Families to spend €800 on first communion

Idbatterim

B b b b b but we are all broke and cant take any more austerity...

http://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/families-to-spend-almost-800-on-first-communions-30351466.html

FAMILIES are spending more on Holy Communions and the amount of money given in gifts to children to mark the ceremony is also rising. - See more at: http://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/families-to-spend-almost-800-on-first-communions-30351466.html#sthash.5UJ38XGb.dpuf

The average spent by families to mark the big day for the youngsters is now €764 – this is €32 more than last year, according to the survey commissioned by Ulster Bank.

And the seven and eight-year-olds in their white dresses and suits got an average of €591 in cash gifts from relatives, friends and neighbours – around €70 more than they received in May of last year.

Financial experts said the extra spending and the higher amounts of money given in gifts may indicate that households have a little more to spend after six years of savage austerity.

Toys are set to be the most popular item bought with the money, with hi-tech games and clothes also popular. Music and sports equipment also feature in the children's spending plans.

More girls than boys have already spent the money they got for making their Communions. But around one in eight of the children have not yet spent any of the money they were gifted, and intend saving it.

The biggest expense is the party, with food and drink costing the most. Some €334 was spent on average in May on Communion parties, up 14pc from the previous year.

The child's outfit cost €170, much the same as last year.

But there was close to €200 spent on clothes and shoes for other family members, the research conducted by Empathy for Ulster Bank shows.

Most parents of Communion children told the researchers that they were in a position to pay for the celebrations marking the ceremony.

Loan

Some 6pc of parents had to take out a loan to cover the costs, with €800 the average amount borrowed – down slightly on last year.

Ulster Bank's director of branch banking Jim Ryan said the money given to children for making their Communion presented a good opportunity for teaching the youngsters financial literacy lessons.

"First Holy Communion presents many children with their first opportunity to learn the value of money and how best to manage it. It's encouraging to see that most children have something left over to save," he said.

"Learning financial literacy skills from an early age can help children to become financially responsible and demonstrates the advantages of managing their money sensibly."

Irish Independent
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/families-to-spend-almost-800-on-first-communions-30351466.html#sthash.5UJ38XGb.dpuf

Mr. Incognito

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids.

Or is that getting in the way of a bigoted indo rag rant???

Ficheall

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids. [Citation needed]

.

SEPT 23 1989

generations will pay the price for banks financial illiteracy Jim

ComputerKing

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids.

Or is that getting in the way of a bigoted indo rag rant???

I agree this is sadly true. You'll find this everywhere with the parents maxing out credit cards and taking out loans to get stuff for their children which the kids don't need. I have not problems with spoiling you children but if you can afford it then don't. Don't go putting yourself under more stress when its not needed if you can't afford to.

Merkin

Chavs. My hairdresser in Dublin said one of the salons was flat out doing hair, fake tan and nails for the little sh!ts who were then going to be picked up by a limo to bring them to church.

keano_afc

The biggest expense is the party, with food and drink costing the most. Some €334 was spent on average in May on Communion parties, up 14pc from the previous year.

This really annoys me. I got invited to 2 parties recently - both in pubs. If you're organising a piss up in a boozer for your childs communion you dont give a crap about the kid.

ComputerKing

keano_afc wrote: »

This really annoys me. I got invited to 2 parties recently - both in pubs. If you're organising a piss up in a boozer for your childs communion you dont give a crap about the kid.

I agree but however just because the party is in a pub doesn't mean its a piss up I've been to a small few parties in private function rooms in pubs and they were nice and small affairs.

mikom

800 Euro?
Cheap compared to the satanic communion ritual for my first born.
Virgin blood is gone fierce expensive.......

rawn

Mental. My communion dress was second hand, my auntie did my hair and we took the bus to visit the relatives over the space of 2 days (and it LASHED both days). I think I got around £98 and felt like the richest girl in the world til I went back to school and everyone else had made hundreds!! But all that aside it was one of the best days of my life, everyone made a fuss out of me and it just was a really happy occasion. If we had spent £800 I would have had exactly as great a day. Why do people think they need all the extra crap for it to be enjoyable? It's about family and eating cake and getting a bit spoiled. Oh, and Jesus or something.

eviltwin

So so glad my youngest goes to an educate together and we will be spared this charade.

suicide_circus

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids.

Or is that getting in the way of a bigoted indo rag rant???

it's not generosity though, it's petty keeping-up-with-the-Jones' idiocy, it's nothing to do with the kids at all. sure why wouldn't they, it's free money. clowns.

suicide_circus

Merkin wrote: »

Chavs. My hairdresser in Dublin said one of the salons was flat out doing hair, fake tan and nails for the little sh!ts who were then going to be picked up by a limo to bring them to church.

it's what Jesus would have wanted

ComputerKing

suicide_circus wrote: »

it's not generosity though, it's petty keeping-up-with-the-Jones' idiocy, it's nothing to do with the kids at all. sure why wouldn't they, it's free money. clowns.

