Dave’s Diary: Gift Cards Tops on the Santa Wish Lists for Most

So how’s the Christmas shopping going?  Me neither…and it looks like when we actually do get around to it, we will spend a little more on average than last year.  The National Retail Federation says the average holiday shopper will spend $749.51 on gifts, décor, greeting cards and more, up slightly from the $740.57 they actually spent last year. But we aren’t spending it all on cousin Jimmy!  Six in ten shoppers, the most in the survey’s history, plan to spend an average of $139.92 on “self-gifting” this holiday season.The biggest portion of the holiday budget will go towards gifts for family members, with the average person planning to spend $421.82 on their kids, parents, and other family members.

Gotta have a tree and stuff right? The average person will spend $51.99 on decor, up from $49.15 last year, and the most in the survey’s history. That means total spending on décor could reach $6.9 billion.

 And the most-wanted gift of all? Gift cards. Some 59.8% of those surveyed want to receive a gift card.  Maybe you’ll get one from me…if I get around to it!