Boxing Day & the Strata Sales Begin

What the hell is Boxing Day for ?


My research suggests that no-one knows but a few theories include -

• It is named after Mr Boxing, a golden gloves winner in his teens who later turned politician and who tragically died in a horse and carriage accident
• It is based on a tradition of giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions usually in boxes
• It is based on traditional practice of placing metal boxes outside churches to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen
• It is based on a nineteenth-century Victorian custom for tradesmen to collect their "Christmas boxes" or gifts on the day after Christmas in return for good and reliable service throughout the year
• It is based on an old English tradition that in exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners' Christmases ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the 26th off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses (and sometimes leftover food)
• It is based on the practice, from the 1800s, when churches opened their alms boxes (boxes where people place monetary donations) and distributed the contents to the poor

These days it's about shopping with sales starting early in the morning and crowds pushing at the shopfront to get in and grab a bargain.


So what strata bargains are shoppers looking for this year ?

• They could probably find some recycled by-laws for sale cheaply by a few law firms
• There's more than a few strata managers offering low management fees (or to beat the competition) to get appointed
• A builder or two might offer you a quick settlement on your defects if you're prepared to bargain hard and take a discount
• What about shopping around for the cheapest insurance valuation update you can find  
• Or, keep looking for the cheapest deal around on sinking or capital funding forecasts
• And, of course, you can almost certainly find an even cheaper cleaning contractor to "clean" your building

But, I suppose strata shopping is like all bargain hunting ... you could easily end up buying something that you don't really need, that doesn't quite fit you or just wont last as long as you needed it to (even though you saved a bit of money).


So, make sure when you're strata shopping (whether on Boxing Day or not) that you buy what you actually want, that it suits your needs and that you buy the best quality you can afford within your budget.


See you at the sales and hands off those shoes ... they're mine !




Francesco ...