BEWARE OF THE CHRISTMAS “G.O.O.S.Eâ€
A new breed of goose is set to fly into British homes this Christmas, all because of the credit crunch.
This festive season 40% of Britons are planning on inviting themselves over to family or friends in a bid to save money – and save a collective £1.5b in the process.
The “goose†– Go Over to Others to Save Expense – is expected to save an average of £155 per household on Christmas Day alone, according to new research from Travelodge the UK hotel group.
Listed below are the top “goose†techniques for an invitation:
• Drop gentle hints about being “home alone†this Christmas
• Starting dating someone just to get a turkey dinner invite
• Resort to telling white lies about fictional building work or delayed furniture deliveries
Further findings from the “goose†report showed that not all will be able to feather their nest with free food and booze as 40% of people quizzed by the hotel chain said there is “no room at the inn†because they are too feeling the pinch.
The most popular roost for the “goose†is in Oxford where 56% of people polled will be flying their own coops to land at friends’ homes to save money. The “goose†is “lesser spotted†in Gloucester where only 20% are planning on flocking to friends and family.
The most devious “goose†is found in Aberystwyth in Wales where eight per cent of people on the lookout for a free mince pie say they’d start a relationship with someone just to get an invite while the most subtle are in Cambridge where more than one in ten (11%) are dropping hints that they’ll be home alone. The most brazen “goose†is in Sheffield where they are most likely to plead poverty and ask outright for an invite.
Mark Kemp, Travelodge Director of Revenue Management said; “The rise of the “goose†at Christmas is a sign of the times. In today’s climate Brits are looking at low cost solutions to ease Christmas expenditure. We’ve seen a double digit growth in room bookings this seasonal period. It seems a lot of Britain is on the move this Christmas in a bid to save the cost of hosting a big party. We may be short of cash but we are still rich in Christmas spiritâ€.
Listed below are the top five ways that a typical ‘goose’ would secure a Christmas invite:
1. Be upfront and just ask
2. Drop gentle hints about being home alone
3. Imply that money is tight and you won’t be celebrating
4. Tell a white lie e.g. broken down boiler, unfinished building work/decorating
5. Get chummy/start a relationship with someone in time for December 25th
Valere Tjolle
Valere
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