Though I do not live in the United States (U.S.) it has been a tense few months following their financial crisis knowing that very soon the effects would be felt in Trinidad and Tobago despite the many protests by Government Ministers that Trinidad would not be affected. This week, we Trinidadians were asked to "tighten our belts" by none other than the Prime Minister himself. Inflation rate has soared in Trinidad to the highest ever at 15.4 % while oil prices continue to drop; cut back on spending we are told and for many the Christmas and Carnival season ahead will be a very sober one.
All this comes as my friends in the U.S. have been reeling from the downturn in that economy, suffering from losing their homes, jobs and savings; I personally know one person who lost their house, three who lost their jobs and several others who do not know if they will have a job in the coming New Year. Their counterparts across the pond are not doing better either, one friend of mine has to pay £1000 on a return ticket to Trinidad and is complaining bitterly at how expensive living expenses are in London while another may not have a job to return to after being on leave.
Several persons have expressed to me that if not for the fact that they have already budgeted and paid for their Carnival 2009 trip (ticket, costume and accommodation) that they would cancel it altogether. And while others are cutting the days spent in Trinidad shorter than they normally do, some are not making the trip at all since the "time is not right" to go off on leave.
For me I am pretty happy that the bulk of my costume payment has been made and that I have budgeted to pay off the rest at the end of this month so I do not have that headache to contend with while simultaneously cutting back on spending. It is also with relief that I did some of my Carnival shopping earlier in the year and have my boots, part of my Monday wear and fletch dry powder. Other items I plan on reusing from 2008 Carnival like my gel insoles which I only wore those two days and a pair of boots.
The main Carnival cost cutting measure for me will come in scaling back on the fetes. I am waiting patiently for fete prices to be released and have made the decision that if needs be I will not go to any fetes in January. There is only one fete on my calender that is a must do so far, the other potential fetes I am looking to attend will all be dependent on prices. Another thing I have started is assembling my Carnival wardrobe, taking advantage of sales now and doing my shopping online. Sorry but I am avoiding the Trinidad boutiques that have inflated prices by 200%, and I am not getting one thing from the growing popularity of Facebook Boutiques who also mark up their prices by much more than what is being sold at Ami Club Wear and Cutesy Girl where they get their inventory.
The hair budget for Carnival has also been slashed, I am not doing braids for sure and will most likely wear my hair in a ponytail saving about $100.00US right there! I am keeping the makeup artist for Tuesday however, somethings I simply cannot cut out completely. These may seem like little things to cut back on for those of you still thinking about how to pay off the balance on your costume, but they do add up. I spend way too much money on Carnival accessories and extras (body jewels, glitter, tights, eyelashes), money that is not even taken into account when doing my Carnival budget (yes I have a budget for everything!).
The goal is to spend less, save more, even for those of us who can afford to splurge on something as superfluous as a Carnival costume while others cannot even pay their bills or put food on the table. While I do appreciate the fact that being able to enjoy and participate in Carnival is somewhat of a luxury , it cannot be denied that the financial crisis is hitting too close to home to enjoy the season of bacchanalia without some concern.
For me I am pretty happy that the bulk of my costume payment has been made and that I have budgeted to pay off the rest at the end of this month so I do not have that headache to contend with while simultaneously cutting back on spending. It is also with relief that I did some of my Carnival shopping earlier in the year and have my boots, part of my Monday wear and fletch dry powder. Other items I plan on reusing from 2008 Carnival like my gel insoles which I only wore those two days and a pair of boots.
The main Carnival cost cutting measure for me will come in scaling back on the fetes. I am waiting patiently for fete prices to be released and have made the decision that if needs be I will not go to any fetes in January. There is only one fete on my calender that is a must do so far, the other potential fetes I am looking to attend will all be dependent on prices. Another thing I have started is assembling my Carnival wardrobe, taking advantage of sales now and doing my shopping online. Sorry but I am avoiding the Trinidad boutiques that have inflated prices by 200%, and I am not getting one thing from the growing popularity of Facebook Boutiques who also mark up their prices by much more than what is being sold at Ami Club Wear and Cutesy Girl where they get their inventory.
The hair budget for Carnival has also been slashed, I am not doing braids for sure and will most likely wear my hair in a ponytail saving about $100.00US right there! I am keeping the makeup artist for Tuesday however, somethings I simply cannot cut out completely. These may seem like little things to cut back on for those of you still thinking about how to pay off the balance on your costume, but they do add up. I spend way too much money on Carnival accessories and extras (body jewels, glitter, tights, eyelashes), money that is not even taken into account when doing my Carnival budget (yes I have a budget for everything!).
