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Average Brit spends £44,500 on Christmas in their lifetime

Joanna Faith
Written By:
Joanna Faith
Posted:
Updated:
14/12/2015

The average Brit spends almost £44,500 on Christmas over their lifetime – and money is the main reason for festive arguments.

Figures from Together Mutual Insurance shows the typical British household spends close to £700 per year on Christmas, paying an average of £168 for food, £90 on hosting and making the house presentable, and £436 on gifts.

Over an average lifetime of 64 years, this adds up to almost £10,752 on food, £27,904 on presents and £5,760 on home preparations – totalling a staggering £44,416.

Brits are prepared to splash out up to £142 on their most expensive gift, but expect to receive presents worth just £98 in return.

Interestingly, the research found that how much money is being spent is the most likely factor to cause a Christmas argument.

A Together Mutual spokesman said: “As the festive spirit builds and the excitement takes hold, it appears everyone is spending a great deal on gifts and entertaining. The huge cost really adds to the pressure of Christmas, as everyone wants it to be perfect – but there are so many little things that don’t always go according to plan.

“Getting prepared can really help to ease the burden, and gives you more time to spend with your loved ones at this special time of year.”

Top 40 Christmas grumbles 

  1. How much money things cost
  2. Where to spend Christmas Day
  3. Which family to visit
  4. How much to spend on other people
  5. The temperature of the house
  6. Who does the washing up
  7. No one helping Mum
  8. Old arguments being brought up
  9. My partner drinking too much
  10. Can’t agree what movie/TV to watch
  11. How much to spend on each other
  12. My partner not helping out enough when we have to host people
  13. Mum stressing over the Christmas dinner
  14. You or your partner having to work too much over the holiday
  15. Having to sit in traffic while on the way to visit people
  16. What presents to buy for the kids
  17. Not tidying up after opening presents
  18. People arriving late on Christmas Day
  19. Whether to go out for Christmas dinner or stay at home
  20. Whether to get a real or fake tree
  21. My partner or I picking at food before it’s ready
  22. What time to open presents
  23. Who has to drive to a party/Christmas drinks
  24. Who cooks the Christmas dinner
  25. Who carves the turkey
  26. Ownership of the remote control
  27. Who decorates the tree
  28. You or your partner staying out too late with friends and colleagues
  29. Family members/ partner cheating at a board game
  30. Whether or not to put Christmas spending on the credit card
  31. The cost of entertaining relatives
  32. Eating chocolate and spoiling dinner
  33. The children using their mobile phones / laptops whilst at the dinner table
  34. My parents saying something inappropriate at the table
  35. The food getting burnt
  36. Not having enough space to put up relatives
  37. My partner saying something inappropriate at the table
  38. Dad not wanting to watch soap opera Christmas specials
  39. Someone spilling wine/drink at the table
  40. The kids moaning about their presents

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