Christmas Procrastination
Consumers are expected to spend an average of £400 this Christmas with 11% expecting to spend more than £1000. Sixty one per cent will pay for Christmas from their regular income and 28% will dip into their savings.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of £400 this Christmas with 11% expecting to spend more than £1000. Sixty one per cent will pay for Christmas from their regular income and 28% will dip into their savings.
Most people dread the following over Christmas:
| Family arguments |  18% |
| Central heating breaking down | 17% |
| Watching endless film repeats on TV | 14% |
| Car breaking down | 9% |
| Receiving awful presents and having to look delighted | 7% |
| Over-indulging on food & drink | 7% |
| TV breaking down | 6% |
| Playing party games like charades | 4% |
| Visiting family | 3% |
| Having family to stay | 3% |
While 21% said that they would normally start their Christmas shopping between one and two months before Christmas, 17% still left it to a week or less before Christmas, with 18% of men putting it off until the last minute.
However, it is not just Christmas shopping that people tend to put off, it seems as though we are a nation of procrastinators with 43% putting off making a will, 38% going to the dentist 35% going on a diet and 34% decorating or getting fit / taking exercise.
Technical details
MORI interviewed a representative sample of 1000 adults aged 15+, face-to-face. Fieldwork took place 7-10 November 1997. Data were weighted to the profile of Great Britain.
