(BPT) - How many people do you have on your holiday shopping list? And how much are you planning – or able – to spend on gifts?
The average American will spend slightly more than $700 on holiday gifts this year, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer reports. Some people plan ahead and save up during the year for holiday gifts, but for many others, the holiday shopping season can be a huge drain on savings.
kAmx7 J@F’C6 C625J E@ DE2CE J@FC 9@=:52J D9@AA:?8[ J@F >2J 36 DFCAC:D65 E@ =62C? E92E J@F 92G6 42D9 ;FDE =J:?8 2C@F?5 J@FC 9@FD6 :? J@FC ;6H6=CJ 3@I @C E96 324< @7 J@FC 5C2H6C] $6==:?8 J@FC @=5 @C F?FD65 8@=5 2?5 D:=G6C :E6>D 42? AC@G:56 J@F H:E9 D@>6[ @C 6G6? 2==[ @7 E96 7F?5:?8 J@F >2J ?665 E@ 4964< 6G6CJ@?6 @77 J@FC D9@AA:?8 =:DE]k^Am
kAm$@ 9@H 5@6D :E H@C<nk^Am
kAmu:CDE[ >2<6 2 564:D:@? E@ D6== E96 8@=5 2?5 D:=G6C :E6>D J@F 5@?’E H2?E[ 2?J ;6H6=CJ E92E :D 3C@<6?[ >:DD:?8 DE@?6D @C @FE @7 DEJ=6 2?5 5@?’E 7@C86E E@ 255 DE6C=:?8 D:=G6CH2C6[ 56?E2= 8@=5[ 2?5 4@:?D E@ J@FC D6==:?8 =:DE]k^Am
kAm%96 v@=5 vFJD H6C6 C2E65 E96 }@]` v@=5 qFJ6C (@C=5H:56 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E@AE6?C6G:6HD]4@>QmE@AE6?C6G:6HD]4@>k^2m[ 2? @?=:?6 4@?DF>6C C6G:6H 2?5 C2E:?8 D6CG:46] y@6 q62DJ 2?5 $92?6 |28F:C6[ @H?6CD @7 %96 v@=5 vFJD 92G6 3F:=E E96:C 3FD:?6DD @? BF2=:EJ 4FDE@>6C D6CG:46 2?5 ECFDE] %96J 362E @FE D6G6C2= H6==\<?@H? ?2E:@?2= 4@?E6?56CD 7@C E96 9@?@C]k^Am
kAm%96 8@=5 D6==:?8 AC@46DD :D D:>A=6ik^Am
kAmY |2<6 DFC6 J@F D6?5 J@FC 8@=5 2?5 @E96C :E6>D E@ 2 4@>A2?J E92E H:== C6EFC? J@FC ;6H6=CJ E@ J@F :7 J@F 5@?’E H2?E E@ 2446AE E96 @776C]k^Am
kAmY |2:= :? E@ 92G6 E96 F?H2?E65 :E6>D 2DD6DD65] |2<6 DFC6 E96 4@>A2?J J@F’C6 FD:?8 :?DFC6D E96 A24<286[ 2?5 A2JD 7@C A@DE286] v@=5 2?5 D:=G6C 2C6 962GJ >6E2=D[ 2?5 A@DE286 42? 255 FA]k^Am
kAmY #646:G6 2? @776C 7@C E96 :E6> @C :E6>D 32D65 @? E96 4FCC6?E >2C<6E G2=F6] x7 J@F 2C6 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 E96 @776C[ 2446AE :EP] *@FC 4964< D9@F=5 36 D6?E E@ J@F H:E9:? ac 9@FCD] x7 J@F 564=:?6 E96 @776C[ J@FC :E6>D D9@F=5 36 D6?E 324< :>>65:2E6=J]k^Am
kAmY r@>A2C6 AC:46D[ 2?5 E96 4FDE@>6C D6CG:46 J@F C646:G65[ 2?5 4@==64E E96 42D9 H96? J@F 564:56 E@ D6==] $E2CE A=2??:?8 H96C6 J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ AFC492D6 2== E96 8:7ED @? J@FC D9@AA:?8 =:DE 2?5 86E DE2CE65 D9@AA:?8]k^Am
kAmtDE23=:D9:?8 ECFDE H:E9 2 D6==6C :D 6IEC6>6=J :>A@CE2?E E@ %96 v@=5 vFJD[ H9@ H@C< 92C5 :?DE:EFE:?8 =68:E:>24J :? >2:=:?8 :? ;6H6=CJ 2?5 @E96C AC64:@FD >6E2=D 7@C D2=6] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^8@=58FJD]4@>Qmv@=5vFJD]4@>k^2m E@ =62C? >@C6]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ E96 v@=5 vFJD 5@6D 92G6 `g C6E2:= =@42E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm%9:D 9@=:52J D62D@? 5@?’E 8@ 7@C 3C@<6 :? 3FJ:?8 8:7ED 7@C 2== @7 J@FC =@G65 @?6D] x?DE625[ 5:8 2C@F?5 :? J@FC ;6H6=CJ 3@I E@ C6>@G6 E9@D6 F?H2?E65 8@=5 :E6>D E92E 2C6 ;FDE 4@==64E:?8 5FDE] p?5 E96? 8@ @FE[ 2?5 6?;@J E96 9@=:52J D62D@? H:E9 D@>6 7F? D9@AA:?8]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`cdeaU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`cdeaU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