The goal is to spend less, save more, even for those of us who can afford to splurge on something as superfluous as a Carnival costume while others cannot even pay their bills or put food on the table. While I do appreciate the fact that being able to enjoy and participate in Carnival is somewhat of a luxury , it cannot be denied that the financial crisis is hitting too close to home to enjoy the season of bacchanalia without some concern.
So, please share how the economy has affected you, your plans for Carnival and what measures, if any, are you putting in place to spend less, save more? Looking forward to your comments or you can email me at trinicarnivaldiary@yahoo.com.
PHOTO SOURCE:
www.guardian.co.tt
21 comments:
£1,000??? She flying by private jet?? Flights London-T&T over carnival are currently £586. Personally I don't know anyone affected (lost jobs or house or had to change life style significantly) but it seems like things are bad in USA.
Actually it is a he who is coming for Jan/Feb for a few weeks and not specifically for Carnival, but that was the price he paid for his ticket.
SLK - I would love to know where they have flights for £586!! I paid for my ticket since MARCH this year for Feb 09 and paid £690. Thank goodness I didn't go with XL or it would have been £400 down the drain.
I think it will be difficult because I've been checking and the pound is not as strong as it was 3 months ago. So I'm not going to get as much when it comes time to convert my money. I had to come home for carnival anyway because it is my mom's 50th and she wants her family with her but I think I'll be going to two fetes and that's all.
Lots of people over here losing their jobs (UK) and although I'm not in the financial sector my company provides training for those in the financial sector. Which means that the less those companies spend, the worse my company does. We already hearing talk about no bonus or salary increase this year. I was banking on my bonus (we get ours in Feb) to pay off my credit card when Carnival is over. No such luck anymore!
Sasha -
Monarch has cheap flights (though not as cheap as XL's used to be), for 2 weeks over carnival it is that price, even cheaper if you vary the dates slightly! (still including carnival of course).
Of course Monarch might go the way XL went, so if people book with an airline direct you should get additional insurance incase they go bust, a few companies offer it, I think it costs less than £10 for a year.
I guess you may have paid about £100 more, but that's the problem with flights - prices go up as well as down! I lost about £200 on a flight to Jamaica this year by booking too far in advance! It's always a gamble!
Well - I would have made both a Christmas and Carnival trip, because there's not much family bonding time when I come for Carnival. However, I've decided that I wont come home for Christmas as Carnival will be an expensive venture. I am bringing some American friends and they are mostly surprised by how expensive every thing is - esp when compared to other developing countries they've been to. In the beginning, I told them to budget about $2000US for everything, so they were braced for it.
As for Carnival, we're paying off most of the costume now. By December, I think we should all have paid that off. I also got my boots and Monday wear and have some accessories for both days as well. I will only be doing a couple fetes as well. I can only imagine the ridiculous prices some of those fetes will cost next year.
Costume - paid in full
Airline ticket - purchased in June
Accomodations - family
Fete tickets - fewer fetes I am purchasing tickets for.
98% of my carnival trip is taken care of. No more shopping for TnT (yessss, I said it)
Yes, the economy is not an easy one now. BUDGETING is the key factor. Granted Ash Wednesday 2008 you already know you will be there for Carnival 2009...dont wait till last minute to plan your trip, thats when you will feel the pinch and be stressed out about everything.
I will be there (God's willing) for Carnival 2009 :)
SLK - will have to look into Monarch next time.
I haven't got my boots or clothes yet because I'm waiting for January Sales. I keep having to stop myself from impulse buying because I know everything will be half price come the 27th December.
My Carnival plans aren’t really going to be affected by the recession. What would cause me any grief is if I don’t get my passport back in time or if my husband can’t get the time off from work. Our biggest expense this time was flights. When we came for Carnival this year, we paid £407 each. This time, we’re paying just over £700! But apart from that, things are ok. I have money in my bank account in Trinidad to cover my costume, and I’m not much of a feter, so no expenses there. I’m also not one for over-accessorising. I’ll be buying some spray-glitter, but at £3 a can, that isn’t going to break the bank. I am getting my makeup done on Tuesday, but once again, money at home to cover that. Plus my parents have a spare car, so we’ll be using that. All I really need to get is some shorts to go with my monokini for Monday, and my boots and I’m sorted.
The thing with the UK though, is that people have enormous amounts of personal debt, which has been leveraged against their property. In the days of 125% mortgages, life was sweet. But now, the penny’s dropped and people are finding themselves up the doody creek without the proverbial paddle. I mean, what kind of madness is that, that you could take out a loan against your house, to pay for a posh holiday? People just refused to live within their means and they’re literally paying for it now.
