- Bessie Hassan
- Head of PR & Money Expert
- finder.com.au
- +61 402 567 568
- Bessie.Hassan@finder.com.au
Media Release
All that glitters: Aussies set to spend $18.8 billion this Christmas
- The average household is tipped to spend $969
- Aussies will fork out the most for travel and gifts
- How to spend less money this Christmas
12 December 2019, Sydney, Australia – Aussies will be splashing out in the lead up to Christmas this year according to Finder, Australia's most visited comparison site.
A recent survey of 1,018 Australians revealed that the typical household is planning to spend $969 on Christmas, reaching a national total of $18.8 billion.
Travel tops Christmas expenses, with Aussies set to spend $471 each on festive getaways. They're also expected to fork out $386 each for gifts, or $7.5 billion collectively.
Kate Browne, personal finance expert at Finder, said that with 40 days to go until Christmas, spending season has well and truly kicked off.
"Christmas is notoriously expensive. From end of year celebrations to office Kris Kringles, costs can start piling up from November.
"Christmas shopping can leave a serious dent in your savings. Not to mention the cost of food, alcohol and other festive goodies.
"The upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are a great opportunity to stock up on Christmas items at a discount," Browne said.
Despite their willingness to spend, more than one in four (28%) Aussies won't have enough cash saved to cover their Christmas costs.
Instead, these 5.4 million Aussies will be resorting to credit cards (19%) or buy now pay later (7%) to fund their festive purchases.
Browne said there are steps Aussies can take to minimise the financial onslaught of the festive season.
"Stick to a budget and actively track your purchases to avoid overspending. Writing a list of everyone you need to buy for can help prevent those hasty, last-minute purchases.
"Those who do end up with post-festive debt should consider a balance transfer card. These typically come with an interest-free period of up to 24 months, and can take the sting out of your interest charges," she said.
How much will you spend on the following items this Christmas?
| Travel | $471 |
| Presents | $386 |
| Charity donations | $41 |
| Decorations | $40 |
| Hampers | $31 |
Source: Finder, November 2019 survey
How do you primarily plan on funding Christmas this year?
| Savings | 49% |
| Credit card | 19% |
| Buy now, pay later | 7% |
| Personal loan | 1% |
| Refinancing home loan | 1% |
How to boost your Christmas savings
- Use your vouchers. Chances are you have gift vouchers kicking around the house from birthdays and even Christmas last year. Why not make use of those for buying presents?
- Set a budget. This sounds obvious, but figure out what costs you have coming up and work out how much you can afford.
- Don't accept every invitation. It might be tempting to go to all your friends' and family's parties, but they often come at a cost of bringing food, alcohol and even gifts. Attend the parties that mean the most to you, and send your regrets to the rest.
- Freeze meals. We often over cater (and over indulge) at Christmas. Freeze leftovers so you won't have to buy as much on your next grocery run.
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For further information
- Bessie Hassan
- Head of PR & Money Expert
- finder.com.au
- +61 402 567 568
- Bessie.Hassan@finder.com.au
Disclaimer
The information in this release is accurate as of the date published, but rates, fees and other product features may have changed. Please see updated product information on finder.com.au's review pages for the current correct values.
About Finder
Every month 2.6 million unique visitors turn to Finder to save money and time, and to make important life choices. We compare virtually everything from credit cards, phone plans, health insurance, travel deals and much more.
Our free service is 100% independently-owned by three Australians: Fred Schebesta, Frank Restuccia and Jeremy Cabral. Since launching in 2006, Finder has helped Aussies find what they need from 1,800+ brands across 100+ categories.
We continue to expand and launch around the globe, and now have offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland and the Philippines. For further information visit www.finder.com.au.
12.6 million average unique monthly audience (June- September 2019), Nielsen Digital Panel