EAST LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The holiday season is still weeks away, but preparations are already underway across East Las Vegas. For some families and local businesses, this year's celebrations are also bringing financial pressure and other challenges.
For Jessica Savage, a mother of four children under the age of 12, higher everyday expenses are making it difficult to plan for Christmas.
WATCH | East Las Vegas residents prepare for holiday season amid rising costs and hiring challenges
“I wanna give my kids everything, but I'm very limited because everything's so expensive,” Savage said.
The financial pressure has changed how she feels about the upcoming holiday.
“I'm not even looking forward to Christmas this year,” she said.
Savage said the holidays have become increasingly stressful as expenses continue to add up. Last year, she said she was unable to buy Christmas presents for her children and instead received help through a program at their school.
“Like last year I wasn't able to get them anything for Christmas, and their school had a program,” Savage said. “They got my kids like 10 presents each, and my kids were happy.”
Families aren't the only ones navigating challenges this holiday season.
Ralph Jones Display and Store Fixtures, a longtime East Las Vegas business that sells Christmas trees and decorations, has also been preparing for the busy season.
Co-owner Kate Jones said shipping created some delays this year.
“This year we had a little bit of a run-in with the shipping and such. That was a little bit of a delay this year,” Jones said.
But Jones said one of the store's biggest challenges has been finding seasonal employees.
She estimates the business has reviewed close to 200 applications while trying to hire workers.
“Unfortunately, we've been looking to hire a lot, and we've been through probably over 200 applications,” Jones said. “People said they were going to show up for the interview, and most of them never showed up.”
Despite those challenges, Jones said the business is trying to make its holiday merchandise accessible to customers at different price points.
“We are always trying to hit the right price items for individuals,” Jones said. “We don't want to be just that high-end business. We want everybody to be able to shop here at Ralph Jones.”
As families prepare for the holidays, Jones hopes they will remember that the season does not have to revolve around what is under the tree.
“The memories are the most important,” Jones said. “Because that's what you take with you. The stuff could disappear. You could lose it. Something can happen, but that memory will always be there.”
It's a message Savage is also trying to teach her children as her family navigates another holiday season on a limited budget.
“That's why I'm trying to teach my kids to be humble and appreciate what they do have instead of worrying about what they don't have,” Savage said.
For families looking for assistance this holiday season visit https://www.helpsonv.org/holiday-programs.