Its not keeping up with the Jones' though its trying to look rich and everyone can tell and they end up being horrific and they look desperate.

whupdedo

mr incognito 90829355 wrote:

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids.

Or is that getting in the way of a bigoted indo rag rant???

What a load of tosh, so if your poor and you spend 800 on a child's communion your generous ? And if your rich and only spend 800 euro does that mean you're a miserable bastard for spending so little

Usually its the chavs that spend like that doing the make up and fake tan and all the works, it's nonsense and as my dear old mum would say you can't buy class no matter how much money you spend

DEFTLEFTHAND

The Communion grant is no more, so I imagine the poor aren't spending like they once were.

Mr. Incognito

Merkin wrote: »

Chavs. My hairdresser in Dublin said one of the salons was flat out doing hair, fake tan and nails for the little sh!ts who were then going to be picked up by a limo to bring them to church.

...........And we're off.

groucho marx

Their money,their kids,their choice.

PLUG71

Absolutely Ridiculous!

Their is two family's I know each have at least 6 kids and none of their parents have ever worked!

They get limo's, bouncy castle, caterers, new clothes and pay for a venue etc etc

Now before anyone say's it I'm not against people on social welfare however imo this takes the piss!

Its just keeping up with their relatives and friends.

suicide_circus

PLUG71 wrote: »

Absolutely Ridiculous!

Their is two family's I know each have at least 6 kids and none of their parents have ever worked!

They get limo's, bouncy castle, caterers, new clothes and pay for a venue etc etc

Now before anyone say's it I'm not against people on social welfare however imo this takes the piss!

Its just keeping up with their relatives and friends.

gotta love the magic money tree

wazky

Feck, an average of 500 euro received in gifts for your communion

No chance you can do your communion twice is there?

cloud493

When I got my communion, we hired a suit, it was organised by the school, the after party was a disco all catered and done by the school, and I got £5 and a Whsmith voucher for it. Total cost of that (according to my mother when I asked her a few years later) £20 per kid.

Maybe being generous at communions is just an Irish thing.

PLUG71

eviltwin wrote: »

So so glad my youngest goes to an educate together and we will be spared this charade.

That's exactly what we are going to do with our two!:)

PippaChic

rawn wrote: »

Mental. My communion dress was second hand, my auntie did my hair and we took the bus to visit the relatives over the space of 2 days (and it LASHED both days). I think I got around £98 and felt like the richest girl in the world til I went back to school and everyone else had made hundreds!! But all that aside it was one of the best days of my life, everyone made a fuss out of me and it just was a really happy occasion. If we had spent £800 I would have had exactly as great a day. Why do people think they need all the extra crap for it to be enjoyable? It's about family and eating cake and getting a bit spoiled. Oh, and Jesus or something.

Great post! The local charity shop is full of beautiful Communion dresses, why are people spending so much especially if they don't have the money?
My younger daughter will wear her older sister's attire (which was bought in a sale 4 years ago). I will certainly not be buying a new outfit, and we'll have a get together back at the house afterwards with a few relations. We may splash out by going to the hairdresser, but that's all.

SEPT 23 1989

any children come begging at my door will get the chamber pot emptied over them from the upstairs window

suicide_circus

groucho marx wrote: »

Their money,their kids,their choice.

true but the same people will bitch about having to pay for water but are happy to blow two years water bills on this bollix

PLUG71

I think its a great excuse for the adults to go on the P1ss :rolleyes:

eviltwin

Make them do it in their school uniform.

Idbatterim

Their money,their kids,their choice.

Their Taxpayers money, their kids, their choice

Wouldnt be surprised if these same people spending E800 are the kind of parents who would have the kids go hungry or on an appalling diet for the rest of the year...

Boskowski

So last year they received 521 in average and 732 was spent. On 7 & 8 year olds. Savage austerity alright.

suicide_circus

PLUG71 wrote: »

I think its a great excuse for the adults to go on the P1ss :rolleyes:

that can be said for every occasion in ireland

get born? got on this piss
religious ceremonies i dont believe in? go on the piss
new gaf? go on the piss
new job? go on the piss
lose job? go on the piss

DEFTLEFTHAND

PLUG71 wrote: »

I think its a great excuse for the adults to go on the P1ss :rolleyes:

Sure is, I was in a pub hosting a reception recently and the little one was going around with her bag shaking down the locals.

Precious flower

The dress is really the most expensive thing. It's stupid to spend a fair amount of money on a dress you'll never wear again. Should be the case like for confirmation where the girls wear their uniform. Anyway, the beside the point that I'd say half those parents don't even practice their religion seriously. We need far more nonreligious schools.

FullblownRose

Mini brides and grooms of Arnold.

Buzz Killington the third

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

It's generally the poorest in society that are the most generous, especially when it comes to their kids.

