The Cost of Christmas
The holidays are a marketable time for retail stores, with holiday sales in 2005 reaching $435.6 billion dollars. Retail sales have steadily increased 5% each year since 1998. Surprisingly, men spend more than women on holiday gifts, with the average man spending $780 and the average woman spending $693 each year.
Most people spend about $700 on the holidays each year. In 2003 those with an income of $75,000 or more spent $1,211 on presents; those with an income of $30,000-74,999 spent $737; and those with an income less than $30,000 spent about $401.
Although most people spent money on holiday presents, 87% of Americans think that the Christmas time should be more about family and caring for others, and not giving and receiving gifts. And about 79% don’t believe it’s necessary to spend a lot of money to have a fulfilling holiday. With this in mind, perhaps you should concentrate on planning a holiday party for family and friends, complete with Christmas decorations, delectable food from a speciality Utah Christmas catering company, and plenty of holiday cheer.