There’s a traditional image of Thanksgiving: a parade, a big turkey, a football game…it sounds pretty simple. In an effort to have that ideal experience, we spend time and money traveling across the country, cooking up big dinners and making ourselves a little crazy about all that family interaction. And, for some of us, Thanksgiving can wind up being an expensive tradition: even cooking a turkey dinner from scratch requires a few dollars.
Every year, I spend hours looking for cheap airplane tickets so that I can go visit my family. I routinely wind up paying for more than I want to — often for the privilege of traveling at the same time that thousands of other Americans are trying to make their planes. It may not be the most enjoyable time to travel, but I’m willing to do it. That’s because I think that Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, should be spent with friends and family.
Whenever something goes wrong, we talk to our family and friends about our problems. We spend hours agonizing over little things and listening to them do the same. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t share in each other’s burdens, but I do think that we need every chance to talk about what’s right in our lives and what we’re thankful for that we can get. Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to do just that. It’s a way to remember why we work through our troubles — why we work so hard in general.
While I’m not advocating going crazy on the Thanksgiving spending, I do believe that the cost of spending time with our friends and family shouldn’t really matter. Yes, travel and food can be expensive, but it’s money well spent: how do we know what we’re working so hard to build up savings for if we don’t get reminders from those people who mean something to us?
So, yes, I’m plunking down a few more dollars to celebrate Thanksgiving than I might choose to otherwise. I’ll spend the day surrounded by people who remind me of what I’m working for — and what I’ve already achieved. We’ll watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and eat a big dinner. We’ll have a good time and create some great memories. And every cent I’ve spent will be worth it.
It’s up to you to decide whether Thanksgiving and other time you spend with your friends and family is worth the price. Are you willing to spend a little something extra in order to enjoy a few days with them? Let me know in the comments.
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