Half Of British Mums Worry About Christmas Spending

Brand
Mums Consumer

Although it may seem more appropriate to be thinking about the summer holidays at the moment, a new poll suggests that many British mums are worried about the expenses they will have to face this Christmas, the Retail Gazette reports.

According to the Mumdex poll, carried out by Asda, 46% are already concerned about how they will manage to meet rising costs at the end of 2012, with rates similar across various ethnic backgrounds, social status, regions and age.

In fact, one in three women have started putting aside money for gifts and extra expenses over the Christmas period, while one in four respondents believe they will have to cut down on spending, in comparison to last year.

In addition, the poll reveals that as many as 93% have already bought at least one gift for Christmas, whereas more than two in five are shopping for Christmas cards, with many starting to get ready as early as January. Some 13% are already buying items of decoration to ensure they are prepared in advance and will not have to go on a huge spending spree just before the holidays. Furthermore, 22% say they are piling up food supplies for Christmas dishes.

Overall, the vast majority of respondents share the opinion that they will not be able to spend as much on gifts for their children as they wish they could, feeling guilty about it. Still, the poll finds that the average amount of money that mums are willing to spend on their kids is twice as big as the amount they are ready to save up for a rainy day.