With the holiday season in full swing and sales poised to set another record, some might wonder how this money is being spent. Although not shown in the graph, family members benefit the most, with people devoting the majority of their holiday budget to gifts on family members. Money spent on items such as cards, flowers, and decorations has remained pretty consistent through the years while gifts for babysitters, the mailman, and people’s pets saw a sharp decline just after the financial crisis, and have yet to return to pre-crisis levels. Perhaps the most surprising fact is that since 2010, people on average have spent more on candy and food than on their friends.
December 21, 2015