wage - please sign the petition

[JNelson6563]

1. Finally the working poor get some notice!

Thanks to Senator Kennedy and all those working on this!

K&R! :toast:

Julie

[Squatch]

2. .

Merry X-mas!

[catmandu57]

3. On the news last night

They said that 800.00 average was being spent by those making 75,000 and up per year. There isn't any way for a poor person to spend that much on christmas, not when it takes every penny and then some just to live.

[Devlzown]

4. I'm all for increasing the minimum wage,

but people could always spend less. Most of that $800 is spent on worthless crap anyway.

[pitohui]

9. much of that $800 is spent on food and gas actually

i take it you don't have to do the grocery shopping for the xmas eve and xmas day feasts, nor do you pay the bills to drive to grandma's house and get together with the relatives

the cost of an individual gift is the smallest part of xmas, these days with food costs so high and gas so high it's the actual getting-together part -- which is not crap but the heart and soul of the season -- that costs the real money

we do not -- cannot -- buy extravagant gifts but $800 is about right when all is said and done, the cost of travel is not cheap even by car -- and some families can only get together by air, because corporate jobs have scattered families far and wide, we have some family members coming from asia, how does that drive up the average costs?

[Devlzown]

Maybe you're right.

I figured they were just talking about gift-buying because the OP states that they were asking shoppers. If people are including gas and food in their numbers, $800 doesn't seem too extravagant.

[Devlzown]

18. Maybe you're right.

I figured they were just talking about gift-buying because the OP states that they were asking shoppers. If people are including gas and food in their numbers, $800 doesn't seem too extravagant.

[Ellis Wyatt]

5. $800? wow, I feel cheap

I bought gifts for almost 10 people and I didn't spend that much money.

but the minimum wage increase was long over due.

[helderheid]

6. same here and same here.

[Double T]

8. You're NOT cheap, you are SMART to NOT overspend on the holidays.......

have a good New Year.

[Ellis Wyatt]

14. course, now that I think of it

Using "average" is bogus. The "mean" of $800 is dramatically inflated by the people who buy their husband a new Mercedes or their wives a new house in Malibu. The "median" would be a lot more telling.

It's like when people talk about "the average" bonus on Wall St. is $400,000. Well, I work on Wall St. I don't know a soul who's getting a bonus anywhere close to that neighborhood. It's all the senior executives and investment bankings who are getting the lion's share. The median bonus is well under $10,000.

[hvn_nbr_2]

29. I don't feel cheap. I feel sane...But what will BubbleBoy do?

Admittedly I don't have a large family or a long list of people to shop for, but I spent about $250. When I saw $800, I thought it was insane. But then, every time I go into a mall this time of year, I perceive collective insanity.

I wonder if Bubbleboy will think he can change it back to $5.15 by making a signing statement that says $7.25 really means $5.15. Or that, in fact, the minimum wage only applies to CEOs and lawyers so they can actually pay production workers and burger flippers $2.37 and it'll be okay.

[Orsino]

34. Misleading numbers.

Comparing the average American holiday outlay to the income of minimum-wage workers is about as valid as *'s invocation of "average" tax cuts.

But I signed!

[sandnsea]

40. 2 kids, 2 parents - $200 each

It sounds like a lot, when you see it like that. But when you think about what a family buys, a gaming system, video game, ipod, cell phone, clothes, - it's really not all that much. I'm not saying it's easy, most years my kids didn't get that sort of Christmas. But considering how much things cost these days, it isn't as much as it looks like at first glance. I'm just really glad I don't have to figure out how to raise a family right now.

[Ilsa]

7. I sewed gifts, am giving baked goods, and am spending alot less

on the kids' toys this year. I told my husband all I need is a new memory stick. I'll do some needed shopping on the 26th.

[Tansy_Gold]

17. Ditto.

I come from a long line of "do-it-yourselfers" so there are always handmade gifts.

The other thing I give is magazine supscriptions and/or renewals.

Or during the year I buy something my kids need and say, "Consider this part of your Christmas present."

[Ilsa]

23. Husband and I do that. I had breast reduction surgery in Feb.

I really can't afford anything else that might be frivolous. We are getting people what they need and what we can afford. I told my husband I didn't want us going into debt over a time of celebration.

And Bushwacker tells us to go shopping. Screw him and his corporate henchmen.

[stellanoir]

10. I don't mean to be a pessimist but as long as we are governed by

those who've no clue what it is to truly struggle I can't imagine we'll see any REAL degree of equanimity.

A 2 bucks and 10 cents per hour increase over a two year period isn't going to really make a big diff with ever rising costs for goods and services. That's still a paltry wage really.

