Delineating the Costs of Pesach

Of all the yomim tovim that we celebrate, most people agree that Pesach costs the most monetarily. They are quick to point out that the cost of food is much higher since it must be only foods allowed for Pesach, and mostly with special hashgochahs just for Pesach. People look at their cash outlay before Pesach and groan, loudly and with gusto. But are these special food purchases really the only thing that raise expenditures pre-Pesach to the levels we see? Nope.

One reason the expenditures go up is company. For those whose children come home to them for Pesach, or who have others coming for the Yom Tov, expenses are multiplied way beyond regular expenses. When you go from feeding only a few people for a week to feeding a small army for a week, you are going to be spending money, lots of money. This year there is going to be very little Chol HaMoed free time, basically being yom tov, Shabbos, yom tov. Those meals over Yom Tov and Shabbos are not peanut butter sandwiches and a cup of coffee, no matter how "lightly" you cook. By my reckoning, not counting breakfasts and snacks or "tea" in the afternoon, nor regular Chol Hamoed meals,I'll be serving 11-12 major meals, all in one 8-day period. If I had company every Shabbos, for both meals, it would be 6 weeks to serve that many company meals. If I had that company only once on Shabbos, it would be three months to serve that many company meals. And the cost of those meals would be spread out over a 1-1/2 to 3 month period of food budgeting. And the choice of what to serve for those meals would be strictly mine, no special kashrus or minhag concerns applying.

And if you are not serving meals to company but only to your family? Principle still applies. In 8 days you are going to be serving the equivalent of 6 weeks of Shabbos meals.

Yes, this time of year cleaning gets frenetic for some, and the cost is there. Use more cleaning supplies and you spend more money. Some people have cleaning help all year round and get extra help for Pesach, and some splurge on that help only for making Pesach. Yes, this costs money. Right around now laundry doing has increased, and yes that too adds in, even if only a few dollars. And then there is the load of clothing going to the dry cleaners. And if you should decide to have your carpets cleaned? More money added to the expenditures.

Not every one is completely outfitted in their kitchen for Pesach cooking and serving. It seems that every year something new gets added. And that adds to the cost as well. Even those such as myself who have been making Pesach for decades find things that have worn out and need replacing. And for those who serve on paper/plastic and use foil pans instead of buying pans they may have no room to store, that is not a food expense and certainly adds to the cost of making Pesach.

And yes, there is the shopping of the non-food kind. I have to be one of the few women I know who does not jump on the "get a new outfit or more" for Pesach bandwagon. Why should I? I wear my clothes until they are no longer physically wearable. A suit purchased two or three years ago is still perfectly appropriate for shul, and I don't give a rat's behind about whether the color is in or not. For those who truly love clothes shopping, the spring styles and fashions are first arriving into the stores now; they'll be much more choice later on. And nothing goes on sale right about now: Easter and Passover are big-bucks times for clothing stores. And you can't count on the weather to fit with the clothing you purchase now--many a Pesach where the weather has resembled late fall rather than late spring, and those new clothes stay in the closet. And is it really, really necessary to buy more than one outfit, when closets in homes are bulging at the seams? Clothing shopping is an extra dropped into the budget, not a required item, and it's coming at a time that the budget is being strained in other areas. Perhaps, if money is tight, only those who have changed size over the year, such as growing children, should be considered as "must spends" before Pesach. The clothing shopping before Pesach has far more to do with being stylish than with necessity.

Just a little side note here: I caught a bit of flack on a different blog when discussing the purchase of hand shmurah matzah. Yes, it can be pricey. Yes, it is what we use out of choice and not out of ignorance that other alternatives are available. No, I don't "like" the price, but I want the product so I pay what is asked. But here is the thing. You have any idea how many pounds of that hand shmurah I can buy just by forgoing a pair of those "fancy, shmancy" shoes? Or not buying that "must have label" outfit or sweater or skirt? Or NOT buying a Borsolino and company hat for the men folk? Or yet one more limited time of use because it's in right now item? Like the rest of you, I choose where my money is going to be spent. At least in my house, in the tradeoff for designer/labeled clothing against the hand shmurah matzah, the matzah wins every time, for everyone.

Let's also talk about eating out this time of year. Yes, the day I turn my kitchen we bring in Pizza. After that, my kitchen produces the edibles for us. And yet, there are many who indulge in eating out for way more than once during the run up to Pesach. This, too, adds to the higher bills during this time period.

I haven't mentioned all the other extras that seem to come out this time of year, but they too add to the expenses. It may or may not be possible to cut expenses a great deal in one area of spending, but it could be possible to control these expenses by looking at everything that costs for Pesach time. And if you consider that all the items mentioned, plus those not, are how you WANT to make Pesach, then you shouldn't be complaining about the cost when it's your choice to spend the money. Sure, I kvetch a little--only human--but I'm spending on items and choices that I want. If I truly couldn't afford to pay for what I wanted, there would be plenty of ways to cut down on spending, and buying less food is not the only way.