Festive Finance: Valuable Money Lessons from Iconic Christmas Movies
Every year, we look forward to watching Christmas movies to celebrate the season. Did you know that these films offer some true-life lessons about finances? Check out what financial tips these six classics teach us.
A Christmas Carol
Published in 1843, Charles Dickens’ classic has been one of the best stories ever written. Three ghosts — Past, Present, and Yet to Come — visit cold-hearted, wealthy Ebenezer Scrooge to show him the consequences of his selfishness and his future if he doesn’t change. On the journey, Scrooge transforms into a generous and compassionate man, bringing Christmas cheer to others.
No matter which film version is your favorite, the story teaches how greed can lead to misery, isolation, and lost relationships. Money can’t buy you happiness. Saving for the future while enjoying the present may lead a healthier financial lifestyle. More importantly, your friends and family are more valuable than wealth.
Home Alone (1990)
In this Christmas comedy, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister causes a fight with his large family, serving his punishment in the attic. An overnight power outage due to high winds knocks out the alarm clocks. The family oversleeps and rushes to the airport for Christmas vacation in Paris, leaving Kevin behind. Left home alone, his excitement is dashed when two burglars, Harry and Marv, plan to rob the house. Kevin devises a plan to protect the house with creative but painful traps to stop the Wet Bandits.
Keep an emergency fund for any types of unexpected incidents — like any damage done in the McCallister home. Review your homeowner’s insurance for the proper coverage and consider investing in a good home security system if you don’t have one.
The Santa Clause (1994)
Businessman and divorced dad Scott Calvin accidentally causes the actual Santa Claus to fall off his roof on Christmas Eve. After following the directions on a business card, Scott puts on the suit and is transported to the North Pole to learn he must take Santa’s place before next Christmas. Thinking he’s dreaming, Scott gains weight and grows a white beard.
Though it’s not a financial lesson, always read the fine print. Scott didn’t realize the business card had a legally binding clause that makes him Santa for life. Don’t be like Scott and find yourself stuck with unexpected costs. Take the time to understand what you agree to before you sign — or put on the red suit.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
The Griswold’s plans for a perfect family Christmas but things don’t go as expected. A series of disasters follow from faulty holiday lights to uninvited relatives. Looking forward to receiving his Christmas bonus keeps Clark from losing his cool. He puts down a deposit on a new swimming pool only to learn he doesn’t get a bonus, but a “Jelly of the Month” subscription instead. The night ends with a SWAT team busting into the house and an explosion.
Bonuses are never guaranteed, and you should never spend money that you anticipate receiving before you actually have it in the bank.
A Christmas Story (1983)
All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun. Trying to convince his parents, teacher, and department store Santa, Ralphie only gets told he’ll shoot his eye out. When Christmas morning arrives, he is very disappointed until he gets to the best gift of all — the BB gun.
Though this classic film isn’t mainly focused on financial issues, it does showcase the simple joy of being with family for the holidays. It’s the little things in life that matter, not the food (the turkey incident), or the presents. There is more to life than money, like family and friends.
The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with Adirondack Bank. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. Adirondack Bank is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the information provided or the content of any third-party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. Adirondack Bank makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.