I wish they'd repeal the tax cuts for the uber rich and stop taxing people earning under 30-40 grand altogether.

The unfairness is stunningly blatant.

[helderheid]

11. you're right - Kucinich said that if the min wage was increased at the rate of inflation

we'd be at $15 now.

[stellanoir]

20. That sounds far better.

It was almost a decade ago that I felt the minimum hourly should be at least 10 bucks so I'm sure Kucinich has that figure right.

thanks for the info.

[pitohui]

12. 2.10 may be paltry but it's less paltry than zero

and zero is what big business wants to offer the worker, big business and even little business seems to prefer the slave

[Ellis Wyatt]

15. sounds good to me

I don't know why that never happened. Even when the republicans were pushing for the flat tax back in the day, they were recommending people under $30k (or round about) not getting taxed at all.

How is it, when the republicans and democrats both agree that under a certain income shouldn't pay any tax, it STILL doesn't get done?????

[teenagebambam]

13. I WISH I had $800 to spend

and I make a lot more than minimum wage

[Gatchaman]

16. I wonder what the "real" average is

once you factor out the people buying new cars, fancy trips, and other frivolous toys of the idle rich.

The $5.15 earner is NOT spending $800 just because it's christmas.

[roamer65]

19. I'm well below average.

I only spend on the kids in the family anymore. The holiday is really about the kids. As you get older, you tend to appreciate the family "get together" more.

[Tracer]

21. $528.

I added it up this morning, and was a bit surprised that it came to that (for 10 people) as I *think* I'm frugal.

Yesterday, I decided to drop off some items at the food bank at my church --- and was greeted by a line-up of people waiting to receive food.

Made me ashamed.

[helderheid]

22. did you sign the petition?

[Chipper Chat]

38. My total is $64.73 (before sales tax).

Guess I'm cheap.

[MazeRat7]

24. Yes... but to be fair...

The $800 is an "average" hence you could statistically expect the lower end wage earners (eg those working current min wage) to spend significantly less and of course the richer folk to spend significantly more. Thats why its called a mean or average. To make the connection that min wage earners would have to work x hrs to achieve the average is not an accurate since doing so would raise the average even higher.

That being said, my sig is on the petition as I really would like to see the federal minimum wage increased to the mid $7 area.

MZr7

[helderheid]

25. DID Y'ALL SIGN THE PETITION?

[IndyOp]

27. I SIGNED THE PETITION! I SIGNED THE PETITION!

I do kind of get the feeling people are missing this, so I thought I would respond to you emphatically. :hi:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/content/raisethewage/

[helderheid]

28. Thanks IndyOp! Even after I edited the OP it seems to be missing in this convo!

:hi:

[bobbolink]

37. yup, some of us are easy to miss.

might even say...invisible.

Thanks for expounding, and bringing attention back to the point!

[nyrnyr1994]

32. Signed and recommended

[tinfoilinfor2005]

26. I went to a Christmas wedding last night, and we all brought a dish

to pass, since the bride and groom are not very well off. I was asked to bring a green bean casserole, and I thought I'd make it sort of special, not the run of the mill thing. You know, nicer for a wedding dish. I combined two recipes, one of them from Martha Stewart, the other from Paula Dean. I had none of the ingredients at home, so I bought everything from scratch. The total cost of the green bean casserole was $30. Now, we're not talking about prime rib here, folks!

Anyway, this was my choice, and I Thank God I have the money for these extravagances. But I did wonder more than once, how on earth do people on a minimum wage even feed their families, let alone do anything extra???

K & R

And, oops, signed as well (on edit)

[sandnsea]

39. I hear ya!

I spent $110 on a Christmas Eve ham meal and Christmas breakfast. WTF?? I had some things on hand too. Some of it was due to trying to find healthier versions for a holiday menu. But really it was just some basics, potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, green beans - but I bought them all fresh. Not supposed to have a $2 bag of russets and a .50 can of green beans anymore.

[MGD]

30. Signed it. It's long past time to redistribute America's wealth back to America. nt

[bdamomma]

31. I signed

[Catamount]

33. Signed !

K@R

[distantearlywarning]

35. Well below the average here.

I think hubby and I will spend about $200 total between the two of us, or maybe even less. Part of that includes stamps for our Christmas cards and food for a Christmas party we threw for our friends. Oh, and the tree and our yearly ornament.

We're Christmas cheapskates this year. But I don't think we've ever spent close to $800 apiece any year. Maybe the most we've ever spent is $300 each or so.

[helderheid]

36. k