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$624
The amount Kiwis will be spending per person this Christmas
Average spend by region
Spending by state
Region Christmas spend Auckland $731 Marlborough Canterbury $511 Wellington $560 Waikato $645 Wanamatu-Wanganui $517 Otago $550 Bay of Plenty $637 Hawke’s Bay $563 Northland $654 Southland $675 Taranaki $585 Nelson $472 Tasman $397 West Coast $708 Gisborne $813 New South Wales residents are feeling the most generous this year. They’ll be spending almost twice as much as those living in South Australia.
What are Kiwis spending it on?
- Gifts- $319
- Travel- $227
- Charity donations – $31
- Decorations- $26
Who’s feeling the most generous?
- $645 – the amount women plan to spend on average
- $607 – the amount men plan to spend on average
By generation
Generation Spend Baby Boomers $527 Gen X $722 Gen Y $323 Gen Z $567 Gen X are this season’s big spenders. People from this age group are planning to fork out almost $400 more than Gen Y.
Shopping the sales
How much Kiwis are planning to spend
Item Spend Travel $155 Food/alcohol $150 Electronics $115 Clothes/shoes $73 Furniture $69 Toys $50 White goods $35 Manchester/homewares $33 Beauty/makeup $27 Kiwis are no strangers to the holiday sales either. Many people are planning to snap up a pre-Christmas bargain during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Travel, alcohol and electronics rank high on shopper’s wish lists.
How Kiwis will be funding Christmas
- 58% will use a debt card, gift card or their savings
- 32% will use a credit card
- 8% will use Laybuy or Buy now pay later
- 3% will borrow from friends and family
- 3% will use a personal loan or payday loan
How Kiwis will be cost cutting
- Set a price limit with family and friends- 31%
- Avoid buying gifts altogether- 15%
- Make gifts by hand- 12%
- Opt for Secret Santa- 9%
- Regift existing items- 8%
- Purchase secondhand gifts- 5%
Spending tips for the silly season
Stick to a budget
Work out what you can afford to pay and don’t exceed this limit. There are plenty of ways you can tick everyone off your gift list while remaining within your means. Do a Kris Kringle and only buy for one person, regift items you never use (provided they’re in good condition) or make your own gifts by hand. Writing a list of everyone you need to buy for in the lead up to Christmas can also help you to keep track of your purchases.
Open a Christmas savings account
To avoid December budget blowout, open a Christmas savings account at the start of the year and gradually add to it throughout the following months. Each time you get paid, set aside a small amount especially for Christmas. You can easily save a spare $500 this way.
Shop the sales
There are a handful of mega sales to watch in the lead up to Christmas such as Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Here, you can expect to find huge discounts across a wide range of clothes, toys, electronics, homewares, travel deals and more. Organised shoppers can have themselves a half-price Christmas if they
Don’t say yes to everything
From end of year celebrations to office Christmas parties, silly season merrymaking can come with a hefty price tag. It’s ok to turn down the odd event here and there. This can end up saving you a small fortune over the holiday period.
