On average, how much will people in the UK have spent this Christmas, and how on earth are we going to pay for it all?

1. The cost of Christmas 2014
From the Learn English Network - http://learnenglish.de
Average Cost of
Christmas in the UK
Online retailers
are expecting
sales to reach
£17.4 billion.
£
The total retail spend in the run up to Christmas
(mid-November to Christmas day) by UK households in
2014 is expected to reach £74.3 billion
Britons are planning
to spend £868 pp on
Christmas this year,
just £6 more than
was spent in 2002.
The average adult spends £530 on their
festive celebrations, which equates to a
total spend of £26 billion on
Christmas food and drink, gifts,
decorations, cards etc.
Only 5% of people said
they had more money
available this year that
they would spend on
Christmas celebrations ...
... and 9% said they felt
they deserved some extra
treats this year.
Consumers think they
will spend an average
of £345.65 on gifts
this year, £16 less
than in 2002, ...
... although 35%
of people thought
they would blow
at least £500 on
presents.
On average people buy presents for 12 members
of their family or friends
33% of people said
the most expensive
gift they buy will be
for a child ...
... followed by 16%,
who said they will
spend the most
money on their
wives, ...
... and just 7% will
spend most on
their husbands.
People living in Scotland
are the most generous
when it comes to buying
presents, expecting to
spend an average of
£413.80 ... ... while those in the
South will spend the
least at £335.43.
Overall, by the end of Christmas, people will have
spent an average of ...
£178.57 on
food and drink.
£29.59 on decorations
and accessories.
£17.02 on Christmas
cards and postage.
Just under 25% of people planned to do some of their
Christmas shopping abroad.
57% of whom had planned
a trip to France ...
... and expected to spend an
average of £109 each on food and
drink.
66% of people expect to pay for the cost of
Christmas using savings
9% said they
would use a credit
card or loan, ...
... but 19% of
people admitted
they had failed to
budget for the
festive season.
References:
www.retailresearch.org/shoppingforxmas.php
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2858329/Christmas-bargains-food-prices-fall-time-eight-years-shoppers-
spurn-supermarkets-local-stores.html
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/christmas-dinner-to-be-cheaper-this-year-as-
price-falls-for-first-time-since-2006-9899669.html
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-201950/Britons-spend-868-Christmas.html
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-2850200/Shoppers-Britain-spend-money-festive-gifts-
Europe.html
L E O
Network