Irish households 'to spend average of €1,463' on Christmas
Research published today suggests the average household bill for Christmas festivities will hit €1,463 this year.
However, that’s no more than last year, and in some cases, is even less, with two-thirds of people questioned in a Christmas-themed survey saying they won’t spend any more on Christmas than they did in 2013.
The survey, carried out by Aviva Home Insurance, found that the biggest areas for spending were:
• €620 on gifts
• €340 on food and drink expenses
• €228 on socialising at Christmas parties, family events and theatre
• €210 on decorations, clothes, and miscellaneous
On average, the gifts beneath the tree in each household total between €350 – €600, and 28% of respondents said they had a fear of being burgled over the Christmas period.
When asked where they would try to cut back on Christmas expenditure, 21% said they would cut back on gifts; 18% would consume less food and alcohol; 27% would reduce spending on decorations; 23% would cut down on Christmas socialising; and 19% would cut out “discretionary” items like a new outfit for Christmas.
The home insurance company carried out the survey among 960 participants in October to promote the extra 10% coverage for home contents during the month of December.
