Not if you want to kill salmonella.Ydobon wrote:So is it ok to serve turkey medium rare?
Christmas presents!!!
Re: Christmas presents!!!
Last edited by Scrubby on Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
Haha - always a good idea! 
Re: Christmas presents!!!
I am in favour of the saying 'start as you wish to continue.' It applies to many things and Xmas presents are certainly one of them. At the same time, I accept that every family has different traditions and trying to change them can be very difficult without getting everyone upset. There is no simple answer in other words and it is an individual thing where what someone else does is meaningless in your own family situation.
There are times however when you do have an opportunity to change the game. When I FIREd, I went around to all those I exchanged gifts, cards, etc. with and gave them something. Primarily, I divested myself of some major 'things'. Like a Rolex watch and a near new Jeep Cherokee. In each case, I told the person that this was the last thing they would receive from me and I did not want to receive anything from them in the future. My new life would simply not support my continuing to exchange gifts and so I was going to stop doing so. Given that what each received was relatively valuable (far beyond a typical Xmas or birthday present), it was a this is it for the rest of my life and I'm 'paid in full in advance' so to speak. No one objected, no one failed to understand.
When I was living in a tourist area and met lots of tourists every day, I would sometimes meet a newly married young couple on their honeymoon. Sometimes they would mention that they were going shopping tomorrow for presents to take home to family and friends. Quite a few people make a habit of doing this kind of thing apparently.
I would ask them if they really wanted to start something that they would then be expected to continue doing, every time they took a vacation after that. Some listened, some didn't. I bet I know which are happiest now about the decision they made that first time.
There are times however when you do have an opportunity to change the game. When I FIREd, I went around to all those I exchanged gifts, cards, etc. with and gave them something. Primarily, I divested myself of some major 'things'. Like a Rolex watch and a near new Jeep Cherokee. In each case, I told the person that this was the last thing they would receive from me and I did not want to receive anything from them in the future. My new life would simply not support my continuing to exchange gifts and so I was going to stop doing so. Given that what each received was relatively valuable (far beyond a typical Xmas or birthday present), it was a this is it for the rest of my life and I'm 'paid in full in advance' so to speak. No one objected, no one failed to understand.
When I was living in a tourist area and met lots of tourists every day, I would sometimes meet a newly married young couple on their honeymoon. Sometimes they would mention that they were going shopping tomorrow for presents to take home to family and friends. Quite a few people make a habit of doing this kind of thing apparently.
I would ask them if they really wanted to start something that they would then be expected to continue doing, every time they took a vacation after that. Some listened, some didn't. I bet I know which are happiest now about the decision they made that first time.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
Thrifty: If there is not some natural time when all of your family meets before Xmas (like Thanksgiving), I think it'll be hard to sell drawing names out of a hat. I second sticking with gifts for the kids (ungrateful as they may be) as it's easier to sell as a reasonable decision to others. I was overjoyed when my SIL suggested it several years ago. It brought the cost of presents way down, and increased their efficacy since most parents then put together Amazon wish lists. While the idea of dictating gifts is kind of dumb to me--why not just give cash then?--kids like something to open on Xmas. If it's something they're pining for even better I suppose.
@OldPro: Interesting and instructive post about not starting habits you'll want to break later/creating expectations you'll dash in the future.
@OldPro: Interesting and instructive post about not starting habits you'll want to break later/creating expectations you'll dash in the future.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
OldPro, planning on doing similar (slightly smaller scale) with nieces and nephews. They'll receive gifts up until 16/18 and at that point they'll get one last biggish gift and be left to their own (adult) devices.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
As a business consultant I used to tell the story in some seminars, of a company President who decided one year to give out Xmas turkeys to all their employees. As intended, everyone was pleasantly surprised by this unexpected event. The second year everyone was again pleased to receive one.
In early December of the third year, an employee approached his supervisor and asked if instead of a turkey which his family didn't happen to like eating, he might get a ham of equivalent value. Perhaps a choice could be given to all employees. The request was passed along, found to be reasonable and a list of employee names posted in the lunch room where they could all tick a turkey or ham box showing their preference. Again everyone was pleased.
In the fourth year, a single (as in single not married) employee asked if it would be possible to receive cash instead of either a turkey or ham as s/he had no need for either a turkey or ham as a single person.
Can you see where this is headed? What started out as a simple gesture of appreciation to all employees had become all about money. It was no longer 'the thought that counts', it was becoming a 'right to expect'. After only 2 instances of giving the gift, expectations had already been set and changes asked for. The point of the story is about how expectations begin and what the unexpected consequences can become.
I used it as part of a seminar on 'Value Added'. How to add value to what you provide to a customer, beyond the basic product/service you are selling to them. The best examples of 'value added' are things that meet 3 criteria. Those are, cost nothing, last forever, can't be repeated. The turkey story is an example of exactly the opposite and how it can come back to bite you in the butt.
