More than one in three people in Manchester are worried about how they will afford Christmas this year according to new research.
While our waists are bulging our wallets tend to be shrinking as the average Manchester household spends £292.27 on Christmas presents each year.
The research shows that 90% of people in the city are worried that the season of giving will cause loved ones into financial hardship.
Shelley Smith, a fulltime mum from Bolton, told MM how Christmas can be extremely expensive for families with young children.
The 32-year-old said: “Christmas will be especially hard this year which is down to having kids, it will definitely be a bit of a squeeze, because as a parent you don’t want to let them down.
“However hard you try Christmas presents always seem to add up to a lot.”
A survey conducted by Forever Friends shows that nearly half of people in Manchester wouldn’t tell someone if they didn’t like or need a gift they had been given.
It was also discovered that Mancunians spend more time choosing gifts than the national average taking 54 minutes per gift compared to 48 minutes.
Geoff Fairclough, 71, from Manchester, said: “Christmas can be expensive, but it is all worth it when you see the smile on people’s faces when you give them a gift they like.”
At Christmas people tend to buy around 11 presents for friends and family at an average cost of £26.57 which is a considerable amount, especially in the current climate.
Dennis Small, 54, told MM how Christmas can be affordable and that people don’t need to panic at this time of year.
The businessman from Leeds said: “This time of year is more about the thought of giving, rather than receiving loads of expensive gifts.
“You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a good Christmas, people get hung up on impressing each other but I am just happy spending.”
Image courtesy of John Burke via Flickr, with thanks.
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