How Much Do You Spend On Christmas?
With stockings to fill, turkeys to stuff and seasonal breaks to be had, Brits intend to spend nearly £1500 (£1,484) each during the festive season. The annual research from American Express has found a bumper £75.5 billion will be spent across the nation this year to celebrate Christmas.
Topping the list of spendy Christmas stuff is visits to Lapland and Christmas markets outside the UK (£386) followed by gifts for loved ones (£315).
The yearly study reveals Britons' total seasonal bill will be just £6 less this year compared to 2015, to ensure Santa's sleigh is full of good cheer.
UK shoppers are shrewd when it comes to how they plan to offset some of their Christmas spending though, with nearly half (47%) saving up rewards points to help with their festive fund, which allows them to save an average of £65.
Here's how we're splashing the cash this Christmas:
1. Christmas getaways outside the UK: £386
2. Gifts: £315
3. Christmas getaways in the UK: £201
4. Hosting parties (e.g. food, drink): £104
5. Christmas gatherings with friends and family outside the home: £93
6. Festive experiences (e.g. pantomime tickets, ice skating): £91
7. New clothes: £87
8. Christmas day food shopping: £81
9. Travel: £76
10. Christmas decorations for your home: £50
But when it comes to funding the festivities, setting a Christmas budget is not top of the list for some. Nearly a quarter (22%) haven't yet thought of the steps they will take to make the most of their money this Christmas, and nearly three in 10 (28%) don't have a Christmas budget at all.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this data. How does it compare with what you expend to spend this Christmas? And what are your top tips for making your money go further at Christmas? Aside from making the most of Black Friday and relying on Playpennies to bring you the Christmas shopping bargains, of course! Leave us a comment below or join the conversation over on our Facebook page.
No way can I spend that on Christmas!!
We only buy for children in our family so just our sons, and nieces and nephews which helps save quite a bit. All us aunties and uncles have agreed not to buy for each other. There are quite a few December and January birthdays in our family too! We buy for our parents but ot something small. Usually a bottle of something or voucher.
I've been buying my 2 second hand toys from local selling sites/eBay for a couple of years. They don't know the difference and I've saved loads. They don't care that they're not in original packaging. They do come from Father Christmas after all, not high street shops!