An example of truly great value added comes from another company. The President of that company was in the habit of sometimes getting out into 'the field' with their sales representatives to meet new customers personally. At the end of the meeting he would ask for his business card back that he had given the customer at the beginning of their meeting. He would write his home phone number (pre-cellphone days) on the back of the card while at the same time saying, 'George, I want you to know you are important to us and if you ever have a problem that Mike here is not available to deal with for you, I want you to call me at the office or at home if necessary and I will take care of it for you. We appreciate your business.'
Now think about it, no cost, lasts forever, can't be repeated. For those who wonder, I don't think he ever got a phone call at home and got very few at the office either. (I did actually know this President, it's real story, not fictional) That was because of 2 things. First, most people will try their sales rep first and most will get satisfaction that way. Second, knowing their customer could call their President directly provided a strong motivation for the sales reps to take care of their customers.
Now if someone can think of an Xmas present that works the same way, that would be a real boon for those in this forum looking for an answer to how to deal with Xmas presents within their ERE planning.
Costs nothing, lasts forever, can't be repeated.
In early December of the third year, an employee approached his supervisor and asked if instead of a turkey which his family didn't happen to like eating, he might get a ham of equivalent value. Perhaps a choice could be given to all employees. The request was passed along, found to be reasonable and a list of employee names posted in the lunch room where they could all tick a turkey or ham box showing their preference. Again everyone was pleased.
In the fourth year, a single (as in single not married) employee asked if it would be possible to receive cash instead of either a turkey or ham as s/he had no need for either a turkey or ham as a single person.
Can you see where this is headed? What started out as a simple gesture of appreciation to all employees had become all about money. It was no longer 'the thought that counts', it was becoming a 'right to expect'. After only 2 instances of giving the gift, expectations had already been set and changes asked for. The point of the story is about how expectations begin and what the unexpected consequences can become.
I used it as part of a seminar on 'Value Added'. How to add value to what you provide to a customer, beyond the basic product/service you are selling to them. The best examples of 'value added' are things that meet 3 criteria. Those are, cost nothing, last forever, can't be repeated. The turkey story is an example of exactly the opposite and how it can come back to bite you in the butt.
An example of truly great value added comes from another company. The President of that company was in the habit of sometimes getting out into 'the field' with their sales representatives to meet new customers personally. At the end of the meeting he would ask for his business card back that he had given the customer at the beginning of their meeting. He would write his home phone number (pre-cellphone days) on the back of the card while at the same time saying, 'George, I want you to know you are important to us and if you ever have a problem that Mike here is not available to deal with for you, I want you to call me at the office or at home if necessary and I will take care of it for you. We appreciate your business.'
Now think about it, no cost, lasts forever, can't be repeated. For those who wonder, I don't think he ever got a phone call at home and got very few at the office either. (I did actually know this President, it's real story, not fictional) That was because of 2 things. First, most people will try their sales rep first and most will get satisfaction that way. Second, knowing their customer could call their President directly provided a strong motivation for the sales reps to take care of their customers.
Now if someone can think of an Xmas present that works the same way, that would be a real boon for those in this forum looking for an answer to how to deal with Xmas presents within their ERE planning.
Costs nothing, lasts forever, can't be repeated.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
Brilliant.OldPro wrote:An example of truly great value added comes from another company. The President of that company was in the habit of sometimes getting out into 'the field' with their sales representatives to meet new customers personally. At the end of the meeting he would ask for his business card back that he had given the customer at the beginning of their meeting. He would write his home phone number (pre-cellphone days) on the back of the card while at the same time saying, 'George, I want you to know you are important to us and if you ever have a problem that Mike here is not available to deal with for you, I want you to call me at the office or at home if necessary and I will take care of it for you. We appreciate your business.'
You have been full of excellent ideas lately
!Re: Christmas presents!!!
Quite similar story with luxuries in our lives. When you don't have something, you manage just fine without it. When you get it, at the beginning you are so happy and pleased. After some time, you can't imagine your life without it anymore. It applies to almost everything - cell phone, car, 8 bedroom house, private jet, daily fireworks...OldPro wrote: Can you see where this is headed? What started out as a simple gesture of appreciation to all employees had become all about money. It was no longer 'the thought that counts', it was becoming a 'right to expect'. After only 2 instances of giving the gift, expectations had already been set and changes asked for. The point of the story is about how expectations begin and what the unexpected consequences can become.
Re: Christmas presents!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmillstayhigh wrote:Quite similar story with luxuries in our lives. When you don't have something, you manage just fine without it. When you get it, at the beginning you are so happy and pleased. After some time, you can't imagine your life without it anymore. It applies to almost everything - cell phone, car, 8 bedroom house, private jet, daily fireworks...OldPro wrote: Can you see where this is headed? What started out as a simple gesture of appreciation to all employees had become all about money. It was no longer 'the thought that counts', it was becoming a 'right to expect'. After only 2 instances of giving the gift, expectations had already been set and changes asked for. The point of the story is about how expectations begin and what the unexpected consequences can become.
Fortunately the reverse should also be true.