End of financial year means a few things in our household.
To me – the business owner - June 30 means I have to make sure all my accounts are in order, my log book is up to date and I have sent my bookkeeper all the receipts she needs so I can visit the accountant and get my tax return done. But for Harvey and the boys it has been a time of watching what is happening in the half-yearly sales.
Our TV finally decided not to switch on anymore yesterday after threatening for months, so Harvey gleefully jumped in the car to buy a new flat screen model he’d been eyeing off in the Dick Smith sale. Noah has spent days (and many more to come I expect) poring over the three toy catalogues that have been delivered, heralding the toy sales to end all sales.
It makes me think back to a time when I had no idea about toy sales. Four years ago, as I sat having coffee with my Mother’s Group friends, they started talking about the impending toy sales. There were a few first-time mums in the group and we all looked blankly at each other, wondering why these sales were special. The mums who were on their second and third children talked about lining up at midnight to jump the queues and the pushing and shoving as everyone tried to get the toys they’d circled in the catalogues weeks before.
I was dumbfounded that people would do this, not understanding the true hold of consumerism on children. Roll on two years and I was at the K-mart toy sale in July 2008 buying Noah’s Christmas presents, knowing I wouldn’t feel like looking at Duplo and Lightening McQueen while almost ready to have his baby brother or sister. And again last year I was frantically buying Christmas gifts for them both in July, after missing out on a few of the options we’d wanted for Noah earlier in the sales.
So now I understand to huge toy sales. Shopping for toys has replaced the times I used to take myself shopping for new clothes, shoes and accessories before I became a mum. I am now willing to stand in queues stretching for metres and metres mid year, just so I know I don’t have to brave the crowds at Christmas anymore. Actually, maybe Harvey can stand in the queues now!
What are your favourite end of financial year sales?
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Johanna Baker-Dowdell is mum to two boys – Noah and Ethan – and combines looking after them with her work as a blogger, journalist, writer and public relations consultant. She owns and manages Strawberry Communications which started small in the third bedroom, but has grown into its own office space (in the converted garage).
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