My husband doesn’t work in the UK and I left my job a few months ago. So job security isn't an issue. We don’t have many financial responsibilities and very little debt on one credit card that’s going to be paid off in a few weeks. So we’re able to save a lot. It also helps that I prefer to have a quiet night in with my telly and laptop, instead of going out partying with people I KNOW can’t afford it. It also helps that my husband paid off his mortgage in July, so that’s one less expense as well. I’m very anal about saving so we’re well placed to ride this thing out. Can’t wait for 2k9!!!
this came via email:
Hi Saucy,
I live in the New York and I am very blessed to have a job even though my industry hasn't done well for some years now. I understand the finanical strains for those trying to attend carnival next year.
My friend and I knew we were attending carnival in 2009 so we began planning as soon as we came back last year. We decided not to attend Miami carnival this year to save for Trinidad. I am pretty much ready to go for carnival next year by planning way ahead of time. Costume paid, ticket paid (purchased in July for $550 US), boots (got for $6 US when boots went on sale after winter), clothes (bought on sale at the end of summer). I am playing with IP so monday wear is supplied. Jewels, I will get in NY( as I will purchase from the wholesaler that sells jewels to trinidad). My only concern is the high fete ticket prices and a car rental at this point.
For carnival its all about planning ahead. If you know you are going back next year start planning what you need from Ash Wednesday, save and buy everything on sale during the off seasons.
Terese Joseph
Island Def Jam
another one via email:
I am so glad that you brought up this topic Saucy. I live in the states and have seen first hand the effects of the economy on numerous ppl close to me.
From home foreclosures for a couple of people to job loss or not being able to find a job at all. I myself work for a very small company that usually makes a profit of 4 million per year but this year the number was barely 2. So now we are faced with our hours being gradually cut from 40 hrs per week to 20-25. I am still trying my best to make my annual carnival trip and I am thankful that I paid for more than half of my costume cost when I put down my initial deposit. And also that I have put deposits down on all the fetes that I would like to attend. I usually do all the major carnivals including Cropover but it looks like I will have to make Trinidad my only major carnival trip next year. So even though I will be scaling back, I am going to make sure I enjoy carnival to the fullest because I could be like many who are not able to go at all!!
Unfortunately I've had to cancel my trip, I planned for this since May/june but because the way things are going personally I needed prioritize. It kills cause i was looking forward butttt....carnival will always be there :( at least thats what i'm telling myself for comfort!
I live in Florida, so thank God that my ticket was purchased in August for about 450US and my IP costume will be paid for by month end. I, along with my friends knew that we would be attending C2K9 so we began buying from since the summer. As I live here in Florida the clothes worn and sold here year round can be utilized in Trinidad for carnival. My group was actually bigger, we went from a group of about 18 to a group of 9 which isnt to to bad....but the dropouts dropped out because of the economy. If I didnt plan so far in advance I myself would not have gone. The only thing now is like everyone else said the cost of fetes for the season. My fetes will be done in moderation.
For Miami carnival, many of the fetes bussss, the streets were barren and the mood was just not the same. Seeing how the economy has taken a toll on the MIAMI CARNIVAL I hope all the promoters know to not be too greedy and make the prices enticing for the thousands of people that will be flocking into Trinidad ONLY because they tickets done book. It costs WAY too much money to cancel airline tickets.
Lastly, the band leaders need to do the same, they need to consider pricing for C2K10 because C2K9 is (in my opinion) only going to happen due to the economy not being as bad as it is now when C2K8 goers were planning and buying for C2K9.
The economy is crazy and scary. I work in the financial sector and while throughout this turmoil, no layoffs have been done in my company, it's still scary.
There were no bonuses for people at the VP level and above neither did this people get any raises. However, people below will get this benefit.
I was fortunate to get a bonus this year. My company is still hiring too so I am not quite sure where we stand. Nonetheless, we are stricter with our budget now and cutting down on travel, training out of state and other expenses.
I am all set for carnival with the exception of my costume which I might not get as I am cutting down on cost. However, I don't know what next year holds and skeptical of what awaits those who go on vacation. I pray the economy goes back up for the best.
That being said, I have invested more in stocks as this is a good time to buy the good stocks for less. Know that this is a gamble and has some risk but will be well worth it when the economy goes back up :)
Hey Saucy girl, so happy you did this post. I too posted on my blog about how we can survive the financial crisis since March/April 08.
The key things I did this year for next year:
- purchase glitter,carnival tights, and other items right after 08 Carnival and purchase additional items via sales through out the year.
(I think my family thought I was crazy when I ups and purchased drinks this week and at a lower price - check Liquor Marts.)
- Costume paid in full last week.
- Reuse boots, glitter, some makeup
- purchased Spirit Gum and gems in March and September.