Well that's just not true, but if you want to throw out silly generalisations then it's only cos they get communion grants, welfare etc funded by the rest of us which allows them to spend.

groucho marx

suicide_circus wrote: »

true but the same people will bitch about having to pay for water but are happy to blow two years water bills on this bollix

So what,leave it in one ear and out the other if they do.
What people do with their own money is their choice.

ScumLord

cloud493 wrote: »

When I got my communion, we hired a suit, it was organised by the school, the after party was a disco all catered and done by the school, and I got £5 and a Whsmith voucher for it. Total cost of that (according to my mother when I asked her a few years later) £20 per kid

I wouldn't be surprised if most people are doing the exact same thing today, I wouldn't trust these polls as far as I could throw them.

I do know people who go all out on anything like this but they turn it into a big family event and their families travel from all over to visit. I don't mind using these events as an excuse for the family to meet up. One thing religion did do for a community is get people together which is a good thing that's being lost.


As long as the state isn't giving them money for it, it's their own business how they want to waste their money.

PLUG71

groucho marx wrote: »

So what,leave it in one ear and out the other if they do.
What people do with their own money is their choice.

Typical :rolleyes:

Boskowski

And 6% take out a loan to cover the cost. Serious financial literacy lessons. Fantastic stuff.

I'm on a roll here...

Boskowski

cloud493 wrote: »

When I got my communion, we hired a suit, it was organised by the school, the after party was a disco all catered and done by the school, and I got £5 and a Whsmith voucher for it. Total cost of that (according to my mother when I asked her a few years later) £20 per kid.

Maybe being generous at communions is just an Irish thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

Snakeweasel

eviltwin wrote: »

So so glad my youngest goes to an educate together and we will be spared this charade.

The whiff of smugness off this is just as annoying as any bible bashers!

mikeym

Ya have to have the limo/hummer, communion cake, bouncy castle, bottles/ cans of beer.

Dont worry bout the expense theres plenty of loan sharks out there.

RoboRat

In our local school they decided that all the kids make their communion in their uniform but then some of the parents went ape**** saying they were denying their kids a special day.

These were the same parents who 'cant' pay the €20 towards art supplies at the start of the year.

OldNotWIse

Where I used to live, you'd see the money lender at every second door on a Friday evening during communion season...

OldNotWIse

groucho marx wrote: »

So what,leave it in one ear and out the other if they do.
What people do with their own money is their choice.

By that do you mean money they have earned or money they have been given by the government for existing?

eviltwin

Snakeweasel wrote: »

The whiff of smugness off this is just as annoying as any bible bashers!

I am not being smug at all. I went through it once before with child number 1 and its a pain in the hole for the entire school year, its the focal point of second class and everything revolves around it, it brings out the worst in people and its all about how much you are spending on the dress, what you are doing after the mass, how much the child made, do you not feel bad that your child won't be making it etc etc

Most of these people never went near a church, they complained about the masses they had to go to in the lead up it, why bother with it when you have that attitude.

There will be kids in my son's school who will be making their communion but at least it will be more restrained and his school day won't be disrupted by it.

Ray Palmer

The people who tend to spend the most are those who tend not to have the money. It is a weird soci-economic thing where people insist on giving their kids a massive treat even if it puts them in debit while those with money don't feel the need to show it off and do such extravagant things.
It was the same back when I was a kid some 33 years ago when the poorest kids went over the top. To be more precise their parents went over the top. I remember one kid getting a really expensive watch. Years later I met the guy and he still wore it. It turned out his dad got in serious financial debit with a loan shark for it. He still wore it as he dad was dead but he said his dad should not have bought it for him. He turned out fine and works hard and is no major debt but his brother is basically in poverty acting very much like his dad.

mfceiling

I reckon i spent a good bit more and that was 3 weeks ago.

I bought a new suit (old one was in rag order). Young ones dress was quite expensive but it's now in storage and will do her 2 sisters. I hired a bouncy castle for the 8 kids that were there. I got a full spread of food from a "fancy" deli for the 12 adults that were there and the wife got a photographer as our families very rarely get together for anything.

All in i'd say it was closer to €1100 for the day but..........i've been working almost every saturday from christmas and have saved like mad for it. It wasn't about it being a big show for anyone but more a chance for my wife's family and mine to get together and enjoy some nice food and have a catch up.

I have to say that i really enjoyed the day with friends and family and the photos will take pride of place on the mantle piece for years to come!!

PLUG71

Snakeweasel wrote: »

The whiff of smugness off this is just as annoying as any bible bashers!

Smug how?

Pumpkinseeds

What average are they basing the average on? Is it based on what normal people spend or what people say that they spend? I doubt there are very many working Joes/Josephines spending that kind of money any more. Any Saturday that there's Communion/Confirmation in this town Lidl is almost sold out of rolls, so I'm guessing there's a lot of self-catering at home going on. I notice a lot of hired marquees too.