Household Bills
Average Brit spends £44,500 on Christmas in their lifetime
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
- How much money things cost
- Where to spend Christmas Day
- Which family to visit
- How much to spend on other people
- The temperature of the house
- Who does the washing up
- No one helping Mum
- Old arguments being brought up
- My partner drinking too much
- Can’t agree what movie/TV to watch
- How much to spend on each other
- My partner not helping out enough when we have to host people
- Mum stressing over the Christmas dinner
- You or your partner having to work too much over the holiday
- Having to sit in traffic while on the way to visit people
- What presents to buy for the kids
- Not tidying up after opening presents
- People arriving late on Christmas Day
- Whether to go out for Christmas dinner or stay at home
- Whether to get a real or fake tree
- My partner or I picking at food before it’s ready
- What time to open presents
- Who has to drive to a party/Christmas drinks
- Who cooks the Christmas dinner
- Who carves the turkey
- Ownership of the remote control
- Who decorates the tree
- You or your partner staying out too late with friends and colleagues
- Family members/ partner cheating at a board game
- Whether or not to put Christmas spending on the credit card
- The cost of entertaining relatives
- Eating chocolate and spoiling dinner
- The children using their mobile phones / laptops whilst at the dinner table
- My parents saying something inappropriate at the table
- The food getting burnt
- Not having enough space to put up relatives
- My partner saying something inappropriate at the table
- Dad not wanting to watch soap opera Christmas specials
- Someone spilling wine/drink at the table
- The kids moaning about their presents
[article_related_posts]