- purchased key eye makeup. (doing my makeup myself on Tuesday)
- purchased spray glitter in October. Russel's Gold Spray @ Wonderful World - $55.00TT.
- bought pigeon peas in tins for Carnival on sale (cans expire in 2010)
- Will ask a friend to do my hair or reuse a wig.
- Only appointment - Nails.
- Batteries, VHS tapes and disposable cameras to be purchased.
My only concern - Fete prices in 2009. I might have to forgo going to any carnival events. And stick to the Carnival bar or look for free outdoor carnival events. If I do plan on going, 2 fetes for the most .
- Not purchasing any clothes (seeing I ain't going to fetes)
- No need to purchase drinks outside, I have at home. Put a cooler in de car, designate a driver - Nuff Said!
- Got shoes on sale and have my carnival boots already.
- Jouvert - a question mark. Depends on who and how much.
My concern is for Carnival 2010.
Suggestion - open a carnival account starting now in 2008 for 2010.
I do have to admit though, I have always gotten used to spending like a madd woman for Carnival.
Thinking the target for everyone is really as you said Saucy, spend less, save more and have fun on a budget.
me and my krew are madly effected by this madness right now we have paid £750 for our flights although they have dropped slightly now to aaround £600 but the thing that is scaring me the most is everyday the exchange rate from £ to tt$ is dropping this year i got a rate of tt$12.28 for a £1 at the mo its like TT$8.42 for a £1 so although costumes aint gone up this year they have gone up about £50 for us at least and not to mention fetes, accom, and spending money if this is the trend for 2010 tnt will not be seeing me lol
Malicious Jade, why were you buying pigeon peas in tins?
Although I am a bit more cautious about spending money I haven't been too affected. Financially I am ok since my affected $$$ are primarially long term savings and retirement accounts. As for my job, my company has reduced captial spending for the next few years but there are no plans for layoffs.
The most significant change will come perhaps in my bonus (typically paid in April). In the past, any overages from Xmas & Carnival will be paid off then. With the reduction in spending I may not see as much of a bonus as I have in the past and as such I am preparing to stay within my limits or really set one for 2K9.
I will re-access the situation before year end and make adjustments as necessary.
For my friends and I we have definitely been on a roller coaster ride. We started off with the usual group of 12 - 15, we're now down to 6. We cancelled the house that we were renting and are now spilt up at the homes of family and friends.
I personally was one waiting to hear if I would have a job for 2009 before I bought my costume, I took the gamble and got the costume and thank God I still have a job (for now). I always have money taken out my check from the beginning of the year and deposited into a "Christmas" account that works with the stock market. And even though the market isn't doing well my bi-weekly contributions still covers my carnival expensives.
However, I still plan on not attending a lot of fetes this coming year and I will be doing my own makeup. I just got my boots this weekend, I have clothes from the summer and will just get some new accessories to give things a different look. I only have to make an appointment to do my hair which is standard even if I wasn't coming to Trinidad, and my lashes that I will do when I get there.
I really think that 2009 Carnival would have been hit worse if the die hards didn't handle their business early. I don't think that 2010 will fare so well, especially if we don't see a swing for the better early next year.
mjsbunny, cause pigeon peas some times go out of stock due to de palau revolution during carnival. *LOL* plus they were on sale, they expire in 2010, part of my pantry's "global warming survival kit" and I doh like to shell no peas.
I too am seriously considering if there is a maximum at which I think carnival is worth it. Getting home is knocking on the £800 mark, exchange rates not very favourable (making my spangled costumes more expensive), and now fete prices going up.
It will be a tough decision to give up on the dream, but the reality is that I can visit several countries and have an awesome holiday for the same price that carnival in Trinidad for 2 weeks is getting up to be.
:-(
I guess I'll call myself "LUCKY"
-Tribe costume-Done. Daddy paid 1/2
I paid the other..He insisted!!
-Airline Ticket-Done
-Parties- saving towards
-Spending Money-Saving $150.wkly
since October + vacation pay.
-Boots-Trying to figure what's best
for Caged Canary.
-Cosmetic-Baby Phat shoe box filled
W/MAC..
-Clothes-still need a few things
-Shoes-to much,thanks 2 summer sale
-Food-sending a Barrel with my
cousin we'll be traveling together
-Sleeping Accomidation-Daddy house
-Jouvery-Waiting for Red Ants or
Chocolate City presentation.
The only thing different with my
trip is that my daughter will not accomany me to Trinidad, 2 months 3weeks from today..Summer is hers instead..
I will not complaint because my situation is not bad and I do not stress about problems. "People invest time in finding a solution". My trip was planned since ash Wednesday this year. I am addicted to Carnival. And ah gettin on bad when Caribbean touch touch down in Piarco